Thanks to the Linky meter, the French electricity supplier Enedis will be able to deactivate the automatic triggering of hot water tanks in the middle of the day, according to a decree of September 22 relayed by the UFC-Que Choisir association, Monday, October 3. Objective: to avoid possible power cuts linked to the energy crisis against a backdrop of war in Ukraine. Who is concerned ? How long will this measure last? Does it look effective? Franceinfo answers the six questions you are asking yourself.
Am I affected by this measure?
If you are equipped with a Linky meter and you have an energy supply contract including a peak-off-peak hours option that includes the midday break, yes. According to Enedis, 4.3 million subscriptions are concerned, mainly individuals and, to a lesser extent, companies and communities, having subscribed to a power less than or equal to 36 kVA (kilovoltampere).
When will I be notified by my energy supplier?
This deactivation must begin “no earlier than October 1 and no later than November 1, 2022” and end “April 15, 2023 at the earliest and May 15, 2023 at the latest”, can we read in the text of the decree. Enedis has set the dates from October 15 to April 15 and has “already communicated on this device to electricity suppliers”. The latter have one week to notify their customers. You should therefore be informed around October 7th.
On what time slot will these deactivations take place?
The decree allows the “public electricity distribution network operators” at “disable controllable contact closure” Between “11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.”. Clearly, Enedis will be able to deactivate the automatic engagement of balloonshot water, the only equipment concerned by this device, during the off-peak hours of the midday. “This daily deactivation, which cannot be longer than two hours, begins before 2 p.m.”specifies the decree. “It will be mainly between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m., only for customers who will be in off-peak hours at that time”explains on franceinfo Elisabeth Chesnais, specialist in energy issues for Que Choisir.
This deactivation will be daily, specifies Enedis to franceinfo, and will take place for five months, the week and the weekend.
Will I still have hot water at these times?
Yes, a priori, because your hot water tank will continue to heat during the off-peak hours of the night. “In six hours of heating, we have enough hot water for daily use on this lunch time slot”, believes Enedis. So unless you shower a regiment in the middle of the day, the measure should go unnoticed by the vast majority of customers concerned.
No worries, moreover, regarding the operation of other electrical appliances, such as the dishwasher or the washing machine, on the 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. “Machines will be taken into account during off-peak meridian hours”, assures Enedis. RTE, the manager of the electricity transmission network, also confirmed it on Twitter to reassure users.
The principle of off-peak hours remains effective for the rest of the electricity consumption.
— RTE (@rte_france) October 5, 2022
Isn’t cutting off the hot water tank for two hours more energy-intensive?
If you have seen Ademe’s advice for better “heat better and cheaper”, you may be wondering. Indeed, the Environment and Energy Management Agency recommends not turning off your hot water tank for short periods, because “keeping water at a certain temperature requires less energy than heating cold water”. However, to the extent recommended by RTE and implemented by Enedis, the power supply is not cut off and the water remains hot. The balloon just doesn’t kick in automatically as it usually does at those times for off-peak subscriptions.
“We are really on a smoothing of the peak of consumption, postponed to the night”notes Enedis, which ensures that the operation is neutral for customers. “For the hot water tank, it represents the same amount of energy, it is just distributed differently.”
Is this measure effective in saving energy?
“It’s efficient from a network point of view”, responds the French electricity supplier. The daily two-hour deactivation of hot water tanks at off-peak hours releases 2.5 gigawatts (GW) of energy at 12.30 p.m. “the equivalent of the consumption of Paris”compares RTE on Twitter – and 1 GW at 1 p.m.
For users, this represents neither energy savings nor additional costs, assure the public electricity operators. The measure aims to “limit the risk of power cuts during peak consumption from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.”.