Electricity

[NickP]

Has anybody changed from EDF to GDF and if so is it worth the change. We had the GDF people at ours this morning and their scheme looks at face value; quite good. Near us, they are erecting hundreds of solar panels so we'd be happy to use the facility and although the man and his secretary were very patient with my poor French, we just wondered if the system is as good as it looks, one of the things they said was: the tariffs on EDF are increasing by 10% by the end of the year, but with GDF the would not increase on the present rate. Any input would be welcome.

[pomme]

This is a good comparison site (similar to Which?) https://www.quechoisir.org/comparateur-energie-n21201/

[NickP]

Many thanks Pomme, having done some research online, looking at your very informative link and speaking to EDF. We've made a decision to stick with the service we have.

[woolybanana]

What were the pros and cons, Nick, svp?

[crabtree]

Try Leclerc: https://www.energies.leclerc/espace-client/connexion

[NickP]

Woolybanana wrote:

What were the pros and cons, Nick, svp?

Very simple Wooly, the new Green lot told me less than the real truth, so it worked out 20Euro a month dearer that EDF even allowing for increases later in the year. Plus I was worried that should there be any outage of service, in the past EDF have reacted superbly and quickly. So decided to stick with what has worked well.

My beef with all of these service providers in England or France is that the figures are so complicated you need an accountant to work out the best deal.

One bonus was, that when I spoke to the EDF "English" helpline they were absolutely superb, helpful and informative.

[NickP]

crabtree wrote the following post at 28/06/2019 20:09:

Try Leclerc: https://www.energies.leclerc/espace-client/connexion

I looked at that site crabtree many thanks.

[juswundrin2]

The figures aren't actually that complicated; all taxes are the same, essentially the competition simply offer a differing percentage reduction on the kWh price, so that's basically all you need to look at.

Re: outages, that's nothing to do with EDF at all, by the way. Regardless of your supplier, the network is managed by Enedis.

[NickP]

Not complicated at all for experts, that might just be the reason I'm asking for advice. LOL, still many thanks for your input.

[pomme]

I think you will find they have different standing charges as well as a way of offering a lower kWh unit price (which is why the total bill for the option Heures Creuses could often end up more expensive).

On my last EDF bill the total kWh unit cost including all the taxes was 0.1460€ but when the standing charges added another 18% to the unit cost.

[nomoss]

[quote user="pomme"]I think you will find they have different standing charges as well as a way of offering a lower kWh unit price (which is why the total bill for the option Heures Creuses could often end up more expensive).

On my last EDF bill the total kWh unit cost including all the taxes was 0.1460€ but when the standing charges added another 18% to the unit cost.[/quote]

I make that 0.1723€ per unit overall (0.1460 + 18%)

We have been using Direct Energie, now Total Direct Energie, with HP/C option, since we moved to the current house in 2011.

We use the washing machine and 3 kW clothes drier only during the daytime off-peak period, and try to limit the heating and aircon use to the off peak periods as much as possible, so the aircon stays off most of the day except when it's exceptionally hot.

The aircon units are used for heating until the outside temperature drops below about 5º, after which we use the pellet stove.

Our supply is 12 kVA, our annual reference consumption is 6194 kWH, which is apparently below average, making the standing charge more significant to the overall cost, but our overall cost per unit was only €0.1616€ for 2018. The bill was 1010€, so we pay 90€ per month this year.

The cost of fuel for the pellet stove averages 150€ per year.

[pomme]

My unit cost was for the last two months, so only included half the 5.9% EDF increase from 1 June 2019. So I think the full increase would bring the kWh unit cost to 0.1503€ excluding the standing charges.

That 5.9% increase is significant, so needs to be taken into account when comparing historic figures. (it went up 0.8% in Feb 2018 and down 0.5% in Aug 2018)

The difference between the 12KVA HP/HC and the base standing charges is 26.28€ (same for EDF and Total-Direct Energy). For Total, the costs including taxes of HP and HC are now 0.1630€ and 0.1265€. For the base it is 0.1496€. You need to look at your separate HP and HC consumption to work out whether the savings by using HC balance out the increased HP unit cost. And then what the cost might be if you used the base tariff instead with the lower standing charge.

Total-DE and EDF charges from 1 June 2019

https://total.direct-energie.com/fileadmin/Digital/Documents-contractuels/GT/grille-tarifaire-classique-particuliers.pdf

https://particulier.edf.fr/content/dam/2-Actifs/Documents/Offres/Grille_prix_Tarif_Bleu.pdf

[Théière]

With the take up of electric cars gaining popularity, HP/HC could make sense again.

