The French government said Wednesday a request by power group GDF Suez SA (GSZ.FR) to increase its natural gas regulated tariffs by 7% was excessive.

"This demand is not satisfactory," government spokeswoman Najet Vallaud-Belkacem told journalists after the weekly cabinet meeting, confirming earlier press reports that a tariff hike request had been lodged. "It seems to us too high."

GDF Suez asked the French power regulator Commission de Regulation de l'Energie, or CRE, to be allowed to raise its tariffs from Oct. 1 in order to cover earlier supply costs, French daily Le Figaro reports Wednesday, without citing sources.

GDF Suez is requesting a 1% increase for higher supply costs since July 1 but it has also requested an increase of seven percentage points to cover past supply cost increases, Le Figaro reported.

On July 1, the government granted a 2% tariff increase only, below the 8% increase recommended by the CRE to cover the group's supply costs.

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