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Energy pricing in France

Energy Prices in France (2026)

Jules

Founder, How to France, the complete guide for living or visiting France

Updated: October 2026 | Found helpful by 7 others

Updated October 2026. A two-person flat using 4,287 kWh a year pays €1,048 on EDF's regulated Tarif Bleu (20.01 c€/kWh plus €190.32, since 1 August 2026). The cheapest offer checked in October, Primeo Énergie, costs €916.60; ekWateur's 100% renewable fixe costs €941.83. Gas has no regulated tariff: the CRE benchmark puts a heated home at €1,991 a year, and a fixed offer can cut that by up to €472. About two thirds of any bill is network and tax, identical at every supplier.

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Key takeaways

  • Tarif Bleu: 20.01 c€/kWh + €190.32/year, €1,048 a year at 4,287 kWh (barème 1 August 2026).
  • Best offers: Primeo €916.60, ekWateur €941.83, Mint €970.98 at the same use.
  • Switching pays about €70 a year at 2,400 kWh and about €345 at 10,800 kWh.
  • Gas: CRE benchmark 14.557 c€/kWh in October, 15.76 c€ in November; fixed offers sit below it.
  • Taxes: accise €30.62/MWh, TVA 20% on the standing charge since August 2025, CTA 15% since February 2026.
  • Rank offers for your own use on the official comparator, which lists every offer.

How much does electricity and gas cost in France?

Answer: Electricity costs 20.01 c€/kWh plus €190.32 a year on the regulated Tarif Bleu (Base, 6 kVA, since 1 August 2026), or about €1,048 a year for a two-person flat. The best market offers cost 10% to 13% less. Gas has no regulated tariff since 1 July 2023; the CRE benchmark was 14.557 c€/kWh plus €360.79 a year for heating in October 2026.

The Tarif Bleu is revised twice a year by the State on a CRE proposal. The August 2026 barème (deliberation 2026-147) raised the kWh from 19.40 to 20.01 c€, about 3%, mainly because the TURPE 7 network charge rose 3.04%. Gas prices rose far faster: the monthly benchmark was up about 41% year on year, and the November figure, 15.76 c€/kWh, adds another 8.3%, according to service-public.fr.

All figures below are our calculations from supplier grids collected in October 2026 by JeChange, Kelwatt, Selectra, Hello Watt and MoneyVox. The method is simple: kWh price times annual consumption, plus the yearly standing charge, taxes included. Your own bill depends on your kVA and option, so run your numbers on the official comparator, which lists every licensed offer, before you sign.

How do electricity offers compare on the annual bill?

Seventeen offers span €363 a year at the same 4,287 kWh use, from €900 to €1,263. The regulated Tarif Bleusits in the middle: thirteen offers beat it and three cost more. Check the grid date before you rely on a row. OHM's and Alpiq's figures predate October, and La Bellenergie's July grid has since been listed higher on some comparators.

