What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
French wholesale electricity prices did not turn negative for the first time in 2025. They did so for 513 hours that year—about 6% of the time—as abundant solar generation, relatively low demand and market conditions across interconnected European grids helped create periods of surplus supply. Those wholesale prices are not the same as household bills: a negative spot price does not mean French consumers were automatically paid to use electricity.
What happened to electricity prices in France?
In 2025, France recorded 513 hours of negative wholesale spot prices, compared with 361 in 2024 and 147 in 2023, according to RTE’s explainer on negative electricity prices and its 2025 annual electricity review. The year-to-year counts in the annual review and explainer are not fully consistent: the review gives 352 hours for 2024, while the explainer gives 361. The 2025 count is the same in both. Either way, negative-price hours were already occurring before 2025; the change is their increasing frequency.
These are hourly wholesale-market prices, not a direct measure of what households or businesses pay. In 2025, the average price during negative-price hours was €−6.5 per megawatt-hour (MWh), compared with €−10/MWh in 2024. Although those hours accounted for around 6% of the year, RTE says they represented less than 1% of the value traded on the spot market.
Why are electricity prices negative in France?
A spot price can fall below zero when electricity supply is expected to exceed consumption and trading forecasts, and exports or other forms of flexibility cannot absorb all the surplus. In that situation, some generators may find it economically preferable to reduce or stop output rather than continue producing at a negative market price.
#1 Best Overall
- Various Monitoring Parameters: The power meter plug can monitor the power (W), energy (kWh), volts, amps, hertz, power factor, cost, minimum and maximum power (W), cumulative days and time of your appliances. By switching 7 display modes, you can easily know the various parameters while the appliance is working. The home energy monitor can also calculate and display how much power your appliance uses and how much electricity bill it cost in cumulative time
- Upgraded LCD Display: With large screen size 2.36 inch x 1.85 inch, clearer monitor backlit, our electrical usage monitor can display the data clearer and more visible no matter day or night. 180°full wide viewing angles is great for reading and recording the data in any angles. No need to stand on the front of the display and bend over to read the numbers
- Adjustable Backlight Time: Our upgraded watt meter has 5 options of backlight time. The default backlight time duration is 10 minutes(bL-0). If you want to change the backlight time, you can press and hold "UP" and "DOWN" button at the same time to enter backlight time setting, then press "UP" and "DOWN" to select the backlight time (bL-0 =10 minutes, bL-1=1 hour, bL-2=4 hours, bL-3=8 hours, bL-4=always on), finally press the "COST" to save the backlight time settings
- Overload protection: When the power of the appliance exceeds the overload power, the LCD will display “OVERLOAD” to warn the user. All the buttons will quit working and can only be workable when you lower or remove the load power. The default overload power is 3680W and is adjustable from 0 to 3680W. In general, you need to set the overload power to 1800W before using. Just press the "function" button for more than 3 seconds to enter the setting
- Data Memory Function: The wattage meter will record your power consumption data when you remove it from socket, or remove appliances from the electricity monitor. You can directly see the last data when you use it next time. This function can also automatically save the data when there is a sudden power failure
Solar output and the midday pattern
Negative prices occurred mainly around midday from April through August, when solar generation was high and consumption relatively low. RTE says growing solar generation in France and Europe has helped turn what was once a midday price plateau into a trough. In 2025, negative prices also occurred more often on weekdays than in earlier years, but the main concentration remained in those spring and summer midday hours.
It is a connected market, not a France-only equation
Renewables contributed to the conditions behind negative prices, but they were not necessarily the sole cause of any particular hour. France trades electricity with neighboring countries, so generation, demand and trading conditions elsewhere can also affect prices. RTE’s description is broader: negative spot prices reflect anticipated surplus generation relative to consumption and trading forecasts.
