Jacqui Too Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 We have our electricity from EDF and pay a monthly abonnement plus any electricity that we use, as we are only there on average 2 months per year we are paying for 10 months at 10.35€ for nothing.Are there any tariffs available from EDF or any other supplier where you don't pay a fixed abonnement but pay more per kWh ?I recently changed from Scottish power to British gas and have just such a tariff and it got me thinking if we could save money on our French home [:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tenniswitch Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 [quote user="Jacqui Too "]We have our electricity from EDF and pay a monthly abonnement plus any electricity that we use, as we are only there on average 2 months per year we are paying for 10 months at 10.35€ for nothing.Are there any tariffs available from EDF or any other supplier where you don't pay a fixed abonnement but pay more per kWh ?I recently changed from Scottish power to British gas and have just such a tariff and it got me thinking if we could save money on our French home [:)] [/quote]That does sound a bit high. Which plan are you on (i.e., what is your base- 9kw? 12kw?)?We also have a monthly billing for one of our properties, but actually it works out to 10 monthly billings (February through November) and one "settling up". If they've overbilled us, EDF posts our refund in December, if we owe them, they preleve it the following January.At any rate, here are a couple of links that might be useful:Information for foreign residentsles tarifs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacqui Too Posted February 28, 2009 Author Share Posted February 28, 2009 Thanks for the links TW.I already use the online site for managing my account and have been giving reading for a while now, my last 2 bills (4 months) have been for 20,69€ each as we have not used any electricity. We are on domestique option base 9 kW.After looking at their site again it looks like they only do that and the options Heures Pleines / Heures Creuses !So my next question: are there any other suppliers? and might they have different tariffs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 Try this: http://www.energie-info.fr/pratique/liste-des-fournisseurs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacqui Too Posted February 28, 2009 Author Share Posted February 28, 2009 [quote user="Clair"]Try this: http://www.energie-info.fr/pratique/liste-des-fournisseurs[/quote]Thank you Clair, but after trying them all non seem to offer anything other that the same sort of deal I'm already on [:(]Looks like a non starter! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 [quote user="Jacqui Too "][quote user="Clair"]Try this: http://www.energie-info.fr/pratique/liste-des-fournisseurs[/quote]Thank you Clair, but after trying them all non seem to offer anything other that the same sort of deal I'm already on [:(]Looks like a non starter![/quote]Be patient, all this competition stuff is rather dare I say, foreign to the French energy market, the new fledgling energy suppliers will take a while to shake off the traditions that are holding them back.Give it time and you will find that they will start to make different offerings, start to target niche markets etc.About 500 years should do it [6] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angelite Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 When we bought our cottage in December, EDF transferred us to the same tariff as the previous owner - the Heures Creuses.We pay by prelevement, and after the initial contract charge, received a statement for E47.07 to be taken this month (25 Feb), for two months at E23.35.However, at the bottom of the statement they say the next facture will be about the 28 March. We are on 12 Kw, 230/400 v.Before I ring the EDF English-speaking line, does anyone have any ideas on whether E23.35 or E47.07 would be the more likely?Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacqui Too Posted February 28, 2009 Author Share Posted February 28, 2009 [quote user="Angelite"]Before I ring the EDF English-speaking line, does anyone have any ideas on whether E23.35 or E47.07 would be the more likely? Thanks[/quote]I think that you pay in advance for the abonnement and that is your monthly payment for 12kW on Heures Creuses.Edit: I misread you post! Definitely 47,07€ per bill for 2 months Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suein56 Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 [quote user="Angelite"]When we bought our cottage in December, EDF transferred us to the same tariff as the previous owner - the Heures Creuses. [/quote]If this is to be your holiday home then IMO you don't really need to be on heures creuses. These, in France, cost a lot more to be on than normal tarif courtesy of a much increased monthly standing charge. The unit charge for the electricity staying the same.The annual standing for you at present is 282,3€; but if you were on ordinary rate the annual standing charge would be:177,88€.A saving of more than 100 euros without trying!Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angelite Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 Thanks for that info, Sue. It certainly will be worth changing.Do you, or any other Forum member know, can you just ring up and change the tariff, or does the meter have to be changed? Angelite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluebell Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 When we bought our house I did not really know what I was doing and was persuaded, on the phone, to take heures creuses. I think EDF must have had a bonus scheme going according to the number of HC contracts they could sell. So the meter was altered at a cost of about 40 euros. BTW I have no electric heating.Then I realised that there was an increased standing charge and for HC to be worth it I would have to do at least three washes a night. The chap on the telephone also misled me about which hours were cheap, and when the chap fitted the meter he said 23.30 to 7.30. No good to me as Mr B. will not have machines going at night anyway. So I complained to EDF and they sent another chap to change the meter again for another 40-odd euros. So yes, they send someone round to do the meter even though you arrange it on the phone. And it costs about 40 euros. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stan Streason Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 Thanks for raising the subject here.I completed earlier this month, The agent has arranged for the reading and given EDF my details (including UK address for correspondance I hope). If I had not read this I would have pretty much paid what was asked for. Now I will check. