Are French electricity bills set to increase in August?
Increased usage charges will affect regulated bills, but changes elsewhere may also impact amounts
An increase of around 1% is likely, but yet to be confirmed
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An increase in electricity network charges in August may affect millions of households on regulated tariffs in France, although reductions in other costs could offset the rise.
Network usage charges (known as Tarif d’utilisation des réseaux publics d’électricité, TURPE) account for roughly a third of regulated electricity bills. These are evaluated annually, with rises coming into force on August 1.
The August 2026 increase averages just over 3%, with distribution and transmission network tariffs rising by 3.04% and 3.34% respectively, said the Commission de régulation de l’énergie (CRE) this week.
The CRE said that total bill costs for regulated tariffs will rise by around 1% “if all other things remain equal,” but this will not be confirmed until mid-July.
Customers on market-price contracts are not expected to be directly affected by the change, with their bills instead depending largely on wholesale electricity prices.
It comes alongside an increase to transmission charges for gas-powered households announced by the CRE.
Will ‘things remain equal’ for regulated tariffs?
The CRE has not yet confirmed whether regulated tariff prices will increase, as several other factors are also expected to influence the final rate.
A final report in mid-July will provide the definitive increase, as it will be published after two major studies from the commission.
The first will assess the possibility of allowing peak/off-peak contracts at 3 kVA (kilovolt-ampere) subscriptions, the lowest possible electricity usage.
Currently, most options only allow for peak/off-peak contracts at 6kVA, the next tier and where many households fall into.
Allowing peak/off-peak contract types for households at the lower electricity consumption level would see bills decrease for households who fall into this category.
The extent of any reduction will not be known until the study is published. It should also be noted that any resulting lower bills would only apply to households eligible for the new lower-consumption tier.
A second consultation concerns the new capacity mechanism due to come into force on November 1.
The mechanism is designed to ensure sufficient generating capacity is available during periods of peak demand. Its cost will be recovered through a levy on electricity suppliers, which is expected to be passed on to consumers.
During periods of peak winter demand, electricity consumption (driven by factors such as increased lighting use, electric heating and greater hot water consumption) can exceed the output available from France's nuclear and renewable generating fleet, requiring additional capacity to be brought online.
Many of these facilities, usually gas or hydroelectric powered, are only used in the winter months but must be maintained year-round to ensure they are ready for the annual spike.
This ‘capacity mechanism’ charge would therefore be used to cover maintenance costs.
The charge is expected to be reflected in regulated electricity tariffs.
It is currently due to come into force on November 1. The CRE's report is expected to set out the full projected cost, along with any other changes that may take effect beforehand, including in August.
