EDF in France: Offers, Tariffs and Contact in 2023

EDF (Electricité de France) is the French historical energy provider, and also the largest and most popular to date. It was founded over 70 years ago and was the unique electricity supplier of France for over five decades. But this all changed when in 2007, the French energy market became open to competition, which put EDF in direct rivalry with numerous new providers. This guide goes in detail about the historical provider, its offers and tariffs, its customer service and how you can sign up to a contract today.

The EDF offers in 2023

EDF has a wide range of offers, from the regulated tariff or Tarif Bleu, to green electricity offers - find out more below.

The EDF Regulated Tariff (Tarif Bleu)

Most households in France are signed up to the EDF Regulated Tariffs (RT), also known as the Tarif Bleu. This rate is set and controlled by the French Authority the Commission de Régulation de l'Energie (CRE), but it isn't necessarily the cheapest tariff available on the French market. You can expect the RT to change (increase or decrease) around once per year, but lately has mostly been increasing (it went up by 5% in 2013, 2.5% in 2014, and 2.5% again in 2015 for instance).

Note that all energy contracts you will sign up to in France don't come with a bounding contract period, meaning you can cancel your plan or switch providers at any time, free of charge.

The majority of other energy providers, such as Total Direct Energie, will fix their rates on the RT before tax, and from there, set a discount of 2, 5 or even 10%.

Regarding the EDF RT, you have 3 options to choose from, known as the Base, Tempo and Heures pleines / Heures creuses options.

The EDF Base Option

If you choose the Base option, you way pay a same, fixed price all year long, whether you consume electricity during the day or the night, in summer or winter. Go for this option if you live in a small house or flat and have only a few appliances and devices to use. This is a straightforward, no-frills offer, however it isn't the cheapest of its kind on the market.

The EDF Heures pleines / Heures creuses

With the Option Heures pleines / Heures Creuses(HPHC), also known as the tarif jour/nuit, or option creuse, you are to a set rate for using electricity during a period called "heures pleines" or peak hours, and a cheaper rate during a certain time frame known as "heures creuses" or off-peak hours.

Typically, the peak hours take up 16 hours of the day - between 7am and 11pm for instance - and the off-peak hours span over the remaining 8 hours - from 11pm to 7am in this example. These time periods are decided by the French operator and vary from one city to another. You can find information about the peak / off-peak hours set in your area here(in French).

Go for this option if you consume a lot of electricity, and can be flexible as to when you use it (meaning you can do your laundry in the evening, or set your dishwasher to run overnight).

It is good to know that many suppliers other than EDF offer this option too, with cheaper rates.

In France, there are around 30 energy providers. EDF is the main one, but also one that applies the regulated tariffs, which aren't the most competitive. To subscribe to an offer more attractive than the regulated rates with a gas or electricity supplier, contact an English-speaking Selectra advisor at 01 86 26 53 46, or ask for free callback.Announcement - Selectra is not EDF's partner

The EDF Tempo Option

The EDF option known as Tempo is a bit more difficult to understand than the others, and requires more planning and getting used to. It is a regulated tariff. With this option, the price per kWh of electricity will change not only depending on the time of day, but on the day itself too. You will thus be charged at completely different rates throughout the year, with prices notably higher during 22 days of the winter period - somewhere between November 1st and March 30th (red days) - moderately high on 43 other days of the year (white days) and finally a lot cheaper on the remaining days of the year (blue days).

This EDF page will be able to tell you what Tempo rate applies to one given day (in French).

The Tempo option is going to only be really suited to people with high electricity consumption, and who can be pretty flexible about when they use their electric devices, such as a dishwasher or a washing machine. You will indeed have to regularly consume a lot of electricity, while being able to significantly decrease it during the "red" days, for this system to be advantageous to you. There are no similar, cheaper offers of this type on the French market, so in many cases you will be better off sticking to a standard fixed price offer or a peak / off-peak offer from an alternate supplier.

The EDF green energy offer

Finally, you can also consider the EDF green electricity offer, the Offre Électricité Verte. This is a non-regulated, competitive offer that sources its electricity exclusively from renewable origins, such as wind or hydroelectricity.

How to contact EDF in France

The provider has a wide range of phone numbers, which can make it confusing to know which one to call. For in-depth information about how to contact EDF in France, check out this dedicated EDF Contact article.

How to sign up to a contract with EDF

If you wish to set up an electricity or gas account in France with EDF, you simply need to get in contact with the provider, either over the phone or online.

It's good to know that EDF has an English-speaking customer service line which you can contact at 09 69 36 63 83, between 8a.m. and 9p.m, Monday to Saturday. You won't be charged for ringing from his number in a fixed line in France, but may be charged if calling from abroad.

EDF isn't the only energy provider in France! Call Selectra's English-speaking helpline at 01 86 26 53 46 today, or get a free callback, to get help choosing the French gas or electricity contract right for your budget and needs, among over 30 providers.Announcement - Selectra is not EDF's partner