What is ‘electric box’ we have been asked to install at French home?

We are not certain what you mean by the ‘electric box’ in this situation, but there are three possibilities. 

One kind of ‘box’ is the coffret de branchement that connects a property to the public domain. 

This is usually located at the border of your property and the public domain (usually near a road). 

When a property is connected to the public domain, a raccordement électrique is required, that officially authorises the link as safe both for the home and the wider local network. 

Note, this is what is often required when setting up solar panels that are installed with the aim of supplying excess power to the French electrical grid, or installing an electric car

charging port in your home.

This is usually required for newly-constructed properties or installations, but in a case such as yours if this box has been completely removed from the property then this connection will

need to be re-established.

French grid manager Enedis is responsible for ensuring these connections are valid and you will need them to conduct the raccordement électrique. 

It generally costs between €500 and €2,500 to connect a home to the grid – and it can take several months – but this depends on several factors. 

You can run a simulation of the possible costs and timeframe on the Enedis website. 

Another type of ‘box’ is the tableau électrique, which is the electrical panel that distributes power to the different circuits in the home. It contains circuit breakers and fuses and is

located inside the home. 

This can be installed by an electrician. Costs vary, but it will be around €1,000 for the equipment and labour. 

DIY stores sell kits to install the box yourself, or replace an old one, if you have the necessary skills.

In all cases, the product must comply with the NF C15-100 safety regulations.

If the property has not been occupied for a number of years, it is likely you will also need the installation of a ‘Linky meter’ to provide real-time monitoring of electricity usage. 

These meters are now commonplace in France and required in essentially all properties, and they are installed by Enedis.

However there is no charge to have a Linky meter and it is free to both set one up or replace it for a property (largely due to these boxes now being required).