Off-peak hours, at what times of the day?
Several million customers in France have opted for an electricity contract with a dual peak-off-peak rate. According to Enedis, 60% of them benefit from nighttime off-peak hours, between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m., while 40% also have a second slot of two to three off-peak hours between 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. These off-peak hours coincide with phases of low electricity consumption. Their prices are, on average, 20% lower than those for peak hours, billed at times of high consumption.
A reform in sight from August 2025
The Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) recommends an adaptation of this off-peak and peak hours regime. The overhaul project would aim to generalize off-peak hours in the afternoon, particularly from spring to summer. The CRE, in fact, notes that certain current off-peak hours phases are confirmed to be underused around 7/8 a.m. or around 5 p.m. And in the end, these contracts sometimes turn out to be more costly for consumers than traditional contracts. The CRE estimates that at least 30% of its electricity consumption must be achieved during off-peak hours to make these “contracts attractive”.
First reason: limit the electricity bill
The price of electricity should fall by 14% for individuals from February 1, 2025. The reform of the off-peak hours regime, from summer 2025, should also help to contain the bill, in particular that of users who can or think about controlling their hot water tank, their household appliances, or even recharging their vehicles and equipment on batteries. If they make better use of off-peak hours, with equal consumption and with the flexibility of being able to do so at different times of the day, they should get more out of their contract.
Second reason: better align consumption with production
The overhaul also aims to achieve a better match between the levels of electricity production and consumption. The development of renewable energies has, for example, resulted in a clear increase in the solar fleet installed in France, from 10 GW in 2020 to 21.5 GW in 2024. These photovoltaic installations produce the most during the day. It therefore seems appropriate to shift part of the controllable consumption during off-peak daytime hours.
Another benefit, seen by Yannick Jacquemart, at RTE, is the electricity transmission network: “By loading the network less during peaks, it can accommodate more heat pumps, electric vehicles and more quickly and with less investment. carbon-free industrial processes”. According to RTE, postponing the charging of vehicle batteries would, at 7 p.m., reduce electricity demand by 5 GW, or the power of ten offshore wind farms, such as that in the bay of Saint-Brieuc.
Third reason: limit negative electricity prices
In a note published in November 2024, the CRE quantified the slippage in hours at negative electricity prices when supply is overabundant compared to demand. In the first half of 2024, it recorded 235 hours at negative prices (5.4% of the time), after 147 hours in 2023 and 102 in 2022. The opening of new off-peak hours would encourage users to shift part of their their consumption, to rebalance supply and demand and therefore to limit this risk of negative prices.
“When there were negative electricity prices this summer, almost 6 GW of renewables were shut down for several hours and this generation was lost. But at the same time, around 10 or 11 p.m., 10 GW of consumption started during off-peak hours. If the water heaters had started in the afternoon, there would not have been negative prices,” illustrates Yannick Jacquemart, on GreenUnivers.
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