Intermediate

Grid connection and smart meter : the complete guide

10/04/2026 12 min read

You’ve completed your snagging inspection, the defects are being resolved, and now you need electricity — not the temporary site supply, but the permanent grid connection with a Linky smart meter. This step, often delayed due to a lack of clarity, is critical: without it, no heating, no compliance certificate, no moving in. This guide walks you through every step of the Enedis connection process — from the online application to supply activation — with realistic timelines, costs and pitfalls to avoid.

Enedis is the French Distribution Network Operator (DNO), equivalent to your regional DNO in the UK (e.g. UK Power Networks, Western Power Distribution). All new electricity connections in France go through Enedis.

Grid connection with Enedis: the 6 detailed steps

Step 1 — The connection application

The application is submitted directly on enedis.fr (under “Raccordement”) or by post. You will need to provide:

The planning permission (copy of the decision notice)
The site plan showing the desired location of the meter box
The required power rating (12 kVA single-phase for a standard house, 36 kVA three-phase if you have a powerful heat pump or large workshop)
Your contact details and the desired supply activation date

Tip — Submit your connection application as soon as planning permission is granted, even if the build hasn’t started yet. Enedis lead times are long (2 to 6 months for the works), and you don’t want the grid connection to be the bottleneck at the end of the project. Ideally, submit the application at the time of groundworks and utilities so the trench can be dug at the same time.

Step 2 — The connection offer (PDR)

Enedis reviews your application and sends you a connection offer (PDR — Proposition de Raccordement) within approximately 6 weeks. This document includes:

The technical description of the connection (connection type, cable length, power rating)
The detailed quote for works covered by Enedis and works at your cost
The estimated completion timeline
The payment terms

The connection offer is valid for 3 months. Paying it constitutes acceptance and triggers the scheduling of works.

How much does it cost?

The cost depends on the distance between the existing network and your plot. Enedis applies a regulated tariff scale:

Situation	Indicative cost (excl. VAT)
Network at plot boundary (< 30 m)	€1,000 to €2,500
Network extension required (30–200 m)	€2,500 to €8,000
Remote network (> 200 m) or rural area	€8,000 to €25,000+
Three-phase instead of single-phase	Additional ~€500

These amounts cover works from the public network up to the meter box at the property boundary. The cable between the meter box and your house (the “service cable”) is your responsibility — budget €500 to €2,000 depending on the distance.

Warning — If your plot is in a rural area or far from the network, connection costs can be very high. This is a point to check before buying the land — see our guide on land viability analysis and utility connections.

The Consuel certificate: a mandatory step before supply activation

The Consuel (Comite National pour la Securite des Usagers de l’Electricite) issues the electrical compliance certificate for your installation. This document proves that your installation meets the NF C 15-100 standard — the French equivalent of BS 7671 / IET Wiring Regulations in the UK. Without a Consuel certificate, Enedis will not activate the supply.

In the UK context, the nearest equivalent is a Part P Building Regulations compliance certificate or an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) to BS 7671.

How to obtain the Consuel certificate

Order the form on consuel.com — cost: approximately €130 incl. VAT (2025 rate for a detached house, yellow Cerfa form)
Complete the declaration (or have your electrician complete it) with the installation details
Send the form to your regional Consuel office
Inspector visit (in some cases) — they carry out an on-site compliance check
Receipt of the endorsement: if everything is compliant, Consuel endorses the certificate within ~7 working days

Question

Will an inspector come to visit?

Not automatically. Consuel operates by sampling: approximately 30 to 40% of new installations are subject to a visit. If you are selected:

The inspector checks the consumer unit, earthing, bathroom zones, and cable cross-sections
If the installation is compliant → immediate endorsement
If non-conformities are found → you receive a report listing the points to correct. You must make corrections, then request a second visit (additional cost may apply)

Best practice — Before submitting to Consuel, carry out your own (or with your electrician) a thorough pre-check: test the RCDs, measure the earth resistance (< 100 ohms), check bathroom zones, label the consumer unit. A Consuel rejection costs you 2 to 3 weeks minimum — best avoided.

The most common reasons for rejection

Reason for rejection	Detail
Earth resistance out of tolerance	Resistance > 100 ohms (measured value too high)
Faulty RCD	The 30 mA RCD does not trip on test, or is not Type A for dedicated circuits
Bathroom zones not respected	Socket or switch in zone 0 or 1
Consumer unit not labelled	Circuits not identified, single-line diagram absent
Inadequate cable cross-section	1.5 mm² cable on a 20A circuit (sockets) instead of 2.5 mm²
Equipotential bonding	Missing bonding in the bathroom

Single-phase or three-phase: which to choose?