Don't forget the swimming pool if you have one.

[pomme]

EDF have an electric vehicle tariff https://particulier.edf.fr/fr/accueil/offres/electricite-bis/offres-marche/vert-electrique-auto.html (but you need a Linky) and Engie have another https://particuliers.engie.fr/electricite/contrat-electricite/contrat-elec-car.html

The government is keen to try to get more individuals to install solar panels and to consume the electricity generated. The individuals get paid a premium and sell any surplus (now at a rate less than you buy it) https://www.aide-sociale.fr/aide-panneau-solaire/

[nomoss]

Thanks, Pomme

I did the arithmetic some time ago and decided I'd be very slightly better off on the base tariff than on HP/HC. I spoke by 'phone with DE about this, and found that the cost of changing the meter would take some years to be offset by any saving.

Since we were/are due to get Linky within that period I decided to leave things as they are until that happens.

I'm a bit apprehensive about Linky being installed. The latest lady owner of our previous house decided that the Tempo system was "too complicated" for her, although the relay switching was completely automatic, and saved us a lot of money.

I tried to explain to her that she should just leave it alone, and showed her how to temporarily override the system if necessary. The only circuits affected were those for the 150 litre water heater, air/air heat pumps, outlets for washing machine and drier, and electric radiators. We never ran out of hot water with two of us in the house, didn't do any laundry, and used the pellet stove for heating on expensive days, which were shown by a red light.

I also told her that the Tempo meter is no longer available, and could never be replaced if it was removed, but she still asked EDF to have it changed for a standard meter.

They used a local electrician, who evidently got confused with the relays and separate groups of circuit breakers in the panel, and lots of it didn't work after he got through, even after a second attempt.

She then called in an electrician from a village 10 km or so away, instead of the one in the village who did the original installation, and he managed to blow out a section of the panel.

I didn't get involved in any of this, and only got the story when she explained why I no longer had power in my adjacent garage, which was not sold with the house, but still had lighting from the house supply, in return for the use of the garage courtyard for off-road parking.

She said the soi-disant electrician told her that the problems were due to the garage wiring, which I subsequently tested without finding any fault.

So now I have to use a generator for lighting if I work in the garage, as the quote I got from ERDF for a new supply was outrageous. The whole village has overhead supply wiring, but everything new now has to be undergound. I have locked the gates into the courtyard, and wait to hear her cries when someone clips her car in the narrow street.

[NormanH]

This is helpful:

https://www.fournisseurs-electricite.com/guides/prix/kwh-electricite

There may be another rise in August on top of the recent 5.9 from the 1st June:

Les tarifs réglementés de

l'électricité vont progresser de 5,9% TTC en moyenne dès le 1er juin,

selon une décision publiée au Journal officiel. Vouée à s'appliquer dès

le 1er mars, la mesure avait été repoussée en pleine crise des Gilets

jaunes.

Selon une publication de ce 30 mai au Journal officiel,

les tarifs réglementés de l'électricité vont progresser de 5,9% TTC en

moyenne à partir du 1er juin, conformément à une décision des ministères

de la Transition écologique et solidaire et de l'Economie, prise après

une proposition de la Commission de régulation de l'énergie (CRE). Comme

le rapporte l'AFP, cette recommandation avait «vocation» à s'appliquer

dès le 1er mars 2019, mais le gouvernement avait alors décidé de ne pas

la suivre en période hivernale, en pleine contestation des Gilets

jaunes.

Cette augmentation pourrait être suivie d'une autre, au mois d'août, liée aux coûts de transport de l'électricité.

[talid]

[quote user="pomme"]EDF have an electric vehicle tariff https://particulier.edf.fr/fr/accueil/offres/electricite-bis/offres-marche/vert-electrique-auto.html (but you need a Linky) and Engie have another https://particuliers.engie.fr/electricite/contrat-electricite/contrat-elec-car.html

The government is keen to try to get sizzling hot online to install solar panels and to consume the electricity generated. The individuals get paid a premium and sell any surplus (now at a rate less than you buy it) https://www.aide-sociale.fr/aide-panneau-solaire/[/quote]

Thanks!

[talid]

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[BritinBretagne]

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[woolybanana]

BiB, you write Klingon, apparently?

[BritinBretagne]

Not me, all I typed was the ‘?’.

[woolybanana]

Apparently that is a whole conversation in Klingon or a very dirty word.?

[suein56]

More work for Hoddy ..