EDF has been the incumbent electricity supplier in France since 1946. EDF is the only supplier able to market the Blue Tariff, which is regulated by the public authorities. EDF also offers market offers, including 4 green electricity offers, as well as the Zen Électrique range offering off-peak hours at weekends and on public holidays. Whether we're talking about Tarif Bleu or market offers, EDF's electricity offers are not advantageous overall. A lot of cheaper offers exist in the French market in september of 2024
Electricity provider | Electricity offer | Yearly price incl. VAT | Savings vs regulated tariff* | Subscription price (€/yr) | kWh price |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
PRUDENCE
✔️ Renewable energy! 🔐 Fixed rates! |
Estimated cost
1933 € |
You save
608 € |
149.06 € | 0.1878 € |
|
ELECTRICITÉ 100% VERTE PRIX FIXE
✔️ Renewable energy! 🔐 Fixed rates! |
Estimated cost
1944 € |
You save
598 € |
198.43 € | 0.1837 € |
|
ONLINE & GREEN
✔️ Renewable energy! 🔐 Fixed rates! |
Estimated cost
1956 € |
You save
586 € |
166.91 € | 0.1883 € |
|
C5 BLEU PARTICULIER
🔐 Fixed rates! |
Estimated cost
1980 € |
You save
562 € |
150.78 € | 0.1925 € |
|
ÉLECTRICITÉ VERTE 100% FRANÇAISE
✔️ Renewable energy! 🔐 Fixed rates! |
Estimated cost
1995 € |
You save
546 € |
164.25 € | 0.1927 € |
Contacter |
VERTE FIXE ELECTRICITÉ
✔️ Renewable energy! 🔐 Fixed rates! |
Estimated cost
2002 € |
You save
540 € |
149.31 € | 0.195 € |
*Tariffs updated on 29/09/2024. Cost calculated for a yearly consumption of 9500 kWh in base option (6 kVA)
EDF Tariffs
The majority of French households purchase electricity from EDF at the regulated tariff (the Tarif Bleu), though it is not the cheapest offer on the market.
Yearly meter standing charge | Base kWh price | |
---|---|---|
3 kVA | 115.56 € | 0.2516 € |
6 kVA | 151.2 € | 0.2516 € |
9 kVA | 189.48 € | 0.2516 € |
12 kVA | 228.48 € | 0.2516 € |
15 kVA | 264.84 € | 0.2516 € |
18 kVA | 301.08 € | 0.2516 € |
24 kVA | 381.12 € | 0.2516 € |
30 kVA | 449.28 € | 0.2516 € |
36 kVA | 537.84 € | 0.2516 € |
Prices in € TTC for offer Tarifs réglementés de l'électricité by EDF updated 29/09/2024
The Tarif Bleu is fixed by French public authorities (the Commission de Régulation de l'Energie - CRE - along with the ministers for economy and energy), and usually changes about once a year. Most of the time the Tarif Bleu increases when it is changed.
Many alternate suppliers base their rates off of the pre-tax regulated tariffs, offering a discount. These discounts usually range from 5 - 10% lower than the regulated tariff, but depending on the supplier and the plan they can be as much as 20% lower than the regulated tariff.
There are in fact three different regulated tariff options available as part of the Tarif Bleu:
EDF Option Base
With the Option Base, the price you pay for electricity stays the same throughout the year, regardless of the time of day or season. This option is best for small power consumers and those with few electrical appliances. While this option is simple, it is not the cheapest available on the market.
Name | Subscription Charge | Price per kWh | Engagement |
---|---|---|---|
Set by French public authorities | Set by French public authorities | None: possibility to cancel at any time without penalty | |
Same as regulated tariffs | -5% discount off of the pre-tax regulated tariff amount | None: possibility to cancel at any time without penalty |
EDF Option Creuse
With the Option Creuse (which might also be descibed as the tarif jour/nuit, or heures pleines-heures creuses), the price for electricity changes depending on the time of day. With this option you are charged two prices for electricity: a more expensive "on-peak" rate (charged during times of high usage), or a cheaper "off-peak" rate (charged when overall power needs are less - usually at night). The hours for on- and off-peak rates are set by the grid operator (not by the customer), and are location-specific (in French).
