Electricity: Over 9 million French households to get new off-peak hours

EDF has begun notifying 9.3 million households in France of changes to the timing of off-peak electricity tariffs, some of which are moving from the night to the afternoon.

It means that appliances programmed to operate overnight, including washing machines, dishwashers and electric vehicle chargers, may need to be reprogrammed to take advantage of the new cheaper afternoon periods.

The electricity supplier began sending notifications on October 13 as part of a nationwide reform of the heures pleines/heures creuses system, which allows customers to pay less for electricity during designated periods.

Around 11 million households will be affected by the reform overall, which began in November 2025 and is due to finish in 2027. Several million have already been informed of the scheme’s phased rollout.

What is changing?

Households will retain eight off-peak hours (heures creuses) each day, during which electricity costs less, and 16 hours charged at the higher rate.

However, the distribution of these hours will vary according to the season.

Under the new arrangements:

• At least five consecutive off-peak hours will remain overnight, between 23:00 and 07:00.

• In summer (April 1 to October 31), up to three additional off-peak hours will be available between 11:00 and 17:00.

• In winter (November 1 to March 31), all eight cheaper hours may be concentrated overnight, although afternoon periods will remain possible.

The changes are intended to encourage electricity consumption when solar power production is highest, while reducing pressure on the network during periods of greater demand.

Electricity distributor Enedis has also suggested that the rising number of people working from home (télétravail), along with the spread of electric air conditioning systems and electric cars, have been factors in driving through the change.

France's energy regulator, the Commission de régulation de l'énergie (CRE), says the previous system no longer adequately reflects changes in electricity production and consumption.

When will households be affected?

The latest phase of the rollout runs from November 4, 2026, to November 30, 2027.

Customers should receive at least one month's notice from their electricity supplier before their individual schedules change.

Those currently benefiting from cheaper electricity between 07:00 and 11:00 or between 17:00 and 23:00 should expect their schedules to be modified.

Customers cannot choose their own off-peak periods. These are determined by Enedis according to local network requirements.

The changes do not apply to EDF Tempo contracts, or to households in Corsica and France's overseas territories.

What should customers do?

Customers should check their EDF account, contract or electricity bill for their revised hours once notified.

The change is automatic for households with a Linky meter and does not require a technician's visit.

Boilers that are wired to a home’s meter should adapt to the change automatically. Those that are not should be reprogrammed in line with the new off-peak hours. 

The reform does not increase the number of cheaper hours available each day, nor does it automatically change the price charged per kilowatt-hour. However, households that continue using electricity according to their old schedules could find themselves paying the higher daytime rate.