Timing of off-peak hours for electricity in France is changing this year
"(More hours) during the day could be useful"
Up to 15 million households benefit from peak/off-peak electricity contracts in France
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Electricity contracts with peak/off peak price rates are set to include more off-peak hours in the daytime from November 2025 and greater variation between the summer and winter months after a recommendation from the independent body that regulates the French electricity market.
Up to 15 million households benefit from peak/off-peak electricity contracts in France, under which electricity prices are lower at off-peak times.
Around nine million of these households currently only have off-peak hours at night.
Under the plans announced by France’s Commission de regulation de l’energie (CRE) on February 6, the off-peak times of 11 million households will also be adjusted to include more hours at the off-peak rate during the daytime from November.
The plans also include different off-peak times for the summer (1 April to 31 October) and winter (1 November to 31 March).
Note that as peak/off-peak hours are set by the grid rather than by individual electricity suppliers the changes will apply to all peak/off-peak electricity contracts.
A wider off-peak window
“The general idea is to have more off-peak hours during the day,” CRE president Emmanuelle Wargon told Franceinfo. “It is not necessary to have eight off-peak hours at night, but more off-peak hours during the day could be useful.”
The CRE’s recommendations include removing off-peak hours between 07:00 and 10:00 in summer / 07:00 - 11:00 in winter, and between 18:00 and 23:00 in summer / 17:00 - 21:00 in winter
The intention is to allow for more seasonal flexibility whilst still maintaining eight daily off-peak hours.
“This [system] is good for the consumer because as soon as you have more than 30% of your consumption in off-peak hours, you save money,” said Ms Wargon. “And it is quite easy when you have an electric water heater.
“It's good for the grid which is less saturated than when everyone consumes at the same time. And it's also better for the market and production," she said, adding that the total number of off-peak hours will stay the same, with customers benefiting from around five off-peak hours at night and three in the daytime.
The changes will come into effect progressively over a two year period from November 1, 2025.
