By €0.1579
HC price per kWh
Off-peak rate, regulated tariff mai 2026
−18.6%
Cheaper than Base tariff
During your 8 daily off-peak hours
26–30%
Breakeven threshold
Min. share of consumption in HC to save money (CRE data, Feb 2026)
14.5M
HC/HP customers in France
Being moved to new 2025 schedules by end 2027
What is the heures creuses / heures pleines tariff?
The heures creuses / heures pleines (HC/HP) option — also called the "double tariff" or "peak/off-peak tariff" — is an electricity pricing option available from every French supplier. It divides your day into two windows: 8 hours of off-peak (heures creuses) at a reduced kWh price, and 16 hours of peak (heures pleines) at a higher rate. Your meter records consumption on two separate indexes and you are billed at the corresponding rate for each.
This option exists alongside the standard Base tariff. The goal, from Enedis's perspective, is to smooth national electricity demand by shifting consumption to periods of lower grid load — historically overnight. The more you concentrate consumption in those 8 hours, the more you save. For a full overview of electricity options in France, see our electricity guide.
Unlike gas contracts, the HC/HP option is only available for electricity — there is no day/night split for gas billing in France. Your 8 off-peak hours are assigned by Enedis based on your address and local grid configuration; you cannot choose or change them yourself, and they remain the same regardless of which supplier you are with.
HC/HP vs Base tariff: current prices (2026)
At the regulated tariff (Tarif Bleu, updated 1 February 2026), the HC/HP off-peak rate is €0.1579/kWh and the peak rate is €0.2065/kWh. The standard Base rate sits at €0.1940/kWh — meaning off-peak electricity is 18.6% cheaper than Base, while peak electricity is 6.4% more expensive. The HC/HP option only saves money overall if enough of your consumption truly falls in the off-peak window.
The annual subscription is also slightly higher for HC/HP than for Base. At 6 kVA (the most common residential power level), HC/HP costs €187.82/year versus approximately €151/year for Base — a difference of roughly €37/year that your kWh savings must cover before you are in profit. For larger homes on 9 kVA or above, the subscription gap is proportionally smaller and the savings potential increases.
| Tariff option | kWh price (TTC) | vs Base rate |
|---|---|---|
| Heures creuses (HC) — off-peak | €0.1579/kWh | −18.6% |
| Heures pleines (HP) — peak | €0.2065/kWh | +6.4% |
| Base tariff (reference) | €0.1940/kWh | — |
Regulated tariff (Tarif Bleu) prices TTC in force as of February 2026. Source: CRE.
Prices shown are for the regulated tariff. Alternative suppliers often offer lower HC kWh rates — some below €0.15/kWh for off-peak hours. Switching supplier is always free and does not affect your HC/HP schedule. Call Selectra's English-speaking advisors on +33 9 87 67 37 93 for a free comparison of all available HC/HP offers at your address.
What are my off-peak hours?
Your 8 daily off-peak hours are set by Enedis based on your address and local grid load. They are not chosen by your supplier and do not change when you switch supplier. Even within the same street or apartment building, two households can have different HC schedules depending on which distribution transformer they are connected to.
How to find your exact HC schedule
There are four reliable ways to confirm your personal off-peak hours:
- Your electricity bill: look in the "Caractéristiques de votre profil" section — it lists your exact HC window ;
- Your meter: a digital meter shows HP/HC information when you scroll through its display; a Linky meter shows whether you are currently in HP or HC in real time ;
- Enedis website: enter your postcode at enedis.fr/heures-pleines-heures-creuses to see the schedules for your commune — note that several different schedules can coexist in the same town ;
- Your supplier's online customer area: EDF, Engie, TotalEnergies and most others display your exact HC slot once logged in.
If you are currently on the Base tariff and want to know which HC schedule would apply if you switched, your supplier's customer service or Enedis can provide this information. Your schedule is linked to your meter, not your contract — the timing is already determined before you even request the option.
Typical HC schedules by city (before and after the 2025 reform)
The table below shows common HC patterns in France's major cities. These are examples only — the exact schedule depends on your specific transformer and local grid configuration. After the 2025 reform, all nighttime HC windows shift to the 23h–7h band, and customers in summer receive an additional 11h–17h daytime slot.
| City | Typical HC schedule (examples) | Post-reform night window |
|---|---|---|
| Paris | 23h–7h or 23h30–7h30 | 23h–7h |
| Lyon | 22h–6h, 22h30–6h30, or 23h–7h | 23h–7h |
| Marseille | 22h30–6h30, or 2h–7h + 13h–16h, or 23h–7h | 23h–7h (+ summer day slot) |
| Bordeaux | 0h–8h, 22h30–6h30, or 2h–8h + 13h30–15h30 | 23h–7h (+ summer day slot) |
| Toulouse | 0h–8h, 22h30–6h30, or 2h–7h + 12h30–15h30 | 23h–7h (+ summer day slot) |
Example schedules only — your exact times depend on your local Enedis transformer. Source: Enedis.
