Electricity more expensive at these specific times: Enedis plans to increase the bill for millions of French people

15 million French people are likely to be affected by this reform.

This is a small revolution that is coming and that will affect millions of French people. While the question of the price of electricity is one of the hot topics of the moment and a reduction in the bill is announced for some households, new changes in pricing are about to be introduced in the coming months. And this could be detrimental to the finances of the households concerned.

Today, 35 million homes are connected to the electricity network. Two types of offers are possible: one with the same price regardless of the time at which the energy is used; another with a price that varies according to the time. This is the principle of peak hours and off-peak hours. A system that will soon be revised and which affects 15 million households.

When choosing a contract with peak and off-peak hours, the supplier offers a daily range of eight off-peak hours, which it defines itself. For Nicolas, living in the east of France, his off-peak hours are defined between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. Martin, living in the south of the country, has his off-peak hours from 7 p.m. to 4 a.m. For her part, Monique, from Seine-et-Marne, has her off-peak hours distributed differently: from 12:30 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. 2:30 p.m. and 12 a.m. 6h.

When they use electricity during these times, they pay a price that is about 30% lower than a fixed offer. Outside of these times, however, the price is almost 10% higher. But that is going to change. A reform of off-peak hours is being studied to better distribute electricity consumption. throughout the day and throughout the country, all year round.

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According to the project submitted by the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE), French people who have off-peak hours between 7am and 11am and 5pm and 11pm should see their slots shifted and vary according to the seasons: off-peak hours for the November-March period will not be the same as those for the April-October period. Adjustments related to the abundant production of photovoltaic energy than in the summer and at times when consumption is high which are different depending on the season.

For example, for Nicolas, his off-peak hours should not change in the winter. However, in the summer, they could go from 23:00 to 5:00 and from 12:00 to 14:00. Martin, on the other hand, should see his off-peak hours split into two: from 22:00 to 4:00 in the winter and from 23:00 to 5 hours in the summer, then from 14 hours to 16 hours all year round. As for Monique, her hours might not change.

A change from off-peak to peak hours means an increase in the bill. If the number of off-peak hours will not change and could even increase, this system could become much less attractive, as it already has many limitations. “The peak/off-peak contract makes sense if you consume at least 50% of your electricity during off-peak hours, otherwise it is of no interest. By consuming during peak hours, you pay for consumption per kWh which is much less advantageous,” explains Adeline Jubert, director of the daily expenses division at Meilleurtaux, à RMC Conso.

So beware of the soaring bill. The CRE and Enedis, responsible for of electricity distribution, have not yet established the precise modalities but this change should begin in 2025.