The Option Creuse is a good choice for high electricity consumers with a relatively flexible schedule (i.e. it might be good for you if you are able to wait until certain times before doing your laundry, cooking etc.).
Yearly meter standing charge | Off-peak kWh price | Peak kWh price | |
---|---|---|---|
6 kVA | 156.12 € | 0.2068 € | 0.27 € |
9 kVA | 200.4 € | 0.2068 € | 0.27 € |
12 kVA | 241.56 € | 0.2068 € | 0.27 € |
15 kVA | 280.8 € | 0.2068 € | 0.27 € |
18 kVA | 319.68 € | 0.2068 € | 0.27 € |
24 kVA | 401.28 € | 0.2068 € | 0.27 € |
30 kVA | 475.56 € | 0.2068 € | 0.27 € |
36 kVA | 537.48 € | 0.2068 € | 0.27 € |
Prices in € TTC for offer Tarifs réglementés de l'électricité by EDF updated 29/09/2024
If you are interested in EDF's Option Creuse you should also know that alternate suppliers also offer peak/off-peak options, which are often cheaper.
EDF Option Tempo
The Option Tempo is a rather complicated time-of-use rate, in which the price of electricity changes depending on the time of day as well as the day itself (and how high general electricity usage is that day).
In other words, with Option Tempo you pay an on-peak and off-peak rate for electricity, but these rates are particularly high on some days of the year (typically 22 days, spread out between the 1st of November until the 30th of March), slightly higher on others (43 days throughout the year), and lower throughout the rest of the year (300 days out of the year - including all Sundays). You can find out what kind of day it is on here (in French). This kind of rate is only worthwhile for high electricity consumers with a relatively flexible schedule.
The Option Tempo is a regulated tariff option, and no alternate suppliers offer anything similar. However, unless you a larger power consumer and are able to dramatically reduce your consumption on red days, a simple fixed rate or heures creuses option from an alternate supplier that guarantees savings compared to the regulated rates is a more affordable option.
Other EDF tariffs
EDF also sells a renewable electricity rate along with regulated tariffs, called the Offre Électricité Verte.
Yearly meter standing charge | Base kWh price | |
---|---|---|
3 kVA | 115.56 € | 0.2423 € |
6 kVA | 151.2 € | 0.2423 € |
9 kVA | 189.48 € | 0.2423 € |
12 kVA | 228.48 € | 0.2423 € |
15 kVA | 264.96 € | 0.2423 € |
18 kVA | 301.08 € | 0.2423 € |
24 kVA | 381.12 € | 0.2423 € |
30 kVA | 449.28 € | 0.2423 € |
36 kVA | 529.8 € | 0.2423 € |
Prices in € TTC for offer Vert Electrique by EDF updated 29/09/2024
A competitive offer (i.e. not regulated), the Offre Électricité Verte guarantees 100% green electricity (sourced from renewable content - typically from hydroelectric and wind generation). However, several other suppliers offer 100% green energy at lower prices:
Green electricity provider | Green electricity offer | Yearly price incl. VAT | Savings vs regulated tariff* | Subscription price (€/yr) | kWh price |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
PRUDENCE
🔐 Fixed rates! |
Estimated cost
1933 € |
You save
608 € |
149.06 € | 0.1878 € |
|
ELECTRICITÉ 100% VERTE PRIX FIXE
🔐 Fixed rates! |
Estimated cost
1944 € |
You save
598 € |
198.43 € | 0.1837 € |
|
ONLINE & GREEN
🔐 Fixed rates! |
Estimated cost
1956 € |
You save
586 € |
166.91 € | 0.1883 € |
*Tariffs updated on 29/09/2024. Cost calculated for a yearly consumption of 9500 kWh in base option (6 kVA)
About EDF
EDF (Electricité de France) was created in 1946, the product of the nationalisation of about 1500 local distribution utilities (known as ELDs).
