# Electricity rate increases



## Yankinpaca

First off please excuse the repetition if this has already been answered in other posts. My poor research skills.

A few years ago we broke with EDF as it seemed there was always a "deal" that a competitor was hawking. Our current fournisseur is Mega and there does appear to have been a cost saving in the year we've been with them.

Some weeks back Mega sent a wordy email about the rates going up, but since I sort of expected this I didn't give it the attention I should have. However with a closer if tardy look at things I see the rates will more than double. I hadn't expected that.

I've taken a few quick stabs at "comparateur" websites, but the quotes they come up with after inputting a few données sort of seem too good to be true so I tend to discount them.

Any guidance would be much appreciated. Our stone and concrete fortress of a house is great in summer but costs a bundle to heat in the winter.


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## Clic Clac

I believe electricity has always been an expensive heating choice, certainly in the UK, but I've heard neighbours moaning about how much it was costing them, even before the current crisis. 

Unless any help arrives from the government the only long term solution could be reduced consumption via good insulation or fitting a log burner if you have local supplies of cheap wood.


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## BackinFrance

Heard something this morning about EDF now freezing the cost for much longer (an additional 4 months or 4 years or something). Electricity costs are high here because of the significant and continual explosion of unanticipated costs of the new plant that is under construction and to some extent maintaining the others as I understand it.


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## Yankinpaca

Clic Clac said:


> I believe electricity has always been an expensive heating choice, certainly in the UK, but I've heard neighbours moaning about how much it was costing them, even before the current crisis.
> 
> Unless any help arrives from the government the only long term solution could be reduced consumption via good insulation or fitting a log burner if you have local supplies of cheap wood.


Gotcha. Actually my wife has been pushing for a wood burner for a few years now. Looks like I'll revisit the issue.


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## Yankinpaca

BackinFrance said:


> Heard something this morning about EDF now freezing the cost for much longer (an additional 4 months or 4 years or something). Electricity costs are high here because of the significant and continual explosion of unanticipated costs of the new plant that is under construction and to some extent maintaining the others as I understand it.


Thanks. I'll be sure to take a look at EDF in comparison to alternatives.


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## Clic Clac

Yankinpaca said:


> Gotcha. Actually my wife has been pushing for a wood burner for a few years now. Looks like I'll revisit the issue.


Not sure on availability of local supplies where you are but it's all forestry around us and the vast majority heat with wood. 
Almost for free if you are fit enough. They have communal forests and each winter you are allocated an area of trees to harvest, for a fee of about 50 quid. 

Depending on your circumstances (finances, how long you plan to live there, etc) you could get a large burner in a garage /building which would run radiators and hot water, and prevent all the mess from a log fire inside your home. 

But you will still want to keep the heat in. 

I'll give you til next Christmas before I send the Insulate Britain protestors round to block your local roads. 🤣


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## BackinFrance

Yankinpaca said:


> Thanks. I'll be sure to take a look at EDF in comparison to alternatives.


I really don't have any details but apparently the Minister for Finance put the pressure on for EDF to be more competitive. No idea how the costs associated with nuclear power will be dealt with.


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## BackinFrance

No, there are limited to a 4% increase. There are a lot of things going on around this that could also mean the competition will have to pay more for their electricity, look for the best alternative you can afford, which of course is not oil or gas. At least if you are planning to stay here.


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