Linky Smart Meter France 2026: Expat Guide to Data, Refusal and the New EUR 50 Fee

1. What Is the Linky Meter?

The Linky meter is a smart electricity meter deployed by Enedis, the EDF subsidiary that operates 95% of France's electricity distribution network. It progressively replaces the older electromechanical meters (with a spinning wheel) and first-generation electronic meters.

What sets it apart: it automatically transmits consumption data to Enedis without an on-site reading visit. It also enables remote technical actions (power change, service activation, disconnection) that used to require a physical appointment.

Linky is not a consumer product. It belongs to the network operator, not to the resident or the property owner. That legal point shapes everything that follows, especially the refusal question expats often ask.

2. Deployment in France 2015 to 2021

Linky deployment started in December 2015 after a pilot in Indre-et-Loire and Lyon between 2010 and 2011. Enedis's target: equip 35 million households by the end of 2021. The target was met, in line with EU Directive 2009/72/EC requiring member states to roll out smart meters where a cost-benefit analysis is positive.

One nuance for expats living outside the Enedis zone: about 5% of French territory is served by 160 local distribution companies (like GEG in Grenoble or ÉS in Strasbourg). They run their own equivalent smart-meter programs under different brand names, with the same data principles.

3. How Linky Works (PLC)

Linky uses PLC (Power Line Communication) in the G3 band. Data flows along the existing electrical cable to a concentrator in the local transformer substation, then is relayed by GPRS or fiber to Enedis servers. The meter itself emits no Wi-Fi or 4G signal.

The four transmission steps

Encryption follows ANSSI recommendations. The Enedis gateway isolates the meter from any outside request: no third party can connect directly to your Linky without going through Enedis's secured APIs.

4. What Data Is Collected and Consent

Data collection by Linky is framed by GDPR and by CNIL deliberation 2017-007 of 26 January 2017. This is probably the most misunderstood part of the system, so here are the precise rules.

Three granularity levels

• By default (no consent): the daily index, meaning your total consumption for the previous day. Enough for billing.
• With explicit opt-in: the half-hourly load curve (48 measurements per day). Enables real-time tracking and personalized advice.
• Never: per-appliance breakdown, identification of individual equipment, precise hourly lifestyle patterns.

Your GDPR rights on Linky data

For expats arriving in France, the most useful move in the first months is to activate the load curve, learn your peak hours, and rethink heavy appliance scheduling. See our switch electricity provider guide for the broader savings flow.

5. Refusal and the New 50 EUR Fee Since 2023

The most asked question, with a nuanced answer. No criminal penalty applies to households refusing Linky. The meter belongs to Enedis, which has the theoretical right to replace it but no power to force entry. You can therefore express refusal.

However, since 1 January 2023, the 2022 CRE deliberation introduced an additional charge for households refusing Linky when their existing meter is over 20 years old. The amount: about EUR 50 per year, reflecting the real extra cost of on-site manual readings.

Practical consequences

How to formalize refusal

If you still want to refuse, send a registered letter with proof of receipt to Enedis as soon as you get the first installation notice. Clearly state your opposition and ask to keep the existing meter. Important caveat: Act 2015-992 (the Energy Transition Act) obliges Enedis to replace faulty meters, so if yours fails later, Linky installation becomes inevitable.

In case of conflict (forced intervention, refusal ignored), you can escalate to the Médiateur national de l'énergie (energie-mediateur.fr) after two months without satisfactory answer from Enedis. Their service is free and available in French.

6. Installation: Process and Cost

Installation is carried out by a technician contracted by Enedis. It takes about 30 minutes and requires a brief power cut. Here is the standard flow.

7. Enedis & Moi App: 5-Step Setup for Expats

The Enedis & Moi app (previously called "Enedis à mes côtés") is free, available on iOS and Android, and lets you exploit Linky's full potential. The app is French-only. Here is the practical setup.

Beyond Enedis & Moi, your supplier (EDF, TotalEnergies, Engie, etc.) often provides a richer dashboard, and some have partial English versions. If you are switching electricity providers, check that the app actually uses Linky data.

8. Real Benefits for Consumers

Beyond Enedis's marketing pitch, here is what Linky actually changes in daily household life.

For a household that never looks at the data, Linky changes nothing on the final bill. Active use of the tracking is what generates savings, typically 5 to 10% in the first year per ADEME estimates, by shifting heavy appliances to off-peak and cutting standby waste.

9. Tempo and Off-Peak Compatibility

Linky is fully compatible with EDF's and alternative suppliers' tariff options. Two cases matter: classic off-peak hours and the Tempo tariff.

Off-peak vs peak hours

With an older meter, off-peak switching was driven by an external relay (the day/night contactor). With Linky, this is integrated: the meter automatically commands the connected contactors and bills each kWh at the correct tariff. The time windows are assigned locally by Enedis; check your account for your exact slots. Detail in our off-peak hours France guide.

Tempo tariff (EDF)

EDF Tempo distinguishes 22 red days, 43 white days and 300 blue days per year. The next-day color is sent to your Linky at 5 PM every day and the meter applies the correct tariff to the upcoming 24 hours automatically. No external gear needed. Our EDF Tempo tariff dossier covers the ROI by profile.

If you stay on the EDF regulated tariff with no option, Linky obviously does not change the kWh price; it just bills more precisely.

10. Health and Radio Waves: ANSES and ANFR

The question of waves emitted by Linky has driven many concerns since 2015. Two French agencies have produced independent assessments now used as reference.

ANSES 2017 report

The French national health and safety agency (ANSES) published in June 2017 a detailed opinion concluding that:

• Linky's electromagnetic field exposure is very low.
• It is comparable to other common household electrical equipment.
• It stays well below regulatory limits (87 V/m at PLC frequencies).

ANFR 2022 field measurements

The French radio-frequencies agency (ANFR) published a 2022 measurement campaign confirming those conclusions. At 20 cm from the meter, exposure measured around 0.25 V/m, more than 300 times below the regulatory limit.

Important clarification: Linky does not use Wi-Fi. PLC runs through the existing electrical cable, so at much lower frequency (kHz) than Wi-Fi (GHz). The meter emits no standalone radio signal.

11. Common Myths Corrected

12. Your Rights and Recourse

In case of dispute with Enedis (abusive intervention, wrong data, refusal ignored), several remedies are available.

• Enedis complaint: via your account or by registered letter. 30-day response deadline.
• Médiateur national de l'énergie: energie-mediateur.fr, free escalation after two months without satisfactory answer.
• CNIL: cnil.fr/fr/plaintes for any GDPR breach (data collected without consent, abusive sharing).
• DGCCRF: for misleading commercial practice from a door-to-door pretending to be Enedis.
• Judicial court: last resort for proven damages.

For housing-related questions (ownership change with Linky in place, who pays in a copropriété, tenant intervention), refer to Service-Public.fr fiche F33938 which holds the official position.

If your main goal is to cut the bill, look beyond Linky and review green electricity options or compare alternative suppliers.

13. Frequently Asked Questions

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