Off-Peak/Peak Hours Electricity in France: 2026 Guide
What heures creuses mean for an expat household, what the EDF grid of 1 August 2026 prints for 6, 9 and 12 kVA, and how to check whether the dual-rate option is worth it for you.
Key Takeaways
- 8 off-peak hours per day, set by the network operator and not by your supplier.
- EDF rates from 1 August 2026: HC 15.89 ct/kWh versus HP 21.42 ct/kWh at 6, 9 and 12 kVA, a 5.53 ct gap (HC about 25.8 percent below HP, computed).
- Same subscription as Base at every power level: 15.86, 19.88 and 23.76 EUR per month at 6, 9 and 12 kVA.
- Break-even: about 25.5 percent of consumption off-peak at 6 kVA and about 28.4 percent at 9 and 12 kVA (computed).
1. What is the HP/HC option?
The Peak Hours / Off-Peak Hours (HP/HC) option, called "heures pleines / heures creuses" in French, is one of the options of the EDF Tarif Bleu. The regulator CRE describes it as two price periods: 16 hours per day at peak and 8 hours per day off-peak.
Higher kWh price for 16 hours per day: 21.42 ct/kWh on the EDF grid of 1 August 2026.
Reduced kWh price for 8 hours per day: 15.89 ct/kWh on the same grid.
Key point: HP/HC is not automatically cheaper than Base. The HP price is higher than the Base price, so it only pays off if a meaningful share of your consumption falls in the off-peak window.
2. Your off-peak schedule
The CRE states that the off-peak hours are determined locally by the network operator to which the site is connected. Your schedule therefore depends on the connection, not on which supplier you choose.
Important: do not rely on example schedules you find online. Your own bill or customer account is the reference for your hours.
Where to find your hours
According to energie-info.fr, the time slots are shown on your bill.
The same source says the slots are also shown in your customer account. If your hours change, your supplier must tell you at least one month in advance.
New off-peak hours since November 2025
According to energie-info.fr, new hours have applied to some households since November 2025: at night from 23:00 to 07:00, with at least 5 consecutive hours guaranteed, and during the day from 11:00 to 17:00. The same source states that all households move to these hours from November 2026.
3. EDF regulated rates from August 1, 2026 (TRV)
The CRE page on regulated tariffs states that these tariffs change twice a year, in February and in August. The tables below show the EDF Tarif Bleu grid applicable from August 1, 2026:
| Option and power | Subscription, EUR/month | HP or single rate, ct/kWh | HC, ct/kWh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heures Creuses, 6 kVA | 15.86 | 21.42 | 15.89 |
| Heures Creuses, 9 kVA | 19.88 | 21.42 | 15.89 |
| Heures Creuses, 12 kVA | 23.76 | 21.42 | 15.89 |
| Base (single rate), 6 kVA | 15.86 | 20.01 | n/a |
| Base (single rate), 9 kVA | 19.88 | 19.85 | n/a |
| Base (single rate), 12 kVA | 23.76 | 19.85 | n/a |
Prices in ct per kWh and EUR per month, taxes included (TTC). Source: EDF, Tarif Bleu price grid applicable from August 1, 2026 (particulier.edf.fr, accessed 2026-10-06). The Heures Creuses prices are the same at 6, 9 and 12 kVA.
Derived values (computed from the grid): the gap between HP and HC is 5.53 ct/kWh, so HC is about 25.8 percent cheaper than HP. At 9 and 12 kVA, HP costs 1.57 ct more than Base and HC costs 3.96 ct less. At 6 kVA, HP costs 1.41 ct more than Base and HC costs 4.12 ct less.
According to the same EDF grid, the Base option for 9 to 36 kVA is closed to new residential subscriptions. See our EDF regulated tariff 2026 guide.
History: the February 2026 reference point
The CRE page on regulated tariffs shows the Base option at 6 kVA with a variable price of 19.40 ct/kWh and a fixed part of 188.24 EUR per year for the movement of 1 February 2026. On the EDF grid of 1 August 2026 the same option is 20.01 ct/kWh and 190.32 EUR per year (15.86 EUR x 12), which is 0.61 ct/kWh and 2.08 EUR per year more (computed).
4. Base vs Off-Peak option: how to choose
Before subscribing to HP/HC, compare it with the simpler Base option, which has a single kWh price at all hours.
Base option
- Single kWh price at every hour
- No need to schedule appliances
- Closed to new residential subscriptions from 9 kVA, per the EDF grid
Off-Peak option
- Two kWh prices depending on time slot
- HC kWh 3.96 ct cheaper than Base (9 kVA)
- HP kWh 1.57 ct more expensive than Base (9 kVA)
- Same subscription as Base at each power level
If you are also considering colored-day pricing, see the EDF Tempo option guide.
Quick break-even calculation (computed)
The subscription is the same for both options, so the comparison rests on the kWh prices alone. At 9 and 12 kVA, HC saves 3.96 ct/kWh versus Base while HP costs 1.57 ct/kWh more: you break even when about 28.4 percent of your consumption (1.57 divided by 5.53) falls in off-peak hours. At 6 kVA the same calculation gives 25.5 percent (1.41 divided by 5.53). Below that share, Base is cheaper.
