Energy in France: Electricity & Gas Guide for Expats (2026)

How to Set Up Electricity or Gas in France

Whether you are moving into a new home or taking over an existing contract, the process is straightforward and entirely free. You do not need to start with the historic supplier — you can choose any supplier from day one. Here is the full procedure:

• Check whether the property has an active connection — if the flat or house has been empty for a long time, the meter may have been cut. In that case a mise en service (reconnection) is needed, which takes up to 10 working days. If someone was living there before you, the connection is almost certainly active and the switch takes 24–48 hours ;
• Find your PDL or PCE number — your electricity meter point is identified by a 14-digit PDL number; your gas point by a PCE number. Both are on your lease agreement, a previous bill, or can be provided by your landlord. Without this number, no supplier can open a contract ;
• Gather the three documents you will need — a valid ID (passport is fine, no French ID card required), your French IBAN for direct debit, and the PDL/PCE number. That is all ;
• Compare offers and choose a supplier — use the comparator at the top of this page or call our English-speaking advisors free on +33 9 87 67 37 93. The best market offers are typically 5–10% cheaper than the EDF regulated tariff ;
• Sign the contract online or by phone in around 10 minutes — you will receive a confirmation email with your contract number. No engineer visit is needed for a standard switch ;
• Your new supplier cancels the old contract for you — if switching from an existing supplier, you do not need to contact them. The changeover is handled entirely between the two suppliers ;
• Your supply starts with no interruption — there is no power cut or gas outage during the switch. The meter reading at changeover is taken remotely by Enedis or GRDF.

For a complete walkthrough, see our guides on setting up electricity in a new home and connecting gas for the first time.

How the French Energy Market Works

The French electricity and gas markets have been open to competition for residential customers since 2007. The market operates on a two-layer model: one network operator that delivers energy to all homes regardless of supplier, and a competitive layer of commercial suppliers offering different prices and plans.

The key distinction that confuses many expats: your supplier handles billing and customer service, but the grid operator (Enedis for electricity, GRDF for gas) owns the cables and pipes. Switching supplier never involves any work on the physical infrastructure — that is why there is never a power cut when you change.

Regulated vs. market tariffs

France still has regulated electricity and gas tariffs (called the Tarif Réglementé de Vente, or TRV), set by the French energy regulator CRE. Only the historic suppliers — EDF for electricity and Engie for gas — are authorised to sell the regulated tariff.

All other suppliers sell market offers, which can be fixed-price, indexed to the regulated tariff, or fully variable. Many market offers are cheaper than the regulated rate — which is why comparing before signing is worthwhile. See our dedicated page on electricity tariffs in France for a full explanation of TRV, peak/off-peak hours, and the Tempo option.

The regulated tariff for gas was definitively abolished in July 2023. Gas customers who had not yet switched were automatically migrated by their supplier to a market offer.

The French Energy Mix

France's electricity generation is dominated by nuclear power, which provides approximately two-thirds of the country's electricity. This is the highest share of any large economy in the world, and it means France's electricity is among the least carbon-intensive in Europe — a fact that matters for expats choosing a green energy offer.

Hydropower is France's second-largest source of electricity, with about 25 GW of installed capacity concentrated in the Alps and Pyrenees. Wind and solar are growing rapidly under the government's long-term energy plan, which aims to bring renewable capacity to 40% of electricity production by 2030 while gradually extending the lifespan of existing nuclear reactors.

The practical consequence for expats choosing a green energy offer: because France's grid is already very low-carbon, the incremental difference between a "standard" and a "100% renewable" contract is smaller than in the UK or Germany. A green tariff still contributes to renewable investment via Garanties d'Origine certificates, but it does not physically change what comes out of your wall socket.

• Nuclear — ~65% of electricity production ;
• Hydropower — ~12–15%, depending on rainfall ;
• Wind — ~9% and growing ;
• Solar — ~5% ;
• Thermal (gas, oil, coal) — under 10%, used mainly for peak demand.

Source: RTE (Réseau de Transport d'Électricité) — annual figures, approximate averages over recent years.