The 2025 off-peak hours reform
Since 1 November 2025, Enedis has been progressively updating HC/HP schedules for all 14.5 million customers on this option. The reform was designed by the CRE (Commission de Régulation de l'Énergie) within the TURPE 7 framework to absorb France's rapidly growing solar generation. The total of 8 off-peak hours per day is unchanged — only when they fall during the day shifts with the seasons.
What changes from November 2025
The key change is the introduction of seasonality: summer and winter schedules now differ. In summer, up to 3 of the 8 off-peak hours shift to midday (11h–17h) to coincide with peak solar output — meaning running your dishwasher or EV charger at noon in July counts as off-peak. In winter, when solar generation is low, all 8 off-peak hours remain overnight. Customers who previously had early-evening HC windows (starting at 20h or 21h) are among those most affected by the nighttime shift to 23h.
Summer (April–October)
- Night: at least 5 consecutive HC hours between 23h–7h ;
- Daytime: up to 3 additional HC hours between 11h–17h.
Winter (November–March)
- All 8 HC hours overnight, between 23h–7h ;
- No midday window in winter months.
Rollout timeline
The transition is being rolled out in phases across all 14.5 million HC/HP customers. If your schedule has not yet changed, you are in Phase 2 and the update will come from the second half of 2026 at the earliest.
| Phase | Period | Customers affected |
|---|---|---|
| Already compliant | Before Nov 2025 | 3.5 million |
| Phase 1 | From 1 November 2025 | 1.7 million |
| Phase 2 | From 2nd half of 2026 | 9.3 million |
Full rollout expected by end of 2027. Source: Enedis / CRE TURPE 7 consultation.
Is the HC/HP tariff worth switching to?
HC/HP saves money when at least 26–30% of your total electricity consumption falls within your off-peak hours — a Selectra calculation based on the official CRE Tarif Bleu rates published on 1 February 2026 (HC €0.1579/kWh, HP €0.2065/kWh, Base €0.1940/kWh, 6 kVA subscription gap). This threshold is far lower than it was before the 2022 energy crisis (when ~60% was required), because the HC price has fallen faster than the Base rate. For most households with a hot water tank, dishwasher, or EV charger that can run overnight, reaching 26–30% in off-peak hours is realistic without much effort.
Advantages
- Off-peak kWh is 18.6% cheaper than the Base tariff (€0.1579 vs €0.1940)
- You only need 26–30% off-peak consumption to break even — far lower bar than before 2022
- Ideal for hot water tanks, EV charging, dishwashers and washing machines run overnight
- Free to activate if you have a Linky meter; €55.33 once-off for older meters
- Alternative suppliers often offer HC rates below the regulated tariff
Disadvantages
- Peak-hour rate is 6.4% more expensive than the Base tariff (€0.2065 vs €0.1940)
- Annual subscription costs roughly €37 more per year than the Base option (6 kVA)
- Less suitable for small studios with low overall consumption and no programmable appliances
- Requires shifting heavy appliances reliably to the off-peak window to stay in profit
Compare the best HC/HP offers currently available at your address — rates from alternative suppliers can be significantly lower than the regulated tariff:
Your home type
- Fixed price for 12 months — no surprises if the regulated tariff rises
- 100% renewable with guarantee-of-origin certificates
- Selectra editorial score B — price, service and contract clarity
- Lowest €/kWh on the French market this month
- Optimised for 3 kVA contracts in this consumption bracket
- Fixed rate — price locked for the full contract duration
- Fixed price for 12 months — no surprises if the regulated tariff rises
- No fees, no interruption — switch online in under 10 minutes
- Selectra editorial score C — price, service and contract clarity
- Lowest €/kWh on the French market this month
- Optimised for 6 kVA contracts in this consumption bracket
- Fixed rate — price locked for the full contract duration
- Fixed price for 12 months — no surprises if the regulated tariff rises
- No fees, no interruption — switch online in under 10 minutes
- Selectra editorial score C — price, service and contract clarity
- Lowest €/kWh on the French market this month
- Optimised for 9 kVA contracts in this consumption bracket
- Fixed rate — price locked for the full contract duration
- Fixed price for 12 months — no surprises if the regulated tariff rises
- No fees, no interruption — switch online in under 10 minutes
- Selectra editorial score C — price, service and contract clarity
- Lowest €/kWh on the French market this month
- Optimised for 12 kVA contracts in this consumption bracket
- Fixed rate — price locked for the full contract duration
Free English-speaking service · Mon–Fri 8am–9pm · Sat 9am–7pm · Sun 9am–5pm
Not sure whether HC/HP is right for your home?
