Top 9 fake news on Linky and EDF that you have to stop believing

1. No, there will be no power outages between 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. because of the Linky meter

OK I admit it’s a bit complicated to understand (myself, I had trouble catching everything because I thought that cumulus only meant cloud). Contrary to what one might think because of a decree dated September 22, there will be no power cuts between 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Linky electricity meters from October 15, 2022 to April 15. 2023.

In fact, Enedis (which manages the distribution of electricity throughout France) will simply prevent the automatic interlocks from operating during off-peak hours at noon, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. This therefore means that your hot water tank will no longer be able to automatically heat your water at lunchtime (only at night), if you benefit from the peak/off-peak hours system. If you use all your hot water during this period, you will therefore have to wait until nightfall to find hot water. But otherwise, it shouldn’t cause you any inconvenience.

2. The government is not authorized to cut our power in the event of a shortage, without compensation

Yes, one Mediapart article from July 2022 indicated that the government was working on a decree that would allow power cuts and load shedding to be carried out remotely for individuals in the event of a severe shortage, without providing compensation behind (not very nice, we grant you that ). Fortunately, this is not the case for the moment, as the Ministry of Energy Transition, Matignon and Enedis have clearly explained. It may be that such a decree will be put in place in the coming months, but nothing allows us to confirm it, so let’s sleep soundly in the meantime (plus it keeps you warm).

3. Owners of Linky meters are not more in the sauce than the others

Even if Linky is present in a huge majority of French homes now (35 million), many people have mistakenly thought that the owners of such a meter would be more targeted by power cuts or power limitations because it allows remote operations to be carried out. But as Enedis assured, if there was a real need to make exceptional power cuts in the event of a shortage, they would be controlled, short, and above all, on the scale of the whole territory and therefore not depending meter equipment.

4. France would not have been safer from the energy crisis this winter if we had kept the Fessenheim plant open

Already, let us remember that the closure of the Fessenheim nuclear power plant in June 2020 has nothing to do with the current energy crisis. All this is linked to low gas stocks in France, in particular because of the war between Russia and Ukraine which limits Russian gas exports, but also other incidents that have occurred for years in Europe. In addition, even if the plant had not been closed, its two reactors would not have been sufficient to cover France’s energy needs this winter, according to François-Marie Bréon, physicist and climatologist and Yves Marignac, nuclear expert from the negaWatt Institute.

And even if we would have liked to use this plant to produce more energy, the cost of work to extend the plant, to bring it into line with the new safety standards, would have been too high for EDF to be ready to to assume.

5. EDF does not use 100,000 bright billboards to call people to reduce their energy consumption

On Twitter, the idea that EDF would use 100,000 panels to promote energy sobriety has turned a lot. And yet, it is false: this image was taken in 2019 at the Gare du Nord in Paris and refers to an advertising campaign dating from the same year. So yes, using light panels to promote less consumption was not the idea of ​​the century. But it was not resumed in 2022, contrary to what the parody Twitter account Ministry of Small Gestures claims, and even less with 100,000 panels. We are on pure and hard joke. The guy deserves to work at Topito.

6. Linky meters would be responsible for several fires

This fake news has turned enormously at the time of the installation peaks of the meters. However, this information is false: there have been fires in homes that have had a Linky installed, but each time the expert reports have ruled out the meters. On the other hand, a fault in the installation of the Linky meter can cause a fire: this was the case in Fendeille, in 2019, when one of the connection terminals was loosely tightened. Nothing to do with the counter then, but just with how it is installed (like any counter).

7. Switzerland will not reward people who denounce their neighbors overheating their house

Informing may be tempting to make money, but it’s not for now. Contrary to what has turned on social networks, Switzerland is not going to offer 200 francs in cash to those who denounce neighbors who heat their house too much. And still happy, you tell me. The photo shared, relaying this “information”, was nothing but a good montage and the federal government has already opened an investigation into this subject.

8. Linky meters do not broadcast death waves

“There is plenty of evidence that the Linky meter is dangerous, particularly because of the deadly waves it broadcasts! This is what many anti-Linky chant on social networks. This is due in particular to the use of power line carriers (PLC), which is a possible carcinogen, according to the UN’s International Agency for Research on Cancer. And yet, several studies have shown that exposure to electromagnetic fields emitted by Linky meters was too low to cause health effects in the short or long term. The level of exposure of Linky meters would also be comparable to that of an oven or an induction hob. So nothing to panic about.

9. Linky meters don’t have a camera

And nooooo, sorry to disappoint you, but that little black thing on the speedometer is nothing more than a small diode and not a camera. You could believe it but it’s just a troll straight from parody accounts. They are strong these fake-newsers anyway.