The Linky Smart Meter in France: how it works, how to read it, and refusal fees

How the Linky Meter Works

The Linky sends your consumption index to Enedis once a day using the electricity cables themselves — no separate antenna, no new wiring. The data travels from your meter to the nearest transformer substation (where a concentrator aggregates readings from nearby meters), then onwards to Enedis's systems via mobile network. The process is entirely invisible: the meter communicates independently of whether its screen is on or whether anyone is home.

The meter also supports two-way communication: Enedis can send instructions to your meter to activate or deactivate your supply, modify your subscribed power capacity (kVA), or switch your tariff option — all without dispatching a technician. This is why operations that used to require a paid appointment now happen remotely within 24 hours. It also means that switching to off-peak hours (heures creuses) or adjusting your power capacity (kVA) is free with a Linky.

The Linky also stores a 30-minute consumption curve (courbe de charge), but this detailed data is only transmitted and made available with your explicit opt-in consent — daily totals are the default. Here is what the Linky makes possible that older meters could not:

• Billing on actual consumption, not estimates ;
• Remote contract activation — under 24 hours vs up to 5 working days ;
• Free remote kVA power changes, same day ;
• Automatic heures creuses / heures pleines differentiation ;
• Recording of both electricity consumed and produced (solar self-consumption) ;
• Day-by-day consumption history accessible online, free of charge.

How to Read Your Linky Meter

The Linky has two buttons — + and − — and an LCD screen that cycles through different data each time you press +. The screen switches off automatically after a few seconds of inactivity; press + once to wake it. Above the screen, an orange LED flashes continuously in proportion to your live consumption: a slow flash means low draw, a fast flash means heavy load. This is the quickest way to check whether a large appliance has been left on. The LED is a simple indicator light, not a camera — see the health and privacy section below.

Your most important number is the PRM (Point de Référence des Mesures) — a 14-digit identifier displayed on the 6th press of +. This replaces the old PDL number and is what you need to create your Enedis online account, contact your supplier, or confirm your meter details. Keep it to hand.

If the screen shows PUISS DEPASSEE, your live consumption has exceeded your subscribed power capacity and the supply will cut automatically after a few seconds. Unplug a high-draw appliance (oven, kettle, electric heater), then press and hold + for 5 seconds to reset. If this happens regularly, your subscribed kVA is too low: contact your supplier to increase it — with a Linky the change is free and done remotely within 24 hours.

What Linky Makes Possible for Expats

The most practical benefit for expats is that meter-related operations no longer require navigating French phone menus at Enedis. With an old analogue meter, activating a new connection, changing your power capacity or switching to off-peak hours each required a technician appointment — scheduled in French, weeks in advance, often with a charge. With a Linky, your supplier sends a remote instruction and Enedis carries it out within 24 hours, behind the scenes.

The most commonly requested change is a switch to heures creuses pricing, which gives a lower kWh rate during 8 hours per day (set by Enedis based on your local area). Running your dishwasher, washing machine or water heater during those hours can reduce your bill noticeably. With a Linky, enabling heures creuses is free, remote and takes under 24 hours — with an old meter it required a paid technician visit (around €55).

Linky also records both electricity consumed and electricity injected back into the grid (surplus from solar panels), using a single meter with no additional hardware. This makes it straightforward to benefit from France's self-consumption regime if you have photovoltaic panels installed. See our guide to green electricity offers in France for compatible supplier options. More broadly, the full range of electricity options in France is only accessible with a Linky.

Health and Privacy: What the Evidence Says

In its revised opinion of 11 May 2023, France's ANSES (Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l'alimentation, de l'environnement et du travail) concluded that it is "very unlikely that exposure to electromagnetic fields emitted by Linky meters could cause health effects in the short or long term." Independent measurements by the ANFR confirm levels far below regulatory limits: 1.1 V/m electric field (limit: 87 V/m) and 0.015 microT magnetic field (limit: 6.25 microT) — comparable to a phone charger or induction hob. The meter communicates over cables, not wirelessly, which further limits any exposure inside the home.

On privacy, the CNIL strictly regulates Linky data use. Only daily consumption totals are transmitted by default. The 30-minute consumption curve requires your explicit opt-in consent in your Enedis account settings; you can revoke it at any time. Your supplier receives only the data needed for billing. Any third-party app access requires a separate authorisation from you. All data is encrypted in transit, and you have full GDPR access, correction and deletion rights.

A persistent rumour claims the orange LED on the Linky is a hidden camera. It is not — it is a standard LED that flashes in proportion to your consumption, as confirmed by UFC-Que Choisir. No camera, microphone or video surveillance device of any kind is built into the Linky meter.