Gas, Electricity, Water

Gas

To get your meter read, you need to call your local GDF (Gaz de France – the national gas company) office and quote your account number (you will find this on your bill). If you wish to open a new account at your new address, call your GDF office giving the name of the previous occupant. The GDF will make an appointment for a few days later to read the meter. They will specify whether they will come in the morning or in the afternoon.

Gaz de France: Tel : 0 801 16 3000 (calls are charged at local rate).

You will find other phone numbers in the yellow pages.

Electricity

Same thing for electricity. EDF (Electricité de France) is the national company; its service is linked with the gas company, and there are 102 EDF GDF services centres in France and nearly 500 offices. You will find the details in the yellow pages.

Rates are divided up per voltage level into three major categories:
- Blue rate (from 3 to 35 kW)
- Yellow rate (from 36 to 250 kW)
- Green rate (251 kW +)

Some tariff options propose dividing up the year into tariff periods, according to hours and even seasons. The bill features two main items: the amount of the subscription (depending on the subscribed demand level) and the price of the energy consumed.

Water

Water is usually part of the rent (or considered as charge’s building) in France and you will pay an additional amount for that service every 6 months.