The change to off-peak hours is gathering pace. Starting Wednesday, November 4, 2026, EDF will begin changing the time slots for customers on its peak/off-peak tariff who have not yet switched to the new system. The rollout will continue through November 30, 2027, and will cover all of mainland France, including Paris and the Île-de-France region, from Hauts-de-Seine and Seine-Saint-Denis to Yvelines and Seine-et-Marne.
Good news: the total stays the same—you still get 8 off-peak hours a day. What’s changing is when they fall during the day. We checked all the official sources to find out who is affected, how to check and what to adjust at home.
The reform was decided by the Energy Regulatory Commission and is being implemented by Enedis, the grid operator. According to the CRE’s frequently asked questions, 14.5 million households have an off-peak hours plan. Of these, 3.5 million already had schedules that comply with the new rules. The change therefore affects around 11 million customers.
An initial wave affected 1.7 million households between November 2025 and June 2026. The second is ten times larger, covering 9.3 million customers. On its page on the reform, Enedis has scheduled it from December 2026 to October 2027. EDF, for its part, says its first customers will switch over as early as November 4.
Some households won’t see any changes. EDF customers who have already received new time slots between November 1, 2025, and May 31, 2026, will keep them. The Tempo option is not affected, nor are Corsica and the overseas territories. Finally, since October 6, 2026, new EDF subscribers to the off-peak hours option have received seasonally adjusted schedules from the outset.
The big change is that off-peak hours now vary between winter and summer, a bit like the opening hours of a public garden that are extended in fine weather. All year round, you’ll have at least five consecutive off-peak hours at night, between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., and no more than three in the afternoon, between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.
In winter, from November 1 to March 31, all off-peak hours can be grouped together at night, for example from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. A few off-peak hours in the afternoon may still be available in some cases. In summer, from April 1 to October 31, households whose schedules change have at least two off-peak hours in the afternoon, with the rest at night.
The logic is simple. As solar panels become more widespread, electricity is plentiful in the middle of the day when the sun is shining. Enedis estimates that this reform will shift around 5 gigawatts of consumption to sunny afternoons. Neither you nor your supplier gets to choose your time slots: Enedis assigns them based on the capacity of the local grid. Two neighbors in the same Paris apartment building may therefore have different schedules.
First, check your current time slots on your latest bill or in your customer account. According to EDF’s guide to the new off-peak hours, your schedule will change if it includes a slot between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. or between 5 p.m. and 11 p.m.
More specifically, the CRE’s deliberation of February 4, 2026 removes the 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. off-peak periods in winter, followed by the 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. periods in summer. As Clubic notes, off-peak hours that start at 9 p.m. will therefore change only in summer.
No need to check every day. Your supplier must notify you of the change at least one month in advance, by letter or email. The change is then made remotely on the Linky meter, without anyone needing to visit your home. One useful detail: the switch to winter time on October 25 has no effect on your time slots.
The reform shifts the time slots, not the prices. Under EDF’s regulated tariff, the price per kilowatt-hour during off-peak hours has remained at 15.89 cents since August 1, 2026. The real pitfall lies elsewhere: an appliance still set to the old schedule will use electricity during peak hours, which are 20 to 30% more expensive, depending on the plan.
It’s also a good time to review your bills. According to the practical guide from France’s national energy ombudsman, the off-peak option is still worthwhile if at least a quarter of your consumption falls during those periods. If you find that kilowatt-hours are being billed at peak rates during a period listed as off-peak, the first step is to file a written complaint with your supplier.
The hot water tank is often the easiest to manage. If it is connected to the meter via the dry contact, the small relay that switches it on when off-peak hours begin, it will automatically follow the new time slots. If it relies on a timer or a programmable socket, you’ll need to adjust it manually.
For the washing machine and dishwasher with delayed start, it all comes down to your new schedule. In winter, starting them after 11 p.m. remains a safe bet in most cases. In summer, the afternoon becomes a genuine option, especially for people working from home. EDF even gives the example of a washing machine started at around 2 p.m., with the laundry then drying in the sun.
As for electric car charging, check your charger or vehicle’s schedule as soon as you receive the letter. The five consecutive hours guaranteed overnight are enough for many everyday charging needs. In summer, charging in the early afternoon may also qualify for the reduced rate. The same applies to programmable thermostats and heaters.
Our tip: add your winter and summer time slots to your phone and set a reminder for April 1, 2027, when summer time slots take over again. To keep up with the rest of the news at the start of November, including the November 5, 2026 strike, keep an eye on our events and news this week and our November 2026 guide to Paris.
Official website
particulier.edf.fr
