17 December 2007 - The decision by France's lower house to give all French households the right to return to regulated power tariffs will speed up the opening of France's power market, Poweo, France's largest independent energy supplier, said.

Platts reports that members of the National Assembly, France's lower house of parliament, voted in favour of an amendment to a bill which extends, under certain conditions, the right of "reversibility" between fixed and market prices, to all households.

Before the amendment, the text gave only those who move to a new home the right to move back from free market prices to government-fixed rates. The bill
must now be ratified by the Senate, France's upper house.

France wants to apply the new measures as soon as possible in the New Year, but it could be held up if the Socialist opposition in the lower house carries out a threat to send the bill to France's constitutional council for review.

It was expected that the number of households to be supplied by Poweo is to increase to almost 8000 from 1 January 2008, from around 2000 in mid-September.