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Electricity and gas in France in 2026 – prices, broadband, home insurance and bin rules

Last updated 25 September 2026Rules checked every MondayOfficial sourcesSources & methodology →

A new home in France means choosing an energy supplier, a broadband line, a mobile plan and insurance, often in the same week. Electricity and gas prices moved again in 2026, copper broadband is closing and bin fines went up – here is what applies and what to sort first.

Smiling woman carrying a moving box in a room full of boxes
Photo: Drazen/Adobe Stock

Setting up electricity and gas in France is one of the first jobs in a new home, and 2026 changed the numbers. On 1 August 2026 the regulated electricity tariff rose by 2.5 per cent on average; on 1 October 2026 the gas benchmark price rises by 6.3 per cent. Since 5 June 2026 bin offences cost more, and in most of the country you can no longer order a new copper (ADSL) line.

How much do electricity and gas cost in France in 2026?

The tarif réglementé de vente d'électricité (TRVE, regulated tariff, or 'tarif Bleu') is sold only by EDF in the Enedis network area and by local distribution companies in theirs. All suppliers also sell market offers at their own prices. For gas there are only market offers: the regulated gas tariff ended on 1 July 2023.

The regulated tariff changes every February and August. On 1 August 2026 it rose by 2.5 per cent on average – about €26 a year for a household using 4.5 MWh, whose bill goes from €1,046 to €1,072 – and the peak/off-peak option opened to 3 kVA meters, down from 6 kVA. The next change is due on 1 February 2027.

Regulated tariff, 6 kVA (grid of 1 February 2026)Standing charge per yearPrice per kWh
Base – one price all day€188.2419.40 cents
Peak/off-peak – peak hours€188.2420.65 cents
Peak/off-peak – off-peak hours€188.2415.79 cents

Source: the Commission de régulation de l'énergie (CRE), read 23 September 2026.

These prices include tax and applied until the August rise; the CRE page we read did not yet show the new grid. VAT is 20 per cent on both the standing charge and consumption for a household (up to 36 kVA), and the electricity excise duty fell from €30.85 to €30.62 per MWh on 1 August.

For gas, the CRE publishes a monthly prix repère (benchmark price) – a reference, not an offer you can sign. It rises from €172.05 to €182.88 per MWh including tax on 1 October 2026. Fixed-price offers, held by about 40 per cent of residential gas customers at the end of 2025, are not affected.

How do you open or switch an energy contract?

You can switch supplier as often as you like, with no minimum term and at no cost. To sign up you need your delivery point number – the PDL or PRM for electricity, the PCE for gas – so ask for it when you get the keys. The new supplier handles the switch: the meter stays, the old contract ends automatically, and cancelling it yourself could cost you a new connection fee.

From 1 November to 31 March, the trêve hivernale (winter truce), suppliers may not cut off electricity or gas for unpaid bills, though they can reduce your electricity power. Low-income households get the chèque énergie (energy voucher), worth €48 to €277 in 2026 and sent from 1 April; if you think you qualify but received nothing, claim it by 31 December 2026.

In a dispute, complain in writing first; after 2 months without a satisfactory answer, you can go free of charge to the Médiateur national de l'énergie (national energy ombudsman). Énergie-Info answers free on 0800 11 22 12, Monday to Friday 8:30–18:00.

Broadband and mobile: what to check before you sign

Since 31 January 2026 no new copper offers are sold in 26,000 communes – most of mainland and overseas France – and the rest follow on 31 January 2027. According to Arcep, the telecoms regulator, almost 94 per cent of premises could get fibre in early 2026. If works on your side are needed to connect your main residence, a means-tested state aid pays €400, €800 or €1,200 for works done between September 2025 and 31 May 2027.

Any phone or internet contract needs ID, proof of address and bank details. Check the commitment before you sign.

SituationRule
Commitment periodAt most 24 months; an operator offering more than 12 must also offer the same deal for 12
Signed at a distance or at your door14 days to withdraw
Leaving a 12-month commitment earlyYou pay the remaining monthly payments
Leaving a 24-month commitment earlyPayments up to month 12, plus 25% of those after
Operator changes the contract, such as a price riseCancel without fees within 4 months
Keeping your mobile numberGet your RIO code by calling 3179, free from a mobile, 24/7

Source: Service-Public, read 23 September 2026.

Number portability only works within one territory – not between mainland France and Guadeloupe, for example. The 2G network is being switched off across mainland France between the end of September and December 2026, so check that any old phone or device you bring does not rely on it. And there is no TV licence: it was abolished in 2022.

Is home insurance compulsory in France?

If you rent, yes. Every tenant, including on a bail mobilité (short furnished lease), must insure at least the risques locatifs (tenant's risks): fire, water damage and explosion. Give the certificate to the landlord with the keys and once a year on request. Without it, the landlord can seek to end the lease, or insure you at your cost after a month's notice.

Owner-occupiers are not obliged to insure, but in a copropriété (shared-ownership building) you need at least responsabilité civile (third-party liability) cover. Cover should start before you move in. After the first year you can cancel at any time without penalty, a month after the insurer receives your request; a tenant takes out the new policy first, and the new insurer sends the cancellation.

Bins and recycling: why the rules depend on your town

Sorting and collection are set by the mayor or the inter-communal body, so in Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux or anywhere else, check your commune's guide or the national tool Que faire de mes déchets ? (What do I do with my waste?). Since 1 January 2024 every household must sort food and garden bio-waste, and the commune must provide the means, such as bins or composters. Burning garden waste is banned, bar possible local exemptions.

Since 5 June 2026, putting waste out on the wrong day, at the wrong time or in the wrong container, ignoring sorting rules or leaving it beside the bins is a third-class offence, with higher fines.

OffenceFine
Wrong day, time or container, or waste left beside the bins€45 reduced, €68 standard, €180 increased; up to €450 in court
Leaving a bin permanently on the streetUp to €750
Dumping waste in public spaceUp to €1,500, more for repeat offences
Paris (local rule): leaving furniture on the street€135 to €750

Source: Service-Public and the City of Paris, read 23 September 2026.

Old electrical appliances never go in the household bin: the seller must take the old one back free when you buy a new one, and small appliances under 25 cm can be dropped off free at any shop with at least 400 m² of sales space.

In Paris (a local rule), bin lids are white for glass, yellow for packaging and all paper, and grey or green for the rest. Food waste goes 24/7 into bins at Trilib' stations and markets, and bulky items are collected free by online appointment, up to 3 m³ per request.

What to do now

StepWhatWhen
1Take out home insurance and give the certificate to your landlordBefore you move in
2Get your PDL/PRM and PCE numbers and choose a supplierBefore moving day
3Compare fibre offers and commitment periods; get your RIO code if you keep a numberFirst week
4Report your move to several bodies at once with the free online change-of-address service (in French)Once you have moved
5Find your commune's sorting guide and collection daysFirst week
6Claim a chèque énergie you qualify for but did not receiveBy 31 December 2026

Source: Service-Public and the Commission de régulation de l'énergie (CRE), read 23 September 2026.

Official sources

The official pages this guide is based on, read 23 September 2026. Links open the authority’s own website.

Relocate in Europe provides general information, not legal or financial advice for your individual situation. Check with the authority named above before you act – rules change, and your case may differ.