Electric cars now have an important place in the automotive market. According to a study carried out by the European automotive industry market analyst, Matthias Schmidt, more than 546,000 100% electric and plug-in hybrid cars sold in Western Europe at the beginning of 2022. That's 22% of global new car sales. The market is large, so it is important to find the best electricity supplier for Recharge your electric car. We will thus give you advice to find the best supplier for your vehicle!
Choosing a cheaper electricity supplier
According to agence-france-electricite.fr, before you can save money on your electricity bill, you have to choose the right car. Driving electric is much more economical than with a gasoline or diesel engine. With your energy supplier, your refills will always be cheaper than if you go to the pump. However, it is possible to spend less by choosing the most suitable electricity contract.
Since 2007, the French energy market has seen new competitors arrive. Other suppliers other than EDF and Engie (ex-GDF) were able to offer offers and therefore satisfy residential customers. Thanks to this law, individuals can choose a electricity supplier cheaper among forty actors.
Consumers are mostly lost between all energy suppliers.
To allow them to be more effective in their research, the experts of the site agence-france-electricite.fr suggest using an online comparator. The customer will be able to quickly select the electricity suppliers and the most advantageous offers for their electric car!
There are multiple free online comparators. To be able to use them, you must transmit this information:
- the type of home (apartment, house)
- The address of the accommodation
- The number of inhabitants in the household
- the power of the meter (in kVA)
- the type of electricity: conventional (from fossil fuels) or green (from renewable energies)
- the counter number (PDL or PRM if it is a last-generation counter, Linky)
- the energy used for cooking, heating and water (electricity, gas or others)
- the equipment (dryer, dishwasher, washing machine, swimming pool, air conditioning...).
When all this information is given, the comparator shows the suppliers and the most advantageous offers for your electric vehicle.
To make the right selection, it is essential to compare the prices per kWh, and also that of the subscription.
Regulated rate or market offers?
According to the site agence-france-electricite.fr, there are several types of offers on the French market:
- Regulated Sales Tariff (TRV) offers: the price per kWh is defined by the Commission de Régulation de l'Énergie (CRE) and reassessed about twice a year. Only EDF offers this rate.
- Market offers at a fixed price: the cost per kWh is always the same. It is defined in advance by the supplier for a defined period of time (between one and four years).
- Market offers at indexed prices: suppliers offer a percentage reduction compared to TRV. The price per kWh therefore changes according to the TRV.
There are also offers dedicated to electric cars. Electricity suppliers give the possibility between two options: the “Base” option and the “Full hours/Off-peak hours” option. The last one is the most interesting if you charge your car at night. In fact, the price per kWh is at its lowest for eight hours a day.
Here are a few examples:
- EDF's Vert Electrique Auto offer: the electricity cost of this electric car offer decreases by 40% during off-peak hours and public holidays.
- The Engie Elec'Car offer: This is an offer with 50% on the price per kWh of electricity during off-peak hours. It is therefore advisable to charge your electric car at night.
Think about green energy offers
If you are sensitive to the environmental cause, you can choose a “green” electricity supplier.
So-called “conventional” electricity comes from fossil fuels (coal, gas and oil). It is very polluting, releases greenhouse gases and contributes to global warming. Whereas green electricity comes from renewable energy sources (wind, solar, hydraulic, geothermal, biomass).
In particular, the state has decided to support suppliers who produce green energy, as explained hither.
