Protests grow over Linky

So far about 350 communes have opposed the meters being fitted. They range from cities like Aix-en-Provence, Saint-Denis and Caen to Saint-Macaire in Gironde with its 2,000 residents, among which are ecology councillor Stéphane Lhomme, who heads the Stop Linky protest group.

The first of the lime green meters was installed in late 2015 and it is planned to have one in each of the 35million households in France by 2021.

National grid firm Enedis (formerly ERDF) says the cost of €4.5billion will be recouped in savings on meter readings and other services which will be possible at a distance.

The advantage for clients is lesser, allowing their meter to be read if they are not at home and letting them see their usage online. Linky also helps the 360,000 people producing renewable power as they can use what they create and sell the excess to the national grid.

Linky is the only meter that can measure both the energy created and energy consumed so fitting the new meter is mandatory for anyone who wants to both use power from their solar panels and sell any surplus to EDF.

You can check the installation timetable for the meters at tinyurl.com/k5eg4g4

Households are given written warning several weeks in advance of the fitting but this may not suit holiday home owners. Enedis says holiday homes will have the Linky
fitted if the meter is accessible on the outside of the building.

But if it was inside, and there had been no contact with the owner, it said: “We do not break down doors to fit it – we will look to set another date.”

However, there have been reports where people who had refused a Linky installation had had an exterior meter fitted without their knowledge or consent – and even that power supplies have been cut off.