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 EDF allowed a change of tariff FOC once a year. I don't know if this is still the case...I have changed the meter in the gite from HP/HC to basic tariff and it has not cost anything.I have changed our meter from 3 kW to 6 kW and it has not cost anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJSLIV Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 ClairWere these changes within the last couple of years? I have a vague recollection that someone said that there was now a call out chargefor each change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 No, the changes are not recent. The kW change was in 2004 and the tariff change in the gite was in 2006 I think.I have searched the EDF website for the relevant info, which is where I had seen it before, but I cannot find it.All the work used to be carried out by EDF up to the opening of the market to other energy suppliers.I think that this is now carried out by ERDF, which is an independent offshot of EDF.ERDF charges EDF and EDF charges the client. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suein56 Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 [quote user="Clair"]I have searched the EDF website for the relevant info, which is where I had seen it before, but I cannot find it.[/quote]Is it this bit:<<Le client peut demander à modifier son tarif à tout moment. Le tarif choisi s'applique alors pourune durée minimale d'un an. En cas de changement de tarif, il n'y aura pas d'application rétroactivedu nouveau tarif donnant lieu à un remboursement au client.>> from here: CONDITIONS GÉNÉRALES DE VENTE D'ÉLECTRICITÉAUX TARIFS RÉGLEMENTÉS POUR LES CLIENTS RÉSIDENTIELS 1er septembre 2007Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 Not this bit, Sue.There was a Q&A paragraph on one of the pages, which said something along the lines of:"Can I change the kW if I find it insufficient for my usage?" "Yes, you can change it at no cost once a year"I remember it clearly, because at the time I changed the gite from HP/HC to basic tariff, I mentally gave myself a year to compare the usage and change back if necessary. To make the change of tariff, there had to be a change of meters, so I definitely made sure there would be no charge to pay for the technician's visit (I am a bit tight [Www]). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacqui Too Posted March 1, 2009 Author Share Posted March 1, 2009 [quote user="J.Rs gone native"][quote user="Jacqui Too "] [quote user="Clair"]Try this: http://www.energie-info.fr/pratique/liste-des-fournisseurs[/quote]Thank you Clair, but after trying them all non seem to offer anything other that the same sort of deal I'm already on [:(]Looks like a non starter![/quote]Be patient, all this competition stuff is rather dare I say, foreign to the French energy market, the new fledgling energy suppliers will take a while to shake off the traditions that are holding them back.Give it time and you will find that they will start to make different offerings, start to target niche markets etc.About 500 years should do it [6][/quote]Ok I hear what you are saying JR but I have looked at the EDF UK site and they offer 6 different tariffs for my post code and all of them are without a abonnement (standing charge) eg. : Online Version 6 Flexible product familyOur best value online rates Fully flexible - no minimum term Also by joining our 2012 Carbon Challenge, save up to an additional £166† Unit costs (pence per Kwh)ElectricityElectricity unit costs Than Band A rate will apply to a block of 900 kWh each year. This will be applied on a pro rata basis for each day covered by the bill and rounded to the nearest whole kWh. E.g. for a bill covering 90 days the first 222 kWh used in that billing period will be charged at the Band A rate. All other day kWh will be charged at the Band B rate. Band A19.78Band B9.81Estimated Annual Price£828.55 Terms and Conditions I know that the UK division is probably run differently to EDF Fr. and they would have to offer like for like with other UK suppliers. So this is not so alien to them!So come on all you French energy suppliers and stop making money out of us poor holiday home owners [;-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 The differences can be summed up in one word, tradition.There is lots of long standing competition on French TV, many many channels yet they all start their prime time programming at exactly the same time 20.35 every evening. You dont need to be Einstein to work out that there are sections of the population that would l watch these programs at different times as they may be working or travelling or whatever at 20.35 but no-one dares go against tradition.TF1 recently made a huge hullabaloo about their new programming hours with the removal of adverts, it was a groundbreaking change of 5 minutes.There is a supermarket franchise with a name like seven eleven, you know the one that opens at nine, closes for two hours for lunch at 19.00 in the evening and every Monday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suein56 Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 [quote user="J.R gone native"]There is a supermarket franchise with a name like seven eleven, you know the one that opens at nine, closes for two hours for lunch at 19.00 in the evening and every Monday![/quote]There was one just like that just down from the apparthotel we were staying in in Lège Cap Feret; the bread didn't arrive til 9h15 either. Here we have a branch and I was astonished to find that it actually opens at 8h and closes at 20h. It was quite a shock.Sue [:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tenniswitch Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 [quote user="BJSLIV"]ClairWere these changes within the last couple of years? I have a vague recollection that someone said that there was now a call out chargefor each change. [/quote]We changed from 6kW to 9kW in June and had a charge of 26,91 euros for "INTERVENT 1 APPAREIL PART". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martyng Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 To add my two penn'orth, I have just been quoted 32euros by EDF to change the tariff from 18 down to 12 Kw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chezstevens Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 Anybody else still on EJP? We are on 18 KW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Posted March 22, 2009 Share Posted March 22, 2009 HiElectricity in France is not cheap. We have been recommended to go on the tariff where you have I think blue, green and red days. Blue I think dead cheap but red really expensive (and always when there is snow or low temperatures).Having a B&B means we cannot always dictate the usage. Anyone on the tariff and if so, have you found it a lot cheaper?Be interested in your thoughts.RonChalet le Chapeau Bleu (31)www.lechapeaubleu.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted March 22, 2009 Share Posted March 22, 2009 Scooter, this is possibly the worse tariff to be on when you cannot control the usage.In your shoes, I would change it for Heures Creuses or even go for the basic flat tariff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.