Rank #2
- Multi-function power monitor: Our electric usage monitor can monitor the power (W), electricity(kWh), voltage(V), frequency(Hz), current(A), power factor(PF), unit price($/kWh), total cost($) of your appliances. By switching 8 display modes, you can easily know the various parameters while the appliance is working. The “electricity” mode can calculate and display how much power your appliance uses. And the “total cost” mode will show how much electricity bill it cost in cumulative time
- Overload protection: When the loading power of the appliance is over the default overload threshold 1800W, the whole display with backlight and the word “OVERLOAD” will keep flashing to warn the users. Please turn off the appliance for safety concern
- Premium Material: The whole body of our energy meter is made of high-quality ABS material. It makes our home electricity usage monitor more long lasting, fireproof and anti-drop. The standard US socket and plug is suitable for all US standard appliances
- Backlight Display: With white backlight and black words, the LCD display of our home power monitor can display the data clearer and help you to read the data easier no matter day or night. The backlight will only lights up when the device is connected to AC power. If no button is pressed, the backlight turns off automatically after 10 minutes. You can also press the "UP" button to turn off the backlight manually, and press any button to turn on backlight again
- Easy to reset: No reset tool needed, our appliance power usage meter is easy to reset. You can press the “M” button for 5 seconds directly to reset the device. After reset, all cumulative data (electricity quantity, cost) will be cleared, and all settings will be restored to factory settings
What negative prices change for generators and the grid
Negative prices are a market signal that encourages generators able to respond to reduce production. The effect depends on how a generator is paid: RTE distinguishes installations operating under a premium scheme, which have an incentive to modulate during negative prices, from some feed-in-tariff production that is less directly exposed to spot prices. The market signal therefore does not guarantee that every plant will shut down.
RTE estimates that around 3 TWh of wind and solar electricity was not generated during negative-price episodes in 2025—almost twice the 2024 volume. The estimate includes 1.3 TWh of onshore wind and 1.6 TWh of solar output. These figures describe generation not produced during the episodes; they are not a measure of all renewable electricity available or of the amount of electricity lost to the grid.
Rank #3
- SAFETY YOU CAN TRUST WITH UL CERTIFICATION: With Emporia Energy, your home energy monitoring is safe, reliable, and certified. The Emporia Vue is UL Listed, meaning it has met rigorous safety standards for electrical products in the U.S. and Canada. This certification ensures that every component has been thoroughly tested to prevent hazards, such as overheating, short-circuiting, or fire, offering you peace of mind as you manage your home’s energy consumption.
- INSTALLS IN CIRCUIT PANEL of most homes with clamp-on sensors. Supports Single phase, Single-split phase, and 2-wire systems. 3-wire systems; 3-phase, 4-wire Wye systems with earthed (TN or TT) neutral (no-Delta) are supported with an additional 200A sensor (sold separately).
- 24/7 ENERGY MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING: Automate, manage and control your home's real power anywhere, anytime to prevent costly repairs, conserve energy, and save costs. Monitor solar / net metering. PROTECTED BY A 1-YEAR WARRANTY.
- LOWER YOUR ELECTRIC BILL: Configure settings in the Emporia Energy App to automate energy management for time of use, peak demand, excess solar, and rewards programs. You can even see live reporting and invaluable savings opportunities instantly. Gauge real-time spending and get actionable notifications and automated energy management to help you reduce costs.
- REAL-TIME ENERGY DATA: REQUIRES 2.4 GHz WIFI WITH AN INTERNET CONNECTION to monitor energy use with iPhone / Android / Web app. Vue sensors collect energy data and are accurate from ±2%. The Vue is UL and CE Listed for your safety. 1 second data is only available in the app (when actively open) and retained 3 hours. Minute and hour data are retained in the cloud. 1 minute data is retained 7 days, 1 hour data is retained indefinitely. Export cloud data whenever you want in the app.
Rapid market-driven shutdowns and restarts can be hard to predict. The electricity system still has to keep supply and demand balanced continuously, so price signals are only part of the response. RTE also points to controlled flexibility and balancing measures to manage changing conditions.
What can help absorb a surplus?
