The electricity market in France is awash with offers from different electricity companies, most with prices below the regulated EDF tariff.

With many tariffs having

<a href="

https://news.france-insider.com/archive/electricity-prices-2024/">risen significantly in the past year, the temptation to switch suppliers is obvious (and it is easy to do), but there are traps for the unwary.

In a recent report published by the energy ombudsman, the médiateur national de l'énergie, several companies stood out for the high number of substantive complaints received. These complaints concerned abusive canvassing, complex packages which were difficult to understand, and misleading offers.

Heading the pack by some margin (and for the second year running) was Wekiwi, followed by Mint Énergie, and Ekwateur.

The lowest number of complaints received concerned Enercoop, Ilek, and Octopus but, again, that did not make them the cheapest.

The following graphic shows the rate of formal complaints investigated by the ombudsman in 2023 per 100,000 of contracts.

The difficulty for consumers is that some of these companies appear to offer the best packages. OHM Énergie, in particular, has an offer which is around 25% lower than the regulated EDF tariff but the company do have a mixed reputation. The same is true of Mint Énergie, who are not far behind in the pricing table.

The lowest price on the market, according to the ombudsman, is the 'Tempo' tariff from EDF. This tariff varies according to the time of year and day, however, and it is complicated to operate. Households also need to have a supply rating of at least 9kWh to use it.

The regulated ‘Tariff Bleu' from EDF is the most popular tariff for consumers, used by around 70% of all households. However, it is down the list of the lowest prices, with around 30 cheaper offers above it. One reason is that the tariff is adjusted on the basis of historic figures, not the current market rate. As a result, private suppliers can move more swiftly with a better offer, albeit the price may only be fixed for a short period.

Inevitably, sheer inertia plays a large part in the choice of EDF, for savings can be made by keeping an eye on the market and taking advantage of attractive offers.

To assist in that search the ombudsman offers an on-line price comparison tool, which can be found at Comparateur et outils. Be warned, however, you will be asked a large number of questions about your property and your lifestyle before you are provided with the result, which will include offers from suppliers whose wrists have been slapped by the ombudsman.

There are also other comparison websites, but care is needed in their use. One notable website, Selectra, was this year fined €40,000 by the consumer protection agency (DGCCRF) for misleading commercial practices, notably for offering non-existent discounts and falsely stating that an offer was financially interesting.

You can find more information on the complaints received in 2023 by the ombudsman, and the record of the suppliers at Rapport Annuel 2023.