Is the system of peak and off-peak hours to regulate electricity prices about to be changed? Discussions are reportedly underway.
Will off-peak hours, those time slots during which electricity prices are lower, be changed? Emmanuelle Wargon, who heads the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE), told the Figaro Wednesday, September 11, that it is working with Enedis to redefine these time slots.
How do peak and off-peak hours currently work?
This subscription offer allows subscribers to have two different prices, depending on the time at which the electricity is consumed. “During the so-called off-peak hoursYOU benefit from a special rate. And during hours defined as peak, you are subject to a higher kWh price excluding tax”, EDF recalls on its website.
As for the distribution of peak/off-peak hours, there are 16 and 8 during the day, distributed according to demand. “Peak hours are at times of the day when overall electricity consumption in France is high, particularly between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. and between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Off-peak hours are at times when demand for electricity is lower: between 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. and/or between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m.” details EDF.
What could change
According to Emmanuelle Wargon, the time slots could be modified to better adapt to the production linked to solar panels.
Thus, some late afternoon slots could switch to peak hours, or off-peak and peak time slots could be different depending on whether it is summer or winter, “to take into account the […] period of the day when solar panel production is highest”the CRE director told Le Figaro.
At the microphone of France Infothe former minister assures that the goal is to reduce the bill. By reviewing the off-peak hours system, “consumption peaks” should be “smoothed out”. “Now we have a lot of solar production that is not expensive, especially in the summer. So it would be nicer to have off-peak hours in the afternoon, between March and November.” she said.
