Studying in France: which energy supplier should you choose?

You've just arrived in France, you've signed a lease, and someone tells you: "you need to set up the electricity". Obvious first question: with whom? The French market has more than thirty energy suppliers, from legacy incumbents to digital-first challengers, and most websites are only available in French. We've picked the 6 most relevant providers for international students and compared them on practical criteria (accessibility, price, service quality, etc.).

Before diving into the comparison, a quick note: we've already written an article on the bills and utilities tied to your housing (water, electricity, gas, internet). Here we go one step further: you already know you need an energy contract, we're just helping you choose.

Do you actually need to sign up with an energy supplier?

This is the first thing to clarify, because for many students the answer is no.

If you live in a student residence or a flatshare

In that case, you probably don't need to sign up to anything. The electricity and gas are already handled by the residence (CROUS, private residence, etc.) or already under a flatmate's name. The utilities are either included in your rent or split among tenants. You can close this article and move on.

If you're moving into an empty flat (the case this article covers)

You're renting a studio or an apartment in the private market, your lease is starting, and the meter is either off or still registered to the previous tenant. You need to set up a contract in your own name, otherwise there's no electricity on move-in day. It's quick (usually 10-15 minutes online), but you'll need your exact address, your IBAN (or RIB in French), and ideally the PDL or PCE number (the number that identifies your meter, visible on an old bill or on the meter itself).

This article is for you 🙌

How we picked these suppliers

There are more than 30 electricity suppliers in France. We've shortlisted 6 of them and compared them against a few practical criteria.

The criteria we kept

• The type of provider (incumbent vs. newcomer): so you know who you're dealing with.
• What they supply: electricity, gas, or both.
• English-language support: can you sign up and get help in English? Probably the single most important factor if you don't speak French.
• The Trustpilot score: an imperfect but useful gauge of real customer satisfaction.
• How modern the website is: this shapes your experience when setting up and cancelling your contract.
• The standout strength: what makes each provider worth a look.

What we don't evaluate (and why)

• The kWh price: it changes regularly. Any figure we'd share here would be outdated in 6 months. To compare prices in real time, head to the the French government's official energy comparison tool or to Selectra (see below).
• The detailed green commitment: every supplier now offers "green" plans backed by guarantees of origin, but it's often hard to separate marketing claims from real impact. We'd rather not pick a side.

The energy supplier comparison for international students

Here's the summary. We dive into each provider right after.

EDF, France's state-owned electricity supplier

EDF is the original state electricity company, founded in 1946. It's also the only national supplier that markets the regulated electricity tariff (TRV), known as the "tarif bleu", set by the public authorities on the recommendation of the Commission de régulation de l'énergie (the French energy regulator). Other suppliers offer plans indexed on the TRV, but those aren't regulated-tariff contracts.

For international students, what really sets EDF apart is something else: it is the only supplier in our shortlist to offer a full English-language journey, from the English landing page to signup, with English-speaking advisors available 8am to 8pm, Monday to Saturday. If you don't speak French and want to handle your contracts yourself, this is by far the easiest option.

Engie, France's original gas company (formerly GDF Suez)

Engie is France's original natural gas company, formerly known as GDF, then GDF Suez in 2008, and finally Engie in 2015. It now offers both gas and electricity plans.

Two things to keep in mind if you're considering Engie. First, the company was named 2026 Customer Service of the Year in the "Residential Energy Supplier" category at the ESCDA awards. Second, on multilingual support, Engie has an English landing page, but the rest of the journey (signup, customer area, customer service) is in French. Engie is a solid alternative to EDF — definitely worth a look 😉

Octopus Energy, the UK number one

Octopus Energy has been the UK energy market's number one since 2023, after acquiring Shell Energy and overtaking British Gas. With roughly 24% of the UK electricity and gas market and 14 million customer accounts across 8 million homes, it's a serious operator.

If you can read French without too much trouble, the Octopus signup experience is probably the most pleasant on the market. If you want an English journey, look at EDF or go through Selectra instead.

TotalEnergies, the big multi-energy challenger

TotalEnergies is a serious challenger, present across France, offering both electricity and gas. The provider is known for occasional plans that are competitive against the regulated tariff. The website is French-only, with no dedicated support for non-French speakers.