5. Profitability: two worked scenarios
Profitability depends on one variable: the share of annual consumption that lands in off-peak hours. Two illustrations at 6 kVA, computed on the EDF grid of 1 August 2026 (subscription 15.86 EUR per month, or 190.32 EUR per year, for both options) with an assumed consumption of 10,000 kWh per year:
Scenario 1: 6 kVA, 10,000 kWh/year, 20 percent in HC
Base cost: 190.32 + (10,000 x 0.2001) = 2,191.32 EUR/year
HP/HC cost: 190.32 + (8,000 x 0.2142) + (2,000 x 0.1589) = 2,221.72 EUR/year
Result: HP/HC costs 30.40 EUR/year more. Base is cheaper.
Scenario 2: 6 kVA, 10,000 kWh/year, 40 percent in HC
Base cost: 190.32 + (10,000 x 0.2001) = 2,191.32 EUR/year
HP/HC cost: 190.32 + (6,000 x 0.2142) + (4,000 x 0.1589) = 2,111.12 EUR/year
Result: HP/HC saves 80.20 EUR/year. The break-even sits at about 25.5 percent of consumption in HC.
The same two scenarios at 9 kVA (subscription 238.56 EUR per year for both options, Base at 0.1985 EUR/kWh) give 2,223.56 EUR for Base against 2,269.96 EUR for HP/HC at 20 percent in HC (HP/HC 46.40 EUR more) and 2,159.36 EUR for HP/HC at 40 percent in HC (HP/HC 64.20 EUR less).
Important caveat: the scenarios use the EDF regulated tariff grid applicable from August 1, 2026, and are illustrations, not forecasts. Offers from other suppliers differ. Compare them on the public comparator run by the Médiateur national de l'énergie before switching.
6. Who may benefit from the HP/HC option
The option helps when a large share of your consumption can be run in the 8 off-peak hours. Typical candidates are:
energie-info.fr suggests programming the water heater in off-peak hours.
Off-peak is cheaper per kWh than peak: 15.89 versus 21.42 ct/kWh on the August 2026 grid. energie-info.fr suggests charging only in off-peak hours.
energie-info.fr suggests running the washing machine in off-peak hours. A delayed-start function lets you do this.
See our heat pump France 2026 guide.
Profile to avoid: if almost all your consumption happens during the day or in the evening and you cannot move it, the break-even share is hard to reach and Base is likely cheaper. Check with your own figures.
7. If you are new to France
Three practical points for newcomers:
- You cannot pick your off-peak window. The network operator sets it for your connection (CRE; energie-info.fr), so ask for the hours of the home before you sign the lease.
- Read the French abbreviations on your bill. HP is heures pleines (peak), HC is heures creuses (off-peak) and TTC means taxes included.
- Your hours can change. If they do, your supplier must tell you at least one month in advance (energie-info.fr).
For more on switching, see our regulated electricity tariff guide, the guide to changing electricity provider and the Linky smart meter guide.
8. Optimizing your consumption in practice
- Water heater: set it to heat in the off-peak hours.
- Washing machine and dishwasher: use delayed start to run cycles inside the off-peak window.
- Electric vehicle: set charging to start at the beginning of your off-peak slot.
Practical tip
Write your off-peak hours next to the washing machine and the vehicle charger. A cycle started too early is billed at the peak price.
9. Common mistakes to avoid
- Subscribing to HP/HC without being able to move consumption: the option can cost more than Base. Run the numbers with your real consumption first.
- Using an outdated schedule: your hours can change, so check the current slots on your bill or in your customer account.
- Never rechecking: prices change at each tariff movement, so rerun the break-even calculation after the February and August movements.
10. Frequently Asked Questions
What are off-peak hours (heures creuses) in France?▼
Off-peak hours, called heures creuses (HC), are 8 hours per day at a reduced kWh price. The other 16 hours are peak hours (heures pleines, HP). The hours are set locally by the network operator, not by your supplier (CRE, deliberation of 14 January 2026, annex B1; energie-info.fr).
What is the price difference between peak and off-peak hours in 2026?▼
On the EDF Tarif Bleu grid applicable from 1 August 2026 (TTC), the Heures Creuses option costs 21.42 cents/kWh at peak and 15.89 cents/kWh off-peak for 6, 9 and 12 kVA. The gap is 5.53 cents/kWh, so off-peak is about 25.8 percent below peak (computed). The Base option costs 20.01 cents/kWh at 6 kVA and 19.85 cents/kWh at 9 and 12 kVA.
Is the heures creuses option worth it for an expat household?▼
Only if enough of your consumption falls in off-peak hours. Computed from the EDF grid of 1 August 2026, the break-even is about 25.5 percent off-peak consumption at 6 kVA and about 28.4 percent at 9 and 12 kVA. Check your real consumption before you choose.
Does the HP/HC subscription cost more than Base?▼
No. On the EDF grid applicable from 1 August 2026 the subscription is the same for both options at each power level: 15.86 EUR per month at 6 kVA, 19.88 EUR at 9 kVA and 23.76 EUR at 12 kVA (TTC). The same grid says the Base option for 9 to 36 kVA is closed to new residential subscriptions.
How do I find my off-peak hours?▼
The time slots are shown on your electricity bill or in your online customer account (energie-info.fr). If your hours change, your supplier must tell you at least one month in advance (energie-info.fr).
Did the off-peak hours change recently?▼
According to energie-info.fr, new off-peak hours have applied to some households since November 2025: at night from 23:00 to 07:00, with at least 5 consecutive hours guaranteed, and during the day from 11:00 to 17:00. All households move to these hours from November 2026.
Official sources (accessed October 7, 2026)
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Disclaimer: the rates shown are for information only and change at each tariff movement (February and August, per the CRE). Check the current EDF grid and your own bill before you decide. Off-peak schedules are set by the network operator for each connection.