Did you know? Linky meter ‘bonus’ can help you save money on your energy bills

The Linky meters installed in French homes have a little-known socket that can help users reduce their electricity consumption. 

The meters, installed in over 37 million properties, end the need for manual meter readings as national grid operator Enedis can access these remotely.

Those who do not have a meter installed now face extra costs each year. 

Read more: Extra fees start soon for French homes without Linky smart electricity meter

However, the boxes also contain an additional plug socket known as a ‘TIC’ (Télé-Information Client) which can be used for a variety of purposes.

The TIC can be found by opening up the green cover and looking on the bottom right-hand side of the meter. 

It is next to the switch to turn on hot water tanks in certain homes. 

The main use of the socket is to plug in a transmitter (émetteur radio Linky, ERL) that gives more accurate information about electricity consumption in your property. 

Anyone can plug an ERL into the socket – it is not limited to Enedis staff members – and several French companies have created appliances and applications that take advantage of this. 

Read more: French court orders withdrawal of Linky smart meter in home after health complaints

What can an ERL be used for?

The most common use of an ERL is to help people learn more about their own electricity consumption, often broken down into appliance type and peak usage hours. 

Third-party companies offer home-owners a smart meter style monitor, relaying information about which appliances use the most energy and when by plugging in a specific ERL.

These meters can either be purchased on a monthly subscription or a one-off price of around €150 - €200. They should then remain plugged in. 

Most companies claim the meters can help cut down on electricity consumption – and lower bills – by between 15% - 20%.

Secondly, the meters can be used to relay information about certain appliances to the main electrical panel of the meter, shutting them off automatically when certain conditions are met. 

This can be used as a safety measure, or for appliances such as electric radiators, to turn off automatically and save energy and money. 

Finally, Enedis is planning to use the sockets for a number of innovative technologies according to French tech magazine Journal du Net. 

This includes a possibility of using the port to charge electric vehicles at home more efficiently and cheaper than via a mains plug socket, by automatically syncing charging times to off-peak hours when electricity prices are cheaper. 

Electricity prices are set to fall by around 15% for millions of French residents in February, as prices on regulated tariffs drop. 

Read more: Confirmed: Electricity bills to drop by 15% from February for most French households