France's off-peak electricity hours reform begins on 1 November 2025

On 1 November 2025, Enedis, the operator of most of France's electricity distribution network, launched the first phase of a reform of heures creuses, the off-peak hours when power is cheaper for households on a time-of-use tariff.

For decades, off-peak hours had mostly fallen at night, a legacy of an era when nuclear plants produced surplus power after dark and water heaters were set to run then. The reform shifted a growing share of these hours into the middle of the day, when solar generation is abundant and often exceeds demand.

The change was meant to encourage households to run water heaters, washing machines and other appliances when electricity is plentiful and low-carbon, and to ease pressure on the grid during evening peaks. The regulator, the Commission de régulation de l'énergie (CRE), had backed the move. The rollout was planned in stages, with customers' meters and schedules updated gradually, so the November start was only the first step of a longer transition.