Ilek, the local green option

Ilek is a French pure player positioned on "local" green electricity: the company directly connects you with a specific French renewable producer (wind, solar, hydro). The website is modern and smooth. It's the one to go with if the environmental angle matters to you and you're comfortable with a French-language journey.

Mint Énergie, the 100% online low-cost player

Mint Énergie Mint Énergie is another online-only green energy provider, and its website is one of the cleanest of the lot. The catch: it's French-only.

Don't feel like doing it all in French? Selectra can handle it for you

If you don't want to compare on your own, or if the idea of filling out a signup form in French puts you off, there's an alternative: Selectra, which guides you through the process for free.

Here's what you get:

• Free of charge for the end user.
• Advisors available in English (and in other languages, with English guaranteed at a minimum).
• Selectra compares all suppliers, recommends the offer best suited to your situation, and manages the whole signup process.

One point we care about on the transparency side: Selectra is paid through commissions from partner suppliers at signup, regardless of the supplier you ultimately pick. So in principle there's no financial incentive to push one provider over another. That's why we recommend them: their incentives stay aligned with yours.

It's the natural alternative if you want to bypass the complexity of a French-language journey without limiting yourself to EDF.

How to actually sign up

Once you've picked your supplier, the process is quick. Here's what you need to know.

What to do on move-in day

Signup is done online or by phone, in 10 to 15 minutes. Have ready:

1. Your exact address (with floor and apartment number if relevant).
2. A French IBAN (called RIB in French) for direct debit.
3. The PDL number (Point de livraison, 14 digits) for electricity, or the PCE number (Point de comptage et d'estimation) for gas. You'll find it on the meter or on an old bill for the property.
4. The start date (usually the day you move in).
5. A meter reading on move-in day (to be sent to your supplier in the following days).

Activation usually happens within 5 working days, but in practice it can be much faster if the meter is already live (often the case in apartment buildings).

Meter activation fees (Enedis, not the supplier)

Important point that often causes confusion: activation fees aren't billed by your supplier, but by Enedis, the operator of the electricity distribution network. Your supplier simply passes them on in your first bill.

Enedis rates change over time, so we'd rather give you a ballpark figure here:

• Linky meter: around €2 incl. tax. Activation within 5 days.
• Classic (non-smart) meter: around €30 incl. tax. In this case, an Enedis technician comes on site, usually within 5 working days.

A higher fee applies for express activation (within 24 or 48 hours). For up-to-date rates, check the Enedis website directly.

How to switch supplier if you're not happy

Good news: switching supplier in France is free, with no commitment, and with no power cut. You simply sign up with the new supplier, who handles cancelling your old contract. No fees, no extra steps.

Our recommendation

No absolute ranking: your best choice depends on how comfortable you are with French.

• If you want a 100% English journey: pick EDF. It's the only supplier in the shortlist offering signup and customer service in English. That's our main pick for non-French speakers who want to handle their contract themselves.
• If you'd rather have an advisor guide you in your language: go through Selectra. Free, independent, English-speaking advisors, they sign you up with the supplier that fits you best.
• If you're comfortable with a French-language journey and want to optimise your budget: compare Engie, Octopus, TotalEnergies, Ilek and Mint Énergie. Depending on the energy class of your home, your electricity and gas costs can balloon fast: it's worth taking a few minutes to find the best deal 😉

Conclusion

Picking an energy supplier in France isn't the most exciting step of settling in, but it's quick once you know where to look. If you don't speak French, EDF or Selectra will genuinely make your life easier. Engie also has a dedicated page for English speakers, which isn't the case for the other players on the market.

If you're comfortable in French, it's worth comparing the other suppliers to save a bit of money.

Sources

• Official EDF residential site (EN) - English journey and English-speaking advisor hours - https://particulier.edf.fr/en/home.html
• Official Engie residential site (EN) - English journey - https://particuliers.engie.fr/en.html
• Commission de régulation de l'énergie (CRE) - oversight of the regulated electricity tariff - https://www.cre.fr
• Élu Service Client de l'Année (ESCDA) awards - Engie 2026 award in the energy supplier category - https://www.escda.fr/palmares
• Enedis - procedures and fees for activating an electricity meter - https://www.enedis.fr
• Trustpilot - user ratings of the 6 suppliers compared - https://fr.trustpilot.com