Free electricity proposed for village in east of France

A village providing free electric vehicle (EV) charging and electricity from solar panels plans to cut bills further by installing two wind turbines.

Montigny-en-Arrouaise (Aisne), with 290 residents, elected an ecologist mayor in 2020 who pushed the project through. He was re-elected this year.

Solar panels were installed on school and municipal buildings for €150,000, with 80% of the cost coming from the state and the rest from a loan. The mairie also installed panels for eight low-income households.

On sunny days, when the panels are producing electricity at full capacity, the power used by the commune and households is free.

“The commune has reduced its electricity bill by half to €3,000 a year,” mayor Christophe Parent told French TV. “This means that the cost of repaying the €24,000 loan is largely covered by the savings on electricity.”

The commune has also installed three free EV charging points for residents. Non-residents are limited to one charge per vehicle per week. 

The planned wind turbines should generate enough electricity to power 19,000 homes.