Despite a slight drop in temperatures in recent days, electricity consumption in France continues to fall. Compared to the period 2014-2019, this decrease reached 8.3% in the last month and remained around 7.6% in the last week.
As indicated by the operator of the electricity transmission network (RTE) in its latest forecast of the French electricity system, all sectors are contributing to the decrease in consumption, from industry to the tertiary sector, including the residential sector.
Estimated billing is still legion
However, the effect of this drop in consumption has not yet been felt in the amounts of the electricity bills of a large number of customers. A certain number of people in France use provisional billing to determine the amount of their electricity bill.
Chaque année, a technician du gestionnaire de réseau – dans 95% des cas, il s’agit d’Enedis – passe chez eux pour relever le compteur d’électricité et avoir un aperçu de la consommation sur l’année passée pour estimer celle de Next year.
The kWh figure is then transmitted to the electricity provider who issues the electricity bill. Individuals can also estimate their bill themselves, especially if they have just moved, based on their different electrical equipment that will determine their contracted power, then their payment and finally their electricity consumption.
As part of this estimated billing, the provider divides the annual consumption by a number that varies between 10 and 12 to determine the amount of the monthly fees that it will apply. This option has the advantage of smoothing out the annual electricity bill throughout the year, but it also has the disadvantage of not being based on actual consumption.
Although heating represents one of the main items of electricity consumption, the bills for the winter months are often underestimated, while those for sunny days can seem excessive.
Waiting for the annual adjustment
It is about this monthly payment method, “adopted by the vast majority of individuals because it allows payments to be staggered” according to EDF, which explains that their electricity bills do not decrease instantly while they reduce their electricity consumption. several months now.
To observe the fruits of these sobriety efforts, those interested will have to wait for the famous catch-up operation, also called regularization, which takes place once a year.
After the year has elapsed, the electricity supplier observes whether the actual consumption conforms to the estimates. In general, there is a more or less significant difference that requires adjustments. If the individual has consumed more than expected, the supplier asks him to pay the difference and otherwise refunds the difference.
Apart from the annual catch-up, EDF explains that no adjustment of the monthly payments will be made on its part despite significant reductions in consumption, but individuals can request modifications themselves:
Some people are already reaping the benefits of their sobriety.
Although there are many customers in this situation, there are people who instantly benefit from reducing their electricity consumption. This is the case of those who have opted for actual monthly billing which, as its name suggests, is based on actual consumption and is offered by certain providers.
In general, it is intended for customers equipped with a communicating meter, Linky or Gazpar, which is read remotely every month. This option, therefore, does not allow payments to be smoothed throughout the year: the customer pays for what he has actually consumed.
The other category of people who won’t have to wait long to reap the benefits of their reduced consumption are those who prefer a bi-monthly schedule for their bills. If the client in question has a communicating meter, he receives a bimonthly invoice calculated from a consumption statement. If this is not the case, you must instead read your electricity indices in your account and send these self-readings to your provider: this is the condition to avoid receiving invoices calculated from estimates and being invoiced based on their real value. consumption.
Source: BFM TV
