Electricity bills: homes to be selected in France to trial new tariffs

France’s state energy company EDF will select 6,600 households to trial a new form of off-peak pricing, where contracts are based on national electricity production.

The trial is being used to assess whether fixing prices based on wider periods of electricity overproduction in France can help reduce bill costs and improve energy usage.

It comes amid wider tensions in the energy sector largely caused by the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.

The scheme has been approved by the French government and information about the trial was included in a decree published in France’s Journal Officiel earlier this week. 

It will take place for one year between October 2026 - October 2027.

How will the trial work?

The scheme comes amid a drive towards renewable energy in France, particularly solar and wind. 

While this can see electricity produced for cheaper and more cleanly than other sources – although it should be noted that France obtains much of its current electricity from nuclear production and not fossil fuels – supply from these renewable sources to the grid is an issue.

As both solar and wind produce electricity intermittently, it is now more common for the grid to be flooded with excess electricity during high production periods but then struggle to deal with demand in other periods when less electricity is being produced.

The trial will assess whether offering cheaper prices during peak production hours from renewable sources – therefore encouraging usage of high-energy appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers – will benefit both the grid and households.

There have already been moves to adapt off-peak contracts in France to use new hours, both to deal with grid consumption and changing habits.

However, this trial goes further, in fixing prices more freely to when energy is most likely to be available.

Under the current plans, electricity for certain trial participants will be cheaper in the daytime (when production is usually higher), with more expensive ‘peak’ hours in the mornings and evening when production decreases.

Prices will also fluctuate depending on the season, with lower prices in the summer when days are longer and more electricity is generated from solar panels.

Who will participate and will they need to pay more?

The company will choose at random 6,600 properties that have a regulated tariff (tarif Bleu) using the ‘Base’ option with the supplier.

The ‘base’ format means electricity prices are not impacted by peak/off-peak usage, unlike other regulated contracts ( with the Heures Creuses or Tempo options).

In addition households must have an energy usage that does not exceed 6 kilovolt-amperes (kVA) to be eligible.

The properties will be selected at random across the entirety of France, and those selected will be informed by June 1 via email or a letter.

Note that anyone selected can opt out if they wish. 

Households will be split into three groups: 

• 2,200 will see the initial price schedule explained above applied, with the company sending them monthly updates and a summary at the end of the trial

• 2,200 consumers for whom a second altered price schedule will be applied, with the same communication mechanisms in place

• 2,200 customers ‘who will not be asked to do anything and to whom no information will be sent, except for the recruitment newsletter’, used to compare prices against

For those who are selected, they may benefit from cheaper rates if the trial is successful. 

However, the decree states that they should not pay more than what they would pay on their original contract and, if the trial leads to higher bills, they will be billed at their original rate.