Information on French Utility Companies

Electricity in France
Electricity in France is usually provided by EDF (Electricité de France) which is state owned.

French Power Ratings
The electricity supply also differs somewhat in France from that of England. Many older properties are only supplied with a low power rating, perhaps as little as three or six kilowatts. (Power in France is available in three, six, nine, twelve, fifteen, eighteen, twenty-four or thirty-six KW ratings.) You may need to upgrade your rating to cope with the demands of a modern life! This will incur a cost, however, and could increase your standing charges by up to 40%. If you are connecting electricity to a new build, or a renovation which has not previously had an electricity supply you will need to discuss the charges for this with EDF.

Gas Supply in France
Mains gas is usually available only in cities and towns. The supplier is GDF (Gaz de France) which is connected to EDF. The system for getting connected and opening an account with GDF is a similar process to opening an account with EDF. If your property is in a town where there is a mains gas supply and you do not have gas connected, this can be arranged. We can contact GDF in order to get a price for this, as it can vary from property to property.

Supplying Gas in Rural French Properties
If your property is in the country and does not have mains gas, you will need to decide whether your gas consumption is going to be great enough to require the installation of a tank, or if you will be able to make do with smaller bottles of propane or butane gas. These portable bottles are readily available at many outlets locally, including petrol stations and garden stores. One important consideration if using bottled gas is where you plan to store the bottles. Butane must be stored indoors, whilst propane can withstand greater extremes of temperatures and can safely be kept outside in a garden shed.

Gas central heating in rural areas of France
Gas central heating in a rural area will require a tank. It is possible to arrange to hire a tank from your supplier (Total and Antargaz provide gas supplies and tanks in most areas).

French water suppliers
Water is supplied in France by private companies. The company depends on the area in which you live. The largest of these companies are Lyonnaise d’Eaux, Cise and Vivendi. Unlike in the UK, most French properties have their water measured by a meter, and are individually charged according to consumption. Water tends to be more expensive in France than in England, with some areas much more expensive than others! Most properties can be connected to the mains water systems, so long as they are not too isolated, but very rural properties may have to rely on a well for their water. If this is the case with a property you are interested in, take care to find out if the well dries up in the summer or not! A new connection to the mains can be expensive due to the need for trenches and pipelines, so obtain a devi (a binding quotation) from the water company first. The changing of an account from sellers of a property to buyers is straightforward, with the usual proviso that you need to be sure the meter has been read.

Sorting out your sewage in France
And finally, sewage; only the most rural of properties in the UK have septic tanks, but this is not the case in France. Even many village houses will have this sewage system, and it is really nothing to worry about as long as you follow a few simple guidelines. When buying your property, be sure that the system has been inspected and is up to all the standards. Find out what type of system you have, as there are different requirements for different types. Some need emptying yearly, some not for several years. Use toilet cleaning products designed for use with septic tanks (fosse septique) as these will help the system work properly.

Mains drainage in France
Urban properties will be connected to mains drainage, and the charges for this are normally included in the normal property taxation system. Information about this will be obtainable from your Mairie. New properties must by law be connected to mains drainage where possible, and there will be a one off charge for this connection.