EDF: energy and electricity

This will hopefully be a brief post as getting set up with EDF isn't too painful, as long as you have all the right info to hand.

EDF (électricité de France) is - you guessed it - France's state energy and electricity provider. It's highly likely that your home's previous tenants will have used EDF.

Getting set up with EDF early on is essential, not least because almost everything else you will be sorting out (bank, insurance, etc.) will want to see an EDF bill for proof of your address. (You can always email them and request a document from them with your name and address on for this proof if you haven't started receiving bills yet.)

You can get set up either by phoning them if you're feeling fluent, or emailing like I did and just going through the slow, gentle process of back and forth providing various bits of information. Here is what you will be asked for:

• The address (and apartment number and floor if applicable)
• What the apartment comes equipped with
• The number of occupants
• The size of your home in m2
• How your home is heated
• How the water is heated
• A French phone number
• The name of the previous tenants
• The energy meter number (numéro de PDL ou PRM) (14 figures, it says it on the meter screen if you hit a button)
• The current energy meter reading (relevé)
• Bank account details (including your RIB)
• How you want to receive bills

And that's basically all you need to do. At some point they will send an EDF man round to have a look at the meter but that's it apart from that. An easy win at last!!

Emily