Setting Up Electricity and Gas in France (2026)

Housing, costs, and daily life: settling into France.

Updated June 2026. The French energy market has been liberalised since 2007, so you choose one supplier (fournisseur) for electricity and gas and can switch freely, for free, with no penalty. The distribution grids are separate from your supplier: Enedis runs the electricity network and GRDF runs the gas network, with smart meters called Linky (electricity) and Gazpar (gas). The incumbent EDF still offers the regulated electricity tariff (Tarif Bleu), but the regulated gas tariff ended in June 2023, so all gas offers are now market offers. Disputes go to the Médiateur national de l'énergie, which also runs the official price comparator.

Key takeaways

To start, souscrire un contrat with one supplier, give the PDL/PRM (point de livraison), and request the mise en service.
The grids Enedis (electricity) and GRDF (gas) are independent of your supplier and own the meters.
Smart meters are Linky for electricity and Gazpar for gas.
EDF keeps the regulated electricity tariff (Tarif Bleu); the regulated gas tariff ended in June 2023.
The regulator is the CRE; disputes and the official comparator go through the Médiateur national de l'énergie.

How do you set up electricity and gas when you move in?

You set up energy by choosing one supplier (fournisseur) and signing a contract (souscrire un contrat). The same suppliers sell both electricity and gas, so you can put both on one contract if the home has a gas connection. There is no separate grid contract: the grid operators are already in place, and your supplier simply arranges the mise en service (activation) on your account.

Step 1: Pick a supplier and an offer (EDF's Tarif Bleu, or a market offer from Engie, TotalEnergies, and others).
Step 2: Give the meter's point de livraison: the PDL/PRM for electricity or the PCE for gas, found on a previous bill or on the Linky or Gazpar meter.
Step 3: Provide your address, move-in date, and bank details for the direct debit, then request the mise en service.
Step 4: If the meter is off, Enedis or GRDF activates it; with a Linky or Gazpar smart meter this is usually remote and quick.

Arrange it before you move in

Set up your contract a week or two before your move-in date. A standard mise en service takes a few working days, and an express activation costs more. Note the meter reading (or let the smart meter report it) so your first bill starts from the right point.

Everyday life and getting around in France.

Is the French energy market open, and can you switch supplier?

Yes. The French electricity and gas market has been liberalised since 2007, so you are free to choose any supplier and change whenever you want. Switching is free, has no cut-off period, and carries no penalty.

The switch is simple because the grid stays the same. Your new supplier handles the change for you, and the same physical connection and the same Linky or Gazpar meter stay in place. Your electricity or gas is never interrupted, and you keep the same PDL/PRM. To compare offers impartially, use the official comparator run by the Médiateur national de l'énergie at comparateur.energie-mediateur.fr.

You can always go back to the regulated tariff

Leaving EDF's Tarif Bleu for a market offer is not permanent. Because it is free to switch with no penalty, you can move to a cheaper market offer and later return to the regulated electricity tariff if you prefer its predictability.

Which suppliers and tariffs exist in France?

The incumbent is EDF, which alone offers the regulated electricity tariff, the Tarif Réglementé de Vente (Tarif Bleu) set with the CRE. Every other supplier, and EDF's non-regulated offers, are market offers (offres de marché). For gas there is no longer a regulated tariff at all: the TRV gaz ended in June 2023, so all gas offers are market offers.

Main suppliers

Alongside EDF, the main alternative suppliers include Engie (the former gas incumbent), TotalEnergies, Vattenfall, Octopus Energy, Mint Énergie, ekWateur, and Ilek, several of which focus on green energy. All of them sell both electricity and gas, and all use the same Enedis and GRDF grids, so service quality does not depend on the supplier you pick.

Offer types

Prix fixe: the per-kWh price is locked for the contract term, giving predictable bills.
Prix indexé: the price tracks a reference, often the regulated tariff, moving up or down with it.
Offre verte: a green offer backed by garanties d'origine certifying renewable energy.
Option base vs heures pleines / heures creuses: one flat price at all hours, or a cheaper off-peak rate plus a higher peak rate.

What does energy cost in France?

