You have signed your lease, you get the keys, and you arrive in a flat with no electricity. It is easy to avoid. Setting up your energy contract is one of the first practical tasks of a move to Paris, and it is faster than most newcomers expect.
Here is how it works, according to Enedis and the French energy mediator (énergie-info), and where I see people lose time.
Electricity: 24 hours after you subscribe
Opening a Linky meter requires taking out a contract with the supplier of your choice. As soon as you subscribe, the request is sent to Enedis and the commissioning is done remotely in 24 hours (source: Enedis). So there is no need to plan weeks ahead, but there is a trap: without a contract in your name, nothing is switched on, and the energy can be cut at any time, without notice, if nobody holds a contract for the flat (source: énergie-info).
Before you move in
Take out the contract before you arrive, so that the flat is ready when you open the door. You will need the meter reference, which you can ask the landlord or the agent for. You can compare offers with the official comparison tool of the energy mediator.
On the day
Read the meter when you enter and give the figures to your supplier. They are used for your first bill (source: énergie-info, above).
The step people forget: ending the old contract
If you do not cancel your contract in the flat you are leaving, you owe the subscription and the consumption until the next occupant takes out a contract. Read the meter on the day you leave, tell your supplier, and give the address where you want the final bill. It arrives within four weeks (source: énergie-info).
A new-build flat
For a new flat, you need the certificates of conformity of the electrical and gas installations before asking for commissioning, and you present them to the network operator on the day (source: énergie-info).
Where it goes wrong when you arrive from abroad
These points come from the files I handle:
- The calls with the supplier are in French, which is not easy to manage from abroad.
- Electricity is only the first step: internet, water, insurance and the building’s administration follow, and each has its own delay.
How I work with clients
- I take out the energy contract before you arrive, so the flat is ready on the day you enter.
- I make sure the meter reading is handled.
- I follow the other set-up tasks in the first weeks (internet, home insurance, the building’s administration), and I stay your contact on the ground in French.
A simple checklist
- Collect the meter reference from the landlord or the agent.
- Take out the contract with your supplier before you arrive.
- On the day, read the meter and send the figures.
- Cancel the contract in the flat you are leaving and give a forwarding address.
Steps taken from the énergie-info practical sheet and an Enedis page consulted in October 2026. Fees and conditions depend on your supplier and your situation; check them when you subscribe.
Moving to Paris and want your flat ready on day one? Book a free 30-minute call and tell me your move-in date.