This made EDF the main electricity generation, distribution and supply company in France, and it enjoyed a monopoly over much the country for over fifty years, until the French electricity market began to open to competition in the late 1990s as part of a wider European deregulation initiative. EDF was a state-owned corporation until 2004, when it became a limited-liability corporation under private law (in French, a Société Anonyme), though the French government still holds 84% ownership.
EDF Activities
EDF's activities cover the entire electricity service line, from generation to supply. The largest electricity producer in the world, EDF is responsible for 20% of Europe's electricity production, and 90% of electricity production in France. The company is a major producer of electricity from nuclear power (which represented approximately 75% of its total electricity production in 2020), and operates 78 nuclear reactors throughout the world (of which 58 are in France). However, EDF is also the largest hydroelectric generation producer in Europe, and hydroelectricity currently represents about 10% of EDF's total electricity production.
Did You Know?France's reliance on nuclear power is the main reason for why electricity is relatively cheap in France. Find out more about the cost of electricity in France in our guide.
EDF also owns the electricity transmission and distribution companies in France, which are RTE (Réseau de Transport d'Electricité) for power transmission and ERDF (Électricité Réseau Distribution France), now ENEDIS, for distribution. While ENEDIS is a subsiduary of EDF, it delivers electricity to all power consumers within its service area (95% of the French territory), regardless of their electricity supplier (Engie, etc).
With over 28.1 million customers in France, EDF is by far the largest electricity supplier in the country. As EDF is the historical supplier for electricity, most French power consumers (especially residential customers) are still unaware that they have a choice of electricity supplier.
While deregulation has forced EDF to lose some of its customer base, it has also brought new opportunities for expansion into other markets, such as natural gas. EDF now sells natural gas supply and has become a direct competitor to the historical natural gas supplier, Engie.
EDF English Customer Service
EDF does operate an English-speaking helpline which allows customers to access English speaking support to open an account, check invoices and billing queries, meter commissioning, changing personal details, and more.
This number is free when dialed from a French fixed phone line, but may be subject to long-distance charges when dialed from abroad.
How to Open an Account with EDF
When you move to a new home in France, you will likely need to set up electricity service. You may choose to open an account with EDF, or you can contact an alternate supplier directly to start service.
You can open an account for electricity with EDF over the phone, online, or in an EDF boutique. While the EDF website does include some information in English, it may be complicated to open an account online if you are not comfortable reading French as the majority of information there remains in French. We recommend calling the EDF English-speaking helpline (ideally outside peak times) to open an account with EDF.
Compare EDF with other suppliers (in French)
- You need to have the following information in order to open an account with EDF for electricity
- Your contact information: name, e-mail address, phone number
- The address of your new accommodation. Don't forget the floor and apartment number if it is a flat (e.g. third floor, door on the left)
- The name of the previous occupant
- Your banking information (RIB) (IBAN and BIC, if you choose automatic payment)
Other Ways to Contact EDF
EDF Complaints
While the EDF customer reviews seem to be positive on the whole, in the event you need to contact EDF to make a complaint about service with EDF, you can write a letter to the following address:
EDF Service Clients
TSA 20012
41975 Blois Cedex 09
You can also fill out a form online (in French). Find out more about making an energy complaint in our guide.
EDF Headquarters
Siège social d'EDF
22-30, avenue de Wagram
75008 Paris
Bill Payment
You can pay your bill online in your personal space on the EDF website, or over the phone by calling 09 70 83 33 33. This number is free when dialed from a French landline.
EDF Customer Service Mailing Address
EDF Service Clients
TSA 21941
62978 ARRAS CEDEX 9