Our calculation: kWh price × 4,287 kWh + standing charge, Base option, 6 kVA, taxes included. The 4,287 kWh profile is the JeChange and Selectra October 2026 reference for a two-person flat without electric heating. Grids collected by comparators; the last column gives each grid's date. Sorted by annual cost.
SupplierOfferkWhStanding chargePer yearvs Tarif BleuGrid checked
OHM ÉnergieExtra Eco (indexed, not guaranteed)16.40 c€€197.28€900.35−€147.80July 2026
AlpiqÉlectricité Stable (fixed to 31 Mar 2027)16.73 c€€187.80€905.02−€143.13February 2026
Primeo ÉnergieConfort+ (fixed to 31 Dec 2027)16.74 c€€198.96€916.60−€131.55August 2026, spot-checked October
La BellenergiePrudence (indexed)17.38 c€€177.00€922.08−€126.07July 2026; some October listings show 19.68 c€
ekWateur100% renouvelable Europe (fixed 1 yr, green)17.53 c€€190.32€941.83−€106.32October 2026
Mint ÉnergieOnline & Green (indexed, green)18.21 c€€190.32€970.98−€77.17October 2026
TotalEnergiesAccess Électricité (indexed, −8%)18.37 c€€190.32€977.84−€70.31October 2026
Gaz de BordeauxNovaFixe Élec (fixed up to 3 yrs, green)18.37 c€€190.44€977.96−€70.19October 2026
GEGElec Verte fixe 3 ans (green)18.37 c€€190.81€978.33−€69.82October 2026
Octopus EnergyEco-conso Fixe (fixed 2 yrs, green)18.62 c€€187.80€986.04−€62.11March 2026, still listed October
DyneffContrat + Électricité19.07 c€€187.79€1,005.32−€42.83October 2026
EDFZen Online (no phone support)19.25 c€€190.32€1,015.57−€32.58October 2026
Alterna énergieMon électricité française fixe (1 yr, green)19.19 c€€211.92€1,034.60−€13.55August 2026
EDFTarif Bleu (regulated benchmark)20.01 c€€190.32€1,048.150Barème 1 August 2026
EDFZen Fixe (fixed 1 yr)20.82 c€€190.32€1,082.87+€34.72October 2026
EngieElec Référence 3 ans (fixed, green)21.27 c€€183.96€1,095.80+€47.65October 2026; another grid shows 23.30 c€
EnercoopOffre Base (direct from producers)25.31 c€€178.00€1,263.04+€214.89Jan to Aug 2026; 27.80 c€ cited in July

Three patterns stand out. Fixed is not always cheaper: EDF's Zen Fixe and Engie's 3-year offer cost more than the Tarif Bleu they are meant to protect against. Green costs nothing extra at Mint, ekWateur or Gaz de Bordeaux, while Enercoop, which buys directly from 470 French producers, costs €215 a yearmore than the Tarif Bleu. And a low kWh can hide a high standing charge: Alterna's €211.92 cancels most of its kWh discount.

Is switching from the Tarif Bleu worth it at your consumption?

Switching from the Tarif Bleu saves between €36 and €345 a year on October 2026 grids, depending on how much you use and which offer you pick. Small homes gain least, because the standing charge, which barely differs between suppliers, is a bigger share of their bill. The table shows four common choices at five consumption levels.

Our calculation: annual saving against the Tarif Bleu (kWh price × use + standing charge), Base, 6 kVA, taxes included, October 2026 grids. Primeo Confort+ 16.74 c€ + €198.96; ekWateur 17.53 c€ + €190.32; TotalEnergies Access 18.37 c€ + €190.32; Octopus Eco-conso Fixe 18.62 c€ + €187.80.
Annual useTarif Bleu billPrimeoekWateurTotalEnergies AccessOctopus Eco-conso
2,400 kWh€670.56−€69.84−€59.52−€39.36−€35.88
4,287 kWh€1,048.15−€131.55−€106.32−€70.31−€62.11
6,000 kWh€1,390.92−€187.56−€148.80−€98.40−€85.92
9,000 kWh€1,991.22−€285.66−€223.20−€147.60−€127.62
10,800 kWh€2,351.40−€344.52−€267.84−€177.12−€152.64

Our figures are close to MoneyVox's monthly ranking built on the Médiateur's comparator, which put the best fixed offer about €76 under the Tarif Bleu at 2,400 kWh and about €340 at 10,800 kWh. Forum readers draw a simple rule: switch above roughly 3,000 kWh a year, and re-compare every year, since a fixed offer freezes the kWh before tax but not the accise, the TURPE or TVA. The CRE still counted 55.2% of homes on the Tarif Bleu in Q1 2026.

What people in France report

  • ○ When switching pays: MoneyVox's monthly top five, built on the Médiateur comparator, puts the best fixed offer about €76 a year under the Tarif Bleu at 2,400 kWh and about €340 at 10,800 kWh. Readers conclude it pays above roughly 3,000 kWh, re-compared yearly. (MoneyVox, January 2026)
  • − Staying on the Tarif Bleu: An analysis of EDF reviews finds 57% of Tarif Bleu customers have never compared offers. Staying put costs them 10% to 20% more than the best alternatives, for the same wires and the same meter. (fournisseurs-electricite.com, May 2026)
  • ○ Smoothed monthly billing: After twelfth-month regularisation shocks at Octopus and EDF, forum users advise raising the monthly instalment yourself from month one in the customer area, or asking to be billed on real Linky readings. (mon-habitat-durable.fr, forum synthesis, May 2026)

Paraphrased from public posts, each dated and linked. A small sample, not a representative survey.