An energy bill has two parts: a fixed standing charge (abonnement) billed whether or not you use energy, and a per-kWh consumption charge, plus taxes. So your cost is the abonnement plus a per-kWh price (TODO(verify current €/kWh via the CRE or the Médiateur comparator)) multiplied by how much you use.

We do not quote current figures, because the per-kWh price, the abonnement amount, and the level of EDF's Tarif Bleu all change over time. For electricity, the abonnement also depends on your puissance souscrite (the subscribed power in kVA), and the per-kWh price depends on whether you take the base or heures pleines / heures creuses option (TODO(verify current abonnement and Tarif Bleu level via the CRE)).

Compare with the official comparator

To see live prices for your address and usage, use the free official comparator run by the Médiateur national de l'énergie at comparateur.energie-mediateur.fr. It is independent of any supplier and lets you line up the abonnement and the per-kWh price side by side.

How do you read your bill and meter?

Your bill separates the abonnement (the fixed monthly standing charge) from your consommation (the kWh you used at the per-kWh price), then adds taxes. If you are on the heures pleines / heures creuses option, consumption is split into peak and off-peak lines, so shifting use like water heating to off-peak hours lowers the total.

Because Linky (electricity) and Gazpar (gas) are smart meters, readings are usually sent to your supplier automatically, so bills reflect real consumption rather than estimates. Many suppliers bill a smoothed monthly amount (mensualisation) with an annual reconciliation (régularisation) once your true yearly use is known. The grid operators Enedis and GRDF own the meters and handle readings, connections, and outages, no matter which supplier bills you.

Sources: CRE (cre.fr), Médiateur national de l'énergie (energie-mediateur.fr and its comparator), Enedis, GRDF, and service-public.fr, June 2026. Current prices change often; verify live figures with the official comparator or your chosen supplier.

Setting Up Electricity and Gas: Frequently Asked Questions

How do you set up electricity and gas when you move into a French home?

You choose one supplier (fournisseur) and souscrire un contrat, then request the mise en service. Give the supplier the meter's point de livraison: the PDL/PRM for electricity or the PCE for gas, printed on a previous bill or readable on the Linky or Gazpar meter. There is no separate grid contract; the same suppliers sell both electricity and gas. Arrange it a couple of weeks before moving in, because a first activation can take a few days.

Is the French energy market open, and can you switch supplier freely?

Yes. The French electricity and gas market has been liberalised since 2007, so you can pick any supplier and switch whenever you like. Switching is free, has no cut-off, and carries no penalty. Your new supplier handles the change; the same physical connection and meter stay in place, so your electricity or gas is never interrupted.

Who runs the grid, and who is my supplier?

The distribution grids are separate from your supplier. Enedis operates the electricity network and GRDF operates the gas network across most of France, regardless of who you buy from. They own and read the meters (Linky for electricity, Gazpar for gas) and handle connections and outages. Your supplier (EDF, Engie, TotalEnergies, and others) only sells you the energy and bills you.

Is there still a regulated tariff in France?

For electricity, yes: EDF still offers the regulated tariff, the Tarif Réglementé de Vente known as the Tarif Bleu, set with the CRE. For gas, no: the regulated gas tariff (TRV gaz) ended in June 2023, so every gas offer today is a market offer. All other suppliers sell market offers (offres de marché) for both energy types, which can be fixed-price (prix fixe), indexed (prix indexé), or green (offre verte).

How do you read a French energy bill and the option heures creuses?

A bill splits into a fixed standing charge (abonnement) and a per-kWh consumption charge, plus taxes. The base option charges one price at all hours; the heures pleines / heures creuses option charges less during off-peak hours (typically at night) and more at peak times, which suits homes that can shift use like water heating. Linky and Gazpar are smart meters, so readings are usually sent automatically and bills reflect real consumption.

What do you do if you have a dispute with your energy supplier?

First raise a complaint with your supplier's customer service. If it is unresolved after two months, you can escalate for free to the Médiateur national de l'énergie. The same body runs the official independent price comparator at comparateur.energie-mediateur.fr, and the sector regulator is the CRE (Commission de régulation de l'énergie).

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