RTE identifies flexibility in generation, demand and storage as ways to manage periods when supply is plentiful. These approaches work differently:
Rank #4
- Various Monitoring Parameters: The power meter plug can monitor the power (W), energy (kWh), volts, amps, hertz, power factor, cost, minimum and maximum power (W), cumulative days and time of your appliances. By switching 7 display modes, you can easily know the various parameters while the appliance is working. The home energy monitor can also calculate and display how much power your appliance uses and how much electricity bill it cost in cumulative time
- Upgraded LCD display: With large screen size 2.36 inch x 1.85 inch, clearer monitor backlit, our electrical usage monitor can display the data clearer and more visible no matter day or night. 180°full wide viewing angles is great for reading and recording the data in any angles. No need to stand on the front of the display and bend over to read the numbers
- Adjustable Backlight Time: Our upgraded watt meter has 5 options of backlight time. The default backlight time duration is 10 minutes(bL-0). If you want to change the backlight time, you can press and hold "UP" and "DOWN" button at the same time to enter backlight time setting, then press "UP" and "DOWN" to select the backlight time (bL-0 =10 minutes, bL-1=1 hour, bL-2=4 hours, bL-3=8 hours, bL-4=always on), finally press the "COST" to save the backlight time settings
- Overload protection: When the power of the appliance exceeds the overload power, the LCD will display “OVERLOAD” to warn the user. All the buttons will quit working and can only be workable when you lower or remove the load power. The default overload power is 3680W and is adjustable from 0 to 3680W. In general, you need to set the overload power to 1800W before using. Just press the "function" button for more than 3 seconds to enter the setting
- Data Memory Function: The wattage meter will record your power consumption data when you remove it from socket, or remove appliances from the electricity monitor. You can directly see the last data when you use it next time. This function can also automatically save the data when there is a sudden power failure
- Flexible generation: generators that can safely and economically adjust output can reduce production when the system has a surplus.
- Flexible demand: electricity use that can be shifted—such as electric-vehicle charging or water heating—could move toward periods with low prices.
- Storage: storage can take in electricity when it is abundant and return it to the system later, subject to its capacity and operating constraints.
These are system-level options, not a promise of savings for every household. A customer benefits from low or negative wholesale prices only if their tariff and equipment expose them to those time-varying prices and they can shift use accordingly. RTE also offers an email alert for negative or zero spot prices through its customer service portal; the portal’s data-use restrictions still matter, especially for commercial use.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Do negative electricity prices mean French households get paid to use power?
No—not automatically. A wholesale spot-market price is one input to electricity costs, while a retail bill reflects a different set of components and a customer’s contract. A negative hourly wholesale price does not establish that a supplier will pay a household to consume electricity during that hour.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsBest Value
- ✓ Backlit LCD Display: The watt meter features an upgraded backlit LCD display with a 160° wide viewing angle, providing clear and distinct data readings from any angle, day or night. (Note: To conserve energy, the backlight will automatically turn off after 15 seconds of continuous use.)
- ✓ 9 Types of Data Display: This energy meter plug accurately monitors a wide range of electrical parameters, including power (W), apparent power (VA), energy consumption (kWh), usage time (hours), power frequency (Hz), power factor (PF), voltage (V), current (A), and electricity cost. The user-friendly interface allows you to easily read and navigate through 9 types of data with a single button.
- ✓ Save Money and Energy: By toggling through the 9 display modes, you can gain insights into various operational parameters of your devices. The home energy monitor also calculates and displays the electricity consumption and cost over time, helping you save on your electricity bills by monitoring and managing energy usage.
- ✓ Data Storage: The plug-in electricity meter stores all non-real-time data, ensuring no information is lost in the event of a sudden power outage. If data exceeds the screen’s maximum display range, the screen will flash as a reminder. Pressing and holding the reset button for 3 seconds will reset the cumulative data to zero.
- ✓ Safe to Use: Rated voltage 125VAC, 60Hz, 15A maximum 1875W resistor and tungsten wire, 1/2HP. Clean and tidy interface, very simple to use.
For context, France’s SDES reported an average 2025 household electricity price of €254.6/MWh including taxes, down 9.0% year over year. The average industrial price was €148.8/MWh excluding VAT, down 9.6%. These annual retail-price measures have different scopes and components from hourly wholesale spot prices, so they should not be compared as though they were the same price. See the SDES publication, “Electricity Prices in France and the European Union in 2025”.
How to read the figures in context
Negative wholesale hours are a useful signal of changing supply and demand, but they do not by themselves describe France’s overall electricity mix or the price paid by customers. In 2025, low-carbon sources supplied 521.1 TWh, or 95.2% of mainland generation, and France had a net electricity export balance of 92.3 TWh, according to RTE’s annual review. Those figures provide context for the year; they do not show that renewables alone caused any individual negative-price interval. The review covers 2025 and was published in 2026, so later market conditions may differ.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
