this big change will affect more than 2 million French people starting in 2025

The Linky meter is a smart electricity meter developed by Enedis to replace old meters in France. It allows the automatic recording of consumption indices. It thus eliminates the need for physical intervention to read the meter. Thanks to Linky, users can view their electricity consumption in real time. This can help them better manage their consumption and adopt more economical behaviors. In addition, the counter facilitates electricity network management by allowing a better balance between supply and demand, while promoting the integration of renewable energies.

This system also offers more flexible pricing options, allowing consumers to reduce their costs by consuming during off-peak hours. Equipped with communication technologies, the Linky meter sends remote data in a secure manner. While its deployment aims to modernize the French electricity system, it ensures more transparency and flexibility for consumers while optimizing the electricity network.

How does the Linky meter work?

For consumers, the day is divided in 8 off-peak hours and 16 peak hours. During off-peak hours, prices are 30% cheaper for the consumer, mainly at night. But the habits of the French in terms of electricity consumption will change… Indeed, the peak/off-peak rate will change. According to the seasons, there will be the introduction off-peak hours which will be adapted.

Of November to Marchthey could be moved from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Pour summeroff-peak hours will be from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.. During the summer period, other off-peak hours could be implemented. The following hours: 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The implementation of these new schedules will take place over two to three years. from August 2025. The consumer manages to save money as soon as he manages to distribute 30% of his consumption to off-peak hours. If these schedules are optimized with the scheduling possibilities, it can save another 10%.

Enedis meter fraud

If Enedis registers 35 million customers, some people are still resistant to Linky meters. In fact, there are still 2.1 million people who have an old-fashioned meter (5% of consumers). At the start of 2025, the CRE could impose this smart meter on those who resist. If the implementation of Linky meters by Enedis in 2015 had made it possible to slightly reduce theelectricity fraud, the network manager has noted a significant increase in scams since 2022, linked to the rise in energy prices.

According to the electricity manager, at least 100,000 customers would have a tampered with meter allowing them to display lower electricity consumption. These frauds would represent 250 million euros in losses for the network manager. Enedis therefore decided to counter-attack and intensify the search for fraudsters. In fact, he plans toe “generalize controls in 2025” to eliminate this practice which some taxpayers resort to to reduce their electricity bill by 50 to 70%.

A graduate of CELSA, I have always been passionate about journalism since my early childhood. Originally from the South of France, I left Nice, my hometown, to come live in…