Nearly 10 million French households who have subscribed to a regulated electricity tariff (TRV) are affected by the off-peak hours reform. The Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) believes that better management of available energy could make it possible to create new contracts and improve the daily lives of households.
Towards a change of peak and off-peak hours?
In addition to the production of electricity by nuclear power, wind turbines and solar energy provide energy that France sometimes sells at a loss, at lower prices or stores the surplus to resell it later, at the best time. Except that the CRE believes that modifying off-peak hours, implemented in the 1960s, would be advantageous for customers while taking advantage of these renewable energies.
When you sign up for a peak-off-peak (HP-HC) contract, electricity is more expensive during peak hours and cheaper during off-peak hours. According to Enedis, off-peak hours occur at night, between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. Note that these periods vary depending on where you live, the seasons and the days. But the CRE thinks that the schedules are no longer adapted to the lifestyle of customers. Current off-peak schedules no longer reflect periods of low consumption and do not promote the optimal integration of renewable energies.
Take advantage of peak solar energy
The CRE therefore asks energy suppliers to review off-peak hours so that they are during the day, in spring and summer, between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. This proposal aims to better align energy consumption with production, particularly with the increase in solar production during these periods.
In the event of a change in off-peak hours, it would be necessary to wait until 2025 for implementation, in particular because Enedis must study the question of collecting solar production during peaks. This is a recommendation. Only Enedis, as manager of the electricity distribution network and subsidiary of EDF, is authorized to apply these modifications, under the regulation of the CRE. Suppliers and customers are unable to do this.