Electricity cost calculator for France
Estimate appliance electricity cost in France using your own price per kWh. French bills combine a fixed abonnement, tied to your contracted power in kVA, with a variable per-kWh consumption charge — enter only the latter here.
How electricity is billed in France
Most French households are still billed on the government-set tarif réglementé de vente (TRV), sold only by EDF and a handful of local distributors, though anyone can also choose a market offer from a competing supplier. Either way, a French bill has the same two-part shape: a fixed monthly abonnement and a variable charge for the electricity used.
Abonnement Fixed
A fixed monthly fee that depends on your puissance souscrite (contracted power, in kVA) rather than on how much you use — a higher kVA subscription costs more per month even at zero consumption.
Prix du kWh Usage-based
The variable rate per kilowatt-hour, which is what this calculator needs. Some contracts split this into Heures Pleines and Heures Creuses (peak and off-peak) rates instead of one flat price.
TURPE (network tariff) Regulated
Short for Tarif d'Utilisation des Réseaux Publics d'Électricité — the regulated fee that funds transport (RTE) and distribution (Enedis) of electricity, built into the unit price rather than shown as a separate line for most residential contracts.
Taxes Regulated
Electricity in France carries an excise duty plus a contribution for grid access, both regulated, on top of VAT — VAT is applied at a reduced rate on the abonnement and the standard rate on consumption.
Anatomy of a French bill
Usage-basedFixedRegulated
TURPE is not shown as its own step here because it is already built into the Prix du kWh and Abonnement figures on most residential contracts — it is a real cost, just not a separate line to add.
Using this calculator with your own bill
This tool needs one number: the variable price you pay per kilowatt-hour for the electricity itself. Fixed charges — standing charges, contracted-power fees, meter rental — stay the same no matter how long a single appliance runs, so they are deliberately excluded. Adding them would inflate the appliance's own cost rather than reflect it.
the CRE regulates the network and system components of your bill, but does not set the energy price itself in a competitive market, so the number that matters for this calculator is always the one on your own contract or most recent statement — not a national headline figure, which can be months out of date by the time you read it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the abonnement and why isn't it in the calculator?
The abonnement is a fixed monthly charge based on your contracted power (kVA), not on appliance use, so it stays constant no matter how long a single appliance runs. This tool only needs your per-kWh consumption price.
I have Heures Pleines / Heures Creuses — which rate do I use?
Use whichever rate applies to the hours the appliance actually runs. For a device you can schedule overnight, use the Heures Creuses rate; for daytime use, use Heures Pleines.
Is the tarif réglementé the same as what I pay?
Only if you are on an EDF regulated (Tarif Bleu) contract. If you switched to a market offer, use the price per kWh shown on that contract instead, since it can differ from the TRV.
Where do I find my puissance souscrite?
It is printed on your facture, typically in kVA (for example 6 kVA or 9 kVA), and also appears on your Linky meter's settings screen.
Does TURPE appear as a separate line on my bill?
For most residential contracts, no — TURPE is built into the per-kWh price and the abonnement rather than itemised. It is a real cost, but not one you need to add manually here.
How often does the regulated tariff change?
The CRE typically reviews the TRV twice yearly, in February and August, though exceptional revisions have happened during periods of market stress — always check the date on your latest bill.
EuroWattCalc is an independent calculator site and is not an energy supplier, regulator or tariff-comparison service. Figures describing France's billing structure are provided for general orientation and can change; always confirm current rates with the Commission de Régulation de l'Énergie (CRE), which sets the regulated tariff twice a year and oversees network charges or your own supplier.