flowchart TD A{What power do you need?} -->|Standard electric heating, heat pump < 5 kW, no workshop| B[Single-phase 12 kVA] A -->|Powerful heat pump > 5 kW, machine workshop, heated pool| C[Three-phase 36 kVA] A -->|All-electric + solar self-consumption > 6 kWp| D[Three-phase 36 kVA] B --> E[Lower subscription cost, simpler wiring] C --> F[More power, phase balancing required] D --> F style A fill:#0F4C81,stroke:#0F4C81,color:#fff style B fill:#56C6A9,stroke:#56C6A9,color:#fff style C fill:#F58220,stroke:#F58220,color:#fff style D fill:#F58220,stroke:#F58220,color:#fff style E fill:#56C6A9,stroke:#56C6A9,color:#fff style F fill:#F58220,stroke:#F58220,color:#fff

In summary:

Single-phase 12 kVA: sufficient for 80% of detached houses. Heating by stove, modest heat pump, no heavy electrical equipment. Subscription ~€180/year.
Three-phase 36 kVA: required if you have a powerful heat pump, a workshop (table saw, planer-thicknesser), or if you plan a solar self-consumption installation > 6 kWp. Subscription ~€320/year.

Tip — If in doubt, go single-phase 12 kVA — it’s simpler and cheaper. You can always request an upgrade to three-phase later (Enedis intervention cost approximately €150). The reverse is also possible. But make sure to size the service cable correctly from the start (minimum 4 × 16 mm²) so you don’t have to dig up the trench again.

Supply activation: the final step

Once the Consuel certificate is obtained and the connection works are complete, all that remains is the supply activation.

Procedure

Choose an electricity supplier: EDF, Engie, TotalEnergies, or any alternative supplier. The unit rate varies — compare offers on the official energy mediator comparison tool
Take out a contract by providing: the endorsed Consuel certificate, your meter’s PDL supply number (Point De Livraison — the MPAN equivalent in the French system), and your required power rating
The supplier passes the request to Enedis for supply activation
Enedis activates the meter — with a Linky smart meter, this is done remotely within 24–48 hours. No site visit required.

Supply activation costs

Type of activation	Cost (incl. VAT, 2025 rate)
Standard activation (within 5 working days)	~€14
Express activation (within 24–48 h)	~€52
Emergency activation (same day)	~€172

Conseil

Best practice — Start the supplier contract application as soon as you have the endorsed Consuel certificate in hand. Standard activation (€14) takes 5 working days — if you’re in a hurry to move in, the express option (€52) saves you 3–4 days. The emergency option is rarely needed.

The temporary site connection

During the build, you probably used a temporary site connection (site meter). Here are the differences:

	Temporary (site)	Permanent (residential)
Power rating	12 to 36 kVA	6 to 36 kVA
Duration	12 months max (renewable)	Permanent
Consuel	Not required	Mandatory
Meter	Site meter on a post	Linky in meter box
Tariff	Often higher (site tariff)	Regulated rate or market offer

At the end of the build, the temporary connection is removed and replaced by the permanent connection. If you planned ahead by having the permanent meter box installed from the start, the transition is quicker.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

1. Forgetting the trench

The Enedis cable runs underground in a trench 80 cm deep between the network and the meter box. If you are doing your own groundworks, plan this trench from the earthworks stage — otherwise Enedis will charge separately for it, and it’s expensive (€30 to €50 per linear metre).

2. Positioning the meter box incorrectly

The meter box must be:

At the property boundary, accessible from the public highway
At a regulation height (between 0.50 m and 1.50 m from the ground)
Recessed or free-standing, according to the local network operator’s specifications

Warning — If the meter box is incorrectly positioned (too far from the public highway, not accessible, wrong height), Enedis may refuse to connect or require repositioning at your cost. Confirm the location with Enedis before casting the base.

3. Under-sizing the service cable

The cable between the meter box (at the boundary) and the consumer unit (inside the house) is your responsibility. It must be correctly sized:

Power rating	Copper cross-section	Aluminium cross-section
12 kVA single-phase	2 × 16 mm²	2 × 25 mm²
36 kVA three-phase	4 × 16 mm²	4 × 25 mm²

Bury it in a red TPC duct at a minimum depth of 80 cm, with a red warning mesh above it. Plan generously — a cable that is too short or too small means digging up the trench again.

4. Confusing the PDL number and the PRM number

PDL (Point De Livraison): the old identifier (14 digits), still used by some suppliers — roughly equivalent to an MPAN in the UK
PRM (Point Reference Mesure): the new Linky identifier (also 14 digits)

In most cases, PDL = PRM for a new installation. You will find it on your Enedis connection offer or on the Linky meter once installed.

Timelines: a realistic schedule

Step	Average lead time	Tip to speed things up
Application → connection offer received	6 weeks	Submit a complete application first time
Connection offer accepted → works	2 to 6 months	Apply as soon as planning permission is granted
Enedis works	1 to 3 days	Trench already dug by you
Consuel (submission → endorsement)	7 to 15 days	Pre-check before submitting
Linky supply activation	24 h to 5 days	Express option if in a hurry
Realistic total	3 to 8 months	Start at the beginning of the structural works

Warning — Enedis lead times vary significantly by region and local workload. In high-pressure areas (Paris region, major cities), 6 months is common. In rural areas requiring network extension, it can exceed 12 months. Plan ahead.