The Selectra comparator has produced an “objective and rational” ranking of gas and electricity suppliers on the French market. Grades range from A to E.
© Illustration Capital/Freepik
A ranking inspired by “Nutriscore”, which evaluates the relationship between the quality and price of an offer. Like what already exists for food, the Selectra comparator has established since the beginning of the month a ranking of the worst and best offers from energy suppliers, giving them a grade ranging from A – the best – to E – the worst. “It prioritizes in an objective and rational manner all gas and electricity contracts marketed in France for individualspromises Maxime de la Raudière, general manager of Selectra. We carried out this popularization work because it is very difficult for a household to judge the quality of a contract. The offers are not clear and there are more and more of them.
To put together this ranking, Selectra applied a coefficient system. The price counts for half the bill, because that’s the point “which interests the household the most”. The other half of the score is made up of three qualitative criteria, weighted equally. With firstly the method of price evolution. “A fixed price offer will be better rated than another whose prices are indexed to the stock markets”underlines the general director of Selectra. The ecological criterion is not forgotten. Suppliers displaying guarantee of origin certificates or, better, the Ademe VertVolt label see their rating increased. Finally, the customer review scores – collected on the Selectra website – complete the evaluation. When a dispute rate has been published by the Energy Mediator, it is also taken into account.
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EDF lagging behind
By applying these criteria, Alterna, Belle Energie, Butagaz and Octopus energy are the 4 electricity suppliers to obtain an A rating. Their common points: they offer a protective offer at a fixed price (spread over 1, 2 or 3 years) , and average annual prices of between 1,270 and 1,370 euros. When it comes to gas, no one gets top marks. The best ranked, with a B, are TotalEnergies (with its “special gas” offer), EDF (“Optimized gas advantage”) and Alterna (“Gaz Zen”). By way of comparison, the regulated sales tariffs (TRV) for electricity, marketed by EDF, are classified D, because they are considered too expensive compared to the rest of the market. Generally speaking, the historic supplier is poorly ranked due to this same criterion: the fall in electricity prices has enabled its competitors to offer more competitive prices.
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On the other hand, actors stand out for their poor grades. Starting with Engie (Elec’ car 1 year) and its subsidiary Sowee (Elec’ Eco) or even Vattenfall and Wekiwi. They all have an E rating, generally because of their bad customer reviews, their lack of ecological commitments and above all the annual prices oscillating between 1,650 and 1,800 euros. The gas supplier Ohm Energie, whose price development methods are quite vague, also finds itself at the back of the pack.
A reliable ranking?
Selectra having been sentenced in May 2024 to fines of 400,000 euros by the DGCCRF for “deceptive commercial practice”isn’t its ranking biased? After all, the comparator has, between 2020 and 2022, “highlighted non-existent discounts” and “statements falsely suggesting that the offers are financially attractive”, therefore encouraging the individual to take out certain contracts more than others. “This is not at all the logic of our list” defends himself Maxime de La Raudière. We have highlighted all the offers on the French market, in particular those from Alterna and EDF, even though these suppliers are not partners of our comparator.”
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