Electricity bills in France: move to change peak / off-peak hours system
The aim is to make better use of renewable energy sources
Increased use of renewable energy such as solar could cause changes in peak and off-peak times
artjazz/Shutterstock
The system of off-peak and peak electricity price times in France may change in 2025 to meet new energy challenges, the Commission de Régulation de l'Energie (CRE) has said.
The changes - which are yet to be confirmed for certain - are part of new parameters designed to save electricity as part of the ecological transition.
Off-peak and peak electricity bill times have long been stable in France.
Off-peak times are when prices are lower, and demand is usually lower. These tend to fall between 22:00 and 06:00.
Peak times (the rest of the day) cost more.
The aim is to encourage people on tariffs with significant price differences between off-peak and peak to be more careful with their electricity usage, and save during times of high demand, to avoid putting excess pressure on the grid.
Read also:
Why are changes being suggested?
The CRE states that currently, around 60% of households who have a peak/off-peak option are not making the most of it, and sometimes the time slots available ( e.g. 07:00 to 08:00) or 17:00 to 18:00) are not the most effective.
Similarly, this overhaul is also due to the rise in renewable energies, especially solar, which provides different peak hours. For example, in summer, solar production peaks in the afternoon, while demand remains low.
This leads to the grid being overloaded, causing negative prices on the wholesale markets and a situation in which electricity producers have to (paradoxically) pay to sell their surplus.
This has prompted the CRE to overhaul its system for 2025.
“These are still just suggestions,” the CRE said, as reported by Le Parisien. “The public consultation ended in November.
“On the basis of the feedback, CRE will make its decision in January for implementation starting in the summer of 2025 and ending around two years later, in the summer of 2027,” it said.
What changes are being suggested?
Off-peak times are set to more closely coincide with periods of high solar production, explained CRE chair Emmanuelle Wargon to FranceInfo.
This means that from 2025, consumers could see off-peak hours taking place in the middle of the day, especially between 13:00 and 16:00 during the summer months.
Those with off-peak and peak contracts will therefore be encouraged to use surplus electricity - such as running energy-intensive household appliances, or charging electric vehicles - during these hours.
“At CRE, we are committed to off-peak hours, and we want to position them better as some are poorly located, around 7:00-8:00 or 17:00-18:00,” said Ms Wargon.
Lifestyle changes
The aim is also to ensure that off-peak hour prices remain appealing to consumers.
Ms Wargon explained that for off-peak times to remain profitable, at least 30% of a household's consumption must take place during these periods, requiring the household to be aware of the times and their usage habits.
To this end energy suppliers will be tasked with better informing their customers of the new time slots as soon as they have been approved.
Households with programmable appliances such as water heaters or washing machines, will be advised to adjust their use to maximise savings. Those that do not shift their usage may end up paying more for their electricity in the long-run.
More electricity price changes for 2025
Energy prices are not expected to rise generally, however, as the regulated electricity tariff is expected to fall by 14% from February 2025.
This reduction will affect almost 20 million households, and is due to the fall in wholesale prices on the energy markets.
Ms Wargon estimated (also to FranceInfo) that for a household with an average electricity bill of €1,400 per year, the savings could reach €200.
However, the TURPE tax (network access tariff, determined by the CRE) on electricity, which had been postponed by the government, will next year rise from €21 to €33.70 per megawatt hour.
This means that some people will see a fall in their overall energy bill but that others could be directly affected by the TURPE increase, particularly holders of fixed-price contracts.