Selectra's English-speaking advisors compare every HC/HP offer available at your address and switch your contract on the same call — completely free.
+33 9 87 67 37 93 · Free comparison →How to activate the HC/HP option
Switching from the Base tariff to HC/HP — or back — is a request made through your electricity supplier, not Enedis directly. The process is identical regardless of which supplier you are with. Your meter power must be at least 3 kVA for the switch to be permitted, which covers virtually all residential contracts.
Step-by-step process
The activation involves your supplier contacting Enedis on your behalf. If you have a Linky meter, the entire process is done remotely — no engineer visit and no cost. For older electromechanical meters, a technician must attend to reconfigure the meter:
- Contact your electricity supplier's customer service and request the HC/HP option ;
- Your supplier notifies Enedis, who schedules the configuration change ;
- With a Linky meter: the change is made remotely, free of charge, usually within a few days ;
- With an older meter: a technician visits to reconfigure or replace it — Enedis charges €55.33 TTC for this intervention ;
- Once activated, your meter records consumption on two separate HC and HP indexes from that point forward.
How to check your current tariff option
If you are unsure whether you are currently on Base or HC/HP, these are the fastest ways to check:
- Electricity bill: look for "Option Heures Pleines / Heures Creuses" or "Option Base" in the "Caractéristiques de votre facture" section ;
- Meter reading: if there are two rows of digits (HP and HC indexes), you are on the HC/HP option; one row means Base ;
- Linky display: press the "+" button to scroll through readings — the meter shows whether you are currently in HP or HC mode.
HC/HP and your Linky smart meter
The Linky smart meter, now installed in over 35 million French homes, plays a central role in how HC/HP works. Instead of a fixed mechanical clock, the Linky receives a digital signal from Enedis via the electricity network. This signal activates an internal relay (the "contact sec" on terminals C1/C2), which triggers the time-of-use contactor in your electrical panel — starting your hot water tank automatically at the beginning of the off-peak window, for example.
The practical benefit for customers is significant: switching from Base to HC/HP (or back) with a Linky costs nothing. The change is made remotely by Enedis, with no engineer visit. The Linky also allows Enedis to update your off-peak schedule during the 2025 reform without any physical meter replacement. If you already had an HC/HP meter when Linky was installed, your off-peak period was carried over automatically.
The Linky display shows your current tariff window in real time: press the "+" button to cycle through readings until HP or HC appears on screen. It records two separate consumption indexes — one for peak hours, one for off-peak — transmitted to your supplier automatically for billing. Some suppliers offer monitoring apps that break down your consumption by HC/HP slot, making it easy to see whether you are using enough of the off-peak window to make the option worthwhile. For more on reading and using your meter, see our Linky guide.
Frequently asked questions
Heures creuses (off-peak hours) are a daily 8-hour window during which electricity costs less — €0.1579/kWh at the regulated rate, compared to €0.1940/kWh on the standard Base tariff. The remaining 16 hours are heures pleines (peak hours) at €0.2065/kWh. Schedules are set by Enedis based on your address and vary by location.
Yes, for most households that can shift consumption to off-peak hours. With the official CRE Tarif Bleu rates of 1 February 2026 (HC €0.1579/kWh, HP €0.2065/kWh, Base €0.1940/kWh), the breakeven point sits at 26–30% of consumption in off-peak hours — far lower than the ~60% required before 2022. Households with a hot water tank, dishwasher, washing machine, or EV charger that runs overnight typically exceed this threshold without effort.
Check your electricity bill in the Caractéristiques de votre profil section — it lists your exact HC window. You can also enter your postcode at enedis.fr/heures-pleines-heures-creuses, or log into your supplier's online customer area. If you have a Linky meter, it shows in real time whether you are currently in HP or HC mode.
Free if you have a Linky smart meter — the change is made remotely by Enedis with no engineer visit. For older electromechanical meters, Enedis charges €55.33 TTC for the physical meter reconfiguration. This fee is the same regardless of your supplier and applies across all of France.
From 1 November 2025, Enedis began progressively updating schedules for all 14.5 million HC/HP customers. The total of 8 off-peak hours per day is unchanged, but their distribution is now seasonal: in summer (April–October), up to 3 hours shift to a midday window (11h–17h) to absorb solar production, with at least 5 consecutive night hours between 23h–7h. In winter (November–March), all 8 hours remain overnight (23h–7h). The full rollout runs through end of 2027.