French Life: Changing your electricity provider
Electrifyingly easy!
When we move to a new country, or buy a second home abroad, many continue with the energy provider already in place. It’s easier… and with moving house right up there with divorce and death for the most stressful life events, we really don’t need the extra hassle.
So are you aware that there are plenty of electricity suppliers to choose from, nearly all cheaper than the former state-owned EDF who are still the biggest electricity supplier on the market?
To be clear...
… we are talking energy PROVIDERS, not energy DISTRIBUTION which remains a monopoly via Enedis, responsible for operating and maintaining the power grid and electricity infrastructure.
It certainly pays to shop around for most of your utilities, (gas, water, TV, Internet….) to ensure you have the right supplier for you at the best possible price. For example, some electricity providers offer green options, others packages and discounts which may, or may not, suit you, and of course, in this region of wall to wall sunshine, it is well worth considering installing your own solar panels.
You’re nodding your head. Checking out the electricity providers is on the ‘to do’ list once you get your head round all the other stuff that needs doing, because knowing french admin, it’s going to take a lot of thought and paperwork to change providers….
Well no actually. It’s much easier than you would expect. In fact, the most difficult part is choosing out of so many.
How to switch
It’s free, you keep the same meter, and your new supplier will do all the work when you sign up! What’s more, if you find the new supplier doesn’t suit you, you can change back or change to a different supplier as many times as you like, with no minimum commitment period, and no cancellation fees or charges which are prohibited by French law.
Termination of your old contract is automatic, and could end up saving you hundreds of euros.
C’est du gateau!
How to choose
Now there’s a thorny one. Making a choice can be challenging because there are so many.
Watch out for hard sell. As with everything, some companies can be pushy and offer misleading packages to close the deal.
Make sure they have the right tariff for you. Would you be better off with off-peak rates? Do the off-peak hours they offer suit you? What about tempo where rates vary throughout the year? Are they providing enough power, or do you need more? Bear in mind that you can choose the ‘puissance du compteur’, and the more powerful, the more you pay.
Check out some of the comparison sites which will help you search by various criteria.
According to one comparison site, Selectra, the cheapest electricity provider in France in June 2024 was OHM Énergie, thanks to its offer Giga Eco. The price per kWh of 0.1883€ with the Base option was 25.2% cheaper than the EDF blue tariff.
A visit to the government comparison site is also worthwhile, ‘though you have to answer quite a few questions (in French) before you get down to the nitty gritty.
Making a complaint
There’s loads of info on the web about making a complaint about your energy provider, which some might take as a bit of a warning, but remember that you can change back any time if you’re not satisfied.
