Paris:A 6.6% increase in the reference price for natural gas in France will take effect at the start of next month, as announced by the French Energy Regulatory Commission on Monday.

According to Iraqi News Agency, the new price will be pound 194.90 per megawatt-hour, including taxes, up from the current pound 182.88. This increase is expected to affect the bills of millions of households across France.

The Commission attributed the hike to an increase in wholesale gas prices observed in September compared to August. It emphasized that the rise is solely due to supply costs, with no changes anticipated in costs related to transport, storage, distribution, or taxes.

The Commission has estimated that the average bill for consumers with contracts tied to the reference gas price will increase by approximately pound 12, including taxes, next month.