Electricity: launch of a consultation to install off-peak hours in the afternoon in summer

These possible changes will be decided at the end of the consultation that the energy regulator launched on Thursday on the future tariff for using electricity networks, known as Turpe 7, for the period 2025-2028.

"To take into account the evolution of the electricity production mix and the abundance of summer photovoltaic production, stakeholders are being consulted on the gradual generalization of off-peak hours in the afternoon in summer from August 2025," indicates the CRE.

She specifies that 85% of customers who chose a peak hours/off-peak hours option would now benefit from off-peak hours in the afternoon in summer. This would represent more than two hours per day for the majority of them.

The aim is to encourage people to use these hours in summer, for example to recharge the batteries of electric cars.

Even if it does not say so explicitly, this should also make it possible to reduce the number of hours of electricity production at negative prices, when that from renewable energies, particularly solar, is abundant while demand is low. The peaks in electricity demand are in fact in the morning and at the end of the day.

At the end of June, France had experienced 235 hours of electricity production at negative prices, or 5% of production hours, already surpassing the 2023 record (147 hours), according to RTE, the high voltage network manager.

The consultation launched by the CRE, which is open to all, will end on November 22. The conclusions of the Regulatory Commission should be made available by next January at the latest.