What does gas cost without a regulated tariff?

France abolished the regulated gas tariff on 1 July 2023, so every gas contract is a market offer. The CRE publishes a monthly prix repère de vente de gaz as a yardstick: 14.557 c€/kWh plus €360.79 a year for heating (profile B1) in October 2026, and 17.832 c€ plus €152.46 for cooking and hot water only (B0). Offers signed before the autumn surge now sit well under it.

Our calculation: kWh price × 11,200 kWh + standing charge, heating profile B1, zone 1, taxes included. Grids from Hello Watt, Kelwatt and Selectra, August to October 2026. Gas bills also carry an accise of €16.39/MWh since 1 February 2026.
OfferTypekWhStanding chargePer yearvs benchmark
Alterna énergie Gaz Zen fixe 1 anFixed 1 year, may be withdrawn10.53 c€€340.08€1,519.44−€471.73
EDF Avantage Gaz 2 ansFixed 2 years13.42 c€€341.40€1,844.44−€146.73
Engie Gaz Référence 3 ansFixed 3 years14.14 c€€360.84€1,944.52−€46.65
OHM Énergie Extra Eco GazIndexed on the benchmark14.29 c€€359.52€1,960.00−€31.17
EDF Avantage Gaz OptimiséIndexed on the benchmark14.37 c€€366.24€1,975.68−€15.49
CRE benchmark (prix repère), October 2026Reference, not an offer14.557 c€€360.79€1,991.170
Ilek ÉnRFixe+ Gaz (100% biomethane)Fixed 1 year14.86 c€€438.00€2,102.32+€111.15

Alterna's 10.53 c€ fixe is 28% under the benchmark but dates from before the surge and can be withdrawn at any time; EDF's2-year freeze at 13.42 c€ is the safer floor. Indexed offers follow the benchmark up: if November's 15.76 c€ holds with an unchanged standing charge, the benchmark bill at 11,200 kWh rises to about €2,126(our calculation). Gaz de Bordeaux's NovaFixe BioGaz, at 11.83 c€/kWh in June 2026 (zone 2), is another fixed option; its standing charge was not in our data.

What makes up your energy bill?

About two thirds of a French electricity bill is network charges and taxes that every supplier passes on unchanged. Only the supply part, about a third, is open to competition, which is why the best offer saves 10% to 13% rather than half. The table translates the shares into euros for the €1,048 Tarif Bleu bill.

Shares from homeys.fr, atoo-energie.com, jechange.fr and lesfurets.com (June to October 2026). Euro amounts are our calculation at 4,287 kWh on the Tarif Bleu: accise €30.62/MWh before TVA, and TVA as one sixth of the bill. Shares are rounded and do not add up to exactly 100%.
Bill lineShareOn a €1,048 billWho sets it
Energy supplyAbout a thirdAbout €350Your supplier: the only competitive part
TURPE 7 network charge25% to 30%€262 to €314CRE, paid to Enedis and RTE; +3.04% on 1 August 2026
Accise (ex-CSPE)About 12%About €131State: €30.62/MWh since 1 August 2026
CTA1% to 2%€10 to €2115% of the fixed network charge since 1 February 2026
TVA16% to 17%About €175State: 20%, including on the standing charge since 1 August 2025

Base vs heures pleines / heures creuses

Option Base is one price all day: 20.01 c€/kWh on the Tarif Bleu. Heures pleines / heures creuses charges 21.42 c€ at peak and 15.89 c€ for 8 off-peak hours, with a €192.59 standing charge at 6 kVA. It pays if a water heater, an EV or a washing machine can run at night.

Taxes apply to fixed-price offers too: a "prix fixe" freezes the kWh before tax, while the accise, CTA, TURPE and TVA move with the law.

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Which offer fits your usage?

