What are EDF ‘red days’ and how could they increase your French energy bill?

Households using EDF’s ‘Tempo’ plan for electricity should be aware of upcoming ‘red days’ this winter, which see electricity prices cost up to three times as much during peak hours as other days in the year.

Hundreds of thousands of households in France are subscribed to the ‘Tempo’ contract, a subset of the main ‘Tariff bleu’ or regulated energy bill from France’s state electricity supplier.

The Tempo option splits days into three categories: 'blue’ ‘white’ and ‘red’. In the period between September 1 2025 and August 31, 2026, there are 300 blue days, 43 white days, and 22 red days.

Blue days see households save up to 28% on electricity costs during peak hours and 25% in off-peak hours, classed as ’advantageous days’, with white ‘intermediary days’ see average savings of 15% off-peak and 17% during peak hours.

However, red days can see prices triple during peak hours, despite savings of around 11% during off-peak times.

How do I know if a red day is coming up? 

These red days can fall between November 1 and March 31, on days where electricity consumption is predicted to be highest.

The classification is an attempt from EDF to reduce the grid being overwhelmed by electricity demand from heaters, etc.

In the last period (September 2024 to August 2025), there were eight red days in December, 13 in January, and 1 in February.

EDF provides a daily update detailing the ‘colour’ of the following day, usually at around 16:00 through its website and official app.

Tips to reduce electricity bill 

The contract is most beneficial to households who can adapt their electricity usage to benefit from off-peak usage (timed heaters and smart appliances or plugs that can be set to come on during certain hours) as opposed to households that use continuous electrical heating. 

As the intention of the contract is to reduce consumption during heavy peak hours, EDF encourages the reduction of electricity usage during these times on ‘red days’ and gives some tips on how to achieve this. 

Ways to reduce consumption include the use of timers on high energy usage appliances (washing machines, driers, etc) to come on at off-peak times, alongside water boilers and heaters, and using the ‘eco-mode’ of these appliances where possible.

Additionally, dropping heating down by one degree, avoiding turning heating on in rooms not being used, and using applications to control heating when a home is unoccupied are all recommended as ways to cut down on costs during ‘red days’. 

Replacing lamps and lightbulbs with energy efficient alternatives, turning appliances off (instead of leaving them on sleep mode) and unplugging unused items from wall sockets is also recommended. 

Other actions such as reducing the use of ovens and tumble dryers for alternatives such as microwaves, pans, and clotheshorses, and taking showers instead of baths is recommended to cut costs.

This advice applies to everyone to help reduce bill costs, but particularly to those on Tempo contracts looking to avoid the spike in costs during red days. 

Note that off-peak electricity rules in France are set to change, with at least part of the off-peak hours taking place in the afternoon. 

Those impacted by the change will receive letters around a month before the switch alerting them to it.