The French government is considering a reform of the tax levied on power bills to fund renewable energy that would see it extended to natural gas and road fuels, a source close to the matter said on Sunday. "A reform of the CSPE tax is planned, its basis will be widened to gas and road fuels," the source told Reuters, confirming an earlier report by the Journal du Dimanche newspaper.
Citing sources at the energy ministry, the paper said the government wanted to cut the CSPE tax, which accounts for about 15 percent of households' electricity bills and spread the 6 billion euros it costs annually to fossil fuels.
The source said it would take the form of a new tax that would contribute directly to the state's budget. The current CSPE tax is levied by utility EDF through power bills.