Answer: A small home should chase the lowest standing charge; a large one the lowest kWh; an EV owner the cheapest night band. On October 2026 grids, that means La Bellenergie, Primeo and Octopus Go respectively. Rank the shortlist for your exact profile on the Médiateur national de l'énergie comparator.

Light or single-occupant household

Under about 2,500 kWh, the standing charge is over a quarter of the bill. La Bellenergie Prudence has the market's lowest, €177 a year (July 2026 grid; check the current kWh, listed at 19.68 c€ on some October comparators). ekWateur keeps the regulated €190.32 with a 17.53 c€ kWh. Keep your kVA no higher than you need.

Family or high-consumption home

Above about 6,000 kWh, the kWh price decides. Primeo at 16.74 c€ saves about €188 a year at 6,000 kWh against the Tarif Bleu. For price certainty, Gaz de Bordeaux and GEG freeze green power for up to 3 years at 18.37 c€. Homes with a wood stove can save more on Tempo, if they can cut use on 22 red days.

Charging an electric car at home

Octopus Gocharges 13.35 c€ across the full 8-hour off-peak window (€241.92 standing charge at 9 kVA). TotalEnergies Charge'Heures matches 13.35 c€ but only from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. Ilek's 10.59 c€ super off-peak rate carries a €337 standing charge that only pays for high-mileage drivers.

If green energy matters to you

Green power costs nothing extra at Mint, ekWateur and Gaz de Bordeaux, €2 a month at Primeo, and about 0.6 c€/kWh at Alpiq (17.33 c€ for its Verte 100% variant). Enercoop charges a deliberate premium, about €130 to €160 a year at 5,000 kWh, to buy directly from French producers. The ADEME VertVolt label separates these from certificate-only offers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does electricity and gas cost in France?

The regulated Tarif Bleu costs 20.01 c€/kWh plus €190.32 a year (Base, 6 kVA, since 1 August 2026), so a two-person flat using 4,287 kWh pays €1,048 a year. The best market offers bring that down to about €917 to €942. Gas has had no regulated tariff since 1 July 2023: the CRE benchmark was 14.557 c€/kWh plus €360.79 a year for heating in October 2026, about €1,991 a year at 11,200 kWh.

What is the cheapest energy supplier in France?

Among offers checked in October 2026, Primeo Énergie's Confort+ has the lowest kWh price, 16.74 c€, with the energy part frozen to 31 December 2027, for €916.60 a year at 4,287 kWh. ekWateur's 100% renewable fixe costs €941.83. OHM Énergie and Alpiq showed lower figures on older grids from July and February 2026. For gas, Alterna's Gaz Zen fixe at 10.53 c€/kWh was the cheapest fixed offer while it stayed listed.

What makes up a French energy bill?

About two thirds of an electricity bill is identical whatever supplier you choose: the TURPE network charge (25% to 30%), the accise excise duty (€30.62/MWh since 1 August 2026), the CTA, and TVA at 20%, which has also applied to the standing charge since 1 August 2025. Suppliers compete only on the energy supply part, roughly a third of the bill.

Is switching from the Tarif Bleu worth it?

It depends on consumption. On October 2026 grids, the cheapest fixed offer saves about €70 a year at 2,400 kWh, €132 at 4,287 kWh and €345 at 10,800 kWh. Forum consensus is that switching pays above roughly 3,000 kWh a year, and that you should re-compare yearly because fixed offers freeze the kWh before tax, not taxes or network charges.

Does the regulated electricity tariff still exist in France?

Yes. The Tarif Bleu is set by the State on a CRE proposal and revised twice a year; the barème of 1 August 2026 raised it about 3%, to 20.01 c€/kWh. EDF sells it on Enedis territory and local utilities sell it in their zones. The regulated gas tariff was abolished on 1 July 2023.

How do I compare energy offers in France?

Use the official comparator of the Médiateur national de l'énergie at comparateur-offres.energie-info.fr. It carries no advertising and lists every licensed offer, while commercial comparators rank partner suppliers only. Enter your real annual consumption and kVA, then check the supplier's own price sheet before you sign.

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