Electricity in France

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1. 1. Opening an Electricity Account in France
2. 2. Getting a New Electricity Supply
3. 3. French Electricity Tariffs
4. 4. Your French Electricity Bill
5. 5. Assistance with Payment of Electricity Bills
6. 6. Changing Your Electricity Supplier
7. 7. Complaints Procedures

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2.1. Getting a New Electricity Supply

If your property does not currently have an electricity supply, then you will need to make application for such a supply to EDF, or more precisely ERDF – Électricité Réseau Distribution France - who are the electricity supply distributor of EDF.

The request for a supply is called a demande de raccordement, which can be made by letter.

(In a small number of areas the electricity distribution is not provided by ERDF, so you should visit the mairie to obtain details of the distributor if in any doubt.)

To get in contact with ERDF is by no means always an easy matter! You might be best advised to go along to your local mairie, or try contacting them through the local EDF office.

You will need to supply a copy of the planning permission (or works declaration) location plan, house plan, and details of the amount of power you are seeking.

ERDF will send an engineer along to the site to discuss your requirements, following which you will then be supplied with a proposal, called a proposition de raccordement.

If it is necessary to lay new cables or install a pylon, you will be charged for this work.

EDF only have an obligation to provide a supply and meter to within 30 metres of the property, following which you will need to arrange for a trench to be dug and the cables laid into the house and onto the domestic meter by your electrician.

If the trench goes across the public highway, then you need to seek the consent of the local mairie or Direction départementale de l'Équipement (DDE) for une autorisation de voirie + un arrêté de circulation.

If it is necessary for ERDF to go over other private or public property to lay their supply cables or install the pylon, any servitudes necessary for this purpose will be arranged by them. This relates only to the supply to their meter, not your own domestic meter.

If the new supply requires an extension of the network then ERDF is permitted six weeks to complete the study and furnish the estimate of works. They may insist that certain works are carried out before they provide the supply.

If no extension of the network is required then ERDF are required to provide the proposal within 10 days of the request.

Once again, where there is the need for an extension of the existing network, realisation of the works may take as long as three months after receipt of the proposal.

If the capacity of the supply needs to be increased or servitudes need to be arranged, then this period may be up to six months, and possibly longer.

You will be required to pay at least a proportion of the cost before works will be commenced.

2.2. Certificate of Conformity

Before you can be connected to the electricity supply, (called mise en service) you will need to provide EDF with a certificate of conformity attestation de conformité.

This occurs through a regulatory body called CONSUEL, who will need to inspect the property.

The inspection should be requested by your electrician, following completion of the works.

There is a small charge for the inspection by the CONSUEL technician and provision of the certificate of conformity. If you have carried out the work yourself, then you can make the application in your own name.

2.3. Builders Supply

Whether new property or one being renovated, if it does not currently have an electricity supply, you can arrange for a temporary builders supply to be provided by EDF.

This is called alimentation de chantier.

They will offer a supply from the nearest electrical pylon. You will need to supply a meter box (coffret), which you can get from a builders merchant. You will also need to branch up the supply in the meter cupboard, using a local electrician.

ERDF do advise that such a supply is normally only available for six months, although in practice they do seem turn a blind eye to this rule.

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Next: French Electricity Tariffs

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