Bills and subscriptions in France

On entering the home ask the landlord for the electricity meter number PDL (Point de livraison) or PRM and the gas PCE and the name of the previous supplier.

• Choose a supplier by comparing via energie-info.fr (the government's official comparison site) or Selectra or Papernest, and create a contract online or by phone, and state your entry date and the meter reading.
• Electricity is offered at the tarif réglementé de vente (TRVE), the regulated tariff, from EDF or by market offers at fixed or variable prices.
• The Linky smart meter is installed in most homes and reads consumption automatically.
• You are charged by kilowatt hour (kWh) and a fixed subscription.
• You can choose heures creuses (cheap night hours) to reduce the bill if you run the water heater and washing machine at night.
• Bills are monthly or a fixed amount with yearly settlement (mensualisation).
• In a power cut call Enedis and in a gas smell call GRDF (0 800 47 33 33) or 112 and open the windows and do not switch on lights.

In buildings (copropriété) water is often paid within the charges via the landlord or the manager (syndic), and in independent houses you conclude a contract with the water company (Veolia, SUEZ, Saur or a municipality) and read the meter.

• Water is drinkable everywhere.
• Heating is either individual (electricity or gas in the flat) or collective (chauffage collectif) within the building charges and distributed by square metre or meters.
• Ask about the monthly cost since it varies greatly.
• Waste is collected in front of the building or in bins: yellow for recycling (plastic, cans, paper) and green or grey for general waste, and glass in special bins, and the taxe d'enlèvement des ordures ménagères (TEOM) is paid within the charges or the owner's tax.
• Check the collection schedule on the municipality's site, and bulky waste (encombrants) is requested via the municipality or the tip (déchetterie) free of charge.

The best-known internet providers (box) are Orange, Free, SFR and Bouygues Telecom with fibre offers at about 20 to 40 euros a month including phone and television.

• Compare offers and check the commitment period (engagement), initial fees and cancellation, and contracts are often without commitment.
• For mobile there are no-commitment plans (forfait sans engagement) from 5 to 20 euros (Free Mobile, RED by SFR, Sosh and B&You), and prepaid cards.
• As for assurance habitation it is compulsory insurance for the tenant against fire, water and damage (responsabilité civile locative), at about 5 to 15 euros a month, and you get a certificate (attestation) that you give the landlord before receiving the keys.
• To compare use Lemonade, Axa, MAIF and MACIF.
• And a mutuelle for health (supplementary insurance) is available separately.
• And do not stop paying, since lack of insurance is a breach that allows the landlord to end the contract.

Set a monthly budget including rent, charges, electricity, gas, water, internet, phone, insurance, transport and food.

• Paying by direct debit (prélèvement) is often cheaper and easier, but watch your balance.
• For help: the chèque énergie sent by the state to low-income households automatically (from 48 to 277 euros a year) to pay energy bills, and the MaPrimeRénov' aid to improve insulation, and the tarif de première nécessité, and the FSL at the prefecture for energy and water debts.
• And if payment is impossible contact the supplier early and ask for a schedule (échéancier), and cutting electricity in winter is not allowed (trêve hivernale) but power is reduced.
• The national energy ombudsman (Médiateur national de l'énergie) settles disputes free of charge.
• And associations such as the Secours populaire and the CCAS at the municipality help you pay bills.
• And avoid quick loans (crédits revolving).

Lowering heating by one degree saves about 7 percent, and the comfortable degree is 19 Celsius.

• Switch off devices instead of standby (veille), use LED bulbs, close windows and seal curtains and doors to avoid leaks, and ventilate the home briefly and quickly.
• Set the washing machine to 30 degrees and run it full.
• Use heures creuses to run heavy appliances.
• Read the meter monthly to monitor your consumption, and suppliers' apps help.
• Institutions offer free energy advice via France Rénov' (0 808 800 700) to assess your home and renovation grants.
• And when buying appliances read the energy label (A to G). And for a poorly insulated home ask the landlord about improving it, since the DPE rating defines your rights.
• And these habits reduce the bill and protect the environment.

What is the chèque énergie?