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Single person in an apartment vs Family of four in a house: Electricity Use Compared in France (2026)

A family of four uses roughly two to three times the electricity of a single person, not four times. The fridge, router, lighting and standby loads are shared, so each extra person adds less than the first. Per head, the single person is the most expensive household there is.

In France, single person in an apartment uses about 1,905 kWh a year (€31.75 a month) and family of four in a house about 6,034 kWh (€100.57 a month). That is 3.2× as much, or €68.82 more per month. Per person: 1,905 kWh vs 1,508 kWh a year.

Sources: France publishes no figure by household type. This is the Enedis national average of 4,287 kWh scaled by the German Stromspiegel ratio for this household type (1,200 ÷ 2,700). France publishes no figure by household type. This is the Enedis national average of 4,287 kWh scaled by the German Stromspiegel ratio for this household type (3,800 ÷ 2,700). Priced at €0.20 per kWh (EDF Tarif Bleu, 2026-08).

Where the difference comes from

CategorySingle person in an apartmentFamily of four in a houseDifference
Heating & cooling591 kWh1,871 kWh+1,280
Water heating291 kWh923 kWh+632
Refrigeration & freezing269 kWh851 kWh+582
Cooking137 kWh434 kWh+297
Washing, drying & dishwashing114 kWh362 kWh+248
TV, computing & network208 kWh658 kWh+450
Lighting59 kWh187 kWh+128
Other appliances236 kWh748 kWh+512

Only in the family of four in a house

Only in the single person in an apartment

  • None
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The same comparison in other countries

CountrySingle person in an apartmentFamily of four in a houseRatioExtra per month
United States (average)7,18413,0721.8×$88.32
United Kingdom1,6003,8002.4×£47.67
Germany1,2003,8003.2×€80.17
France1,9056,0343.2×€68.82
Australia3,1097,3112.4×A$122.56
Canada (average)6,58312,6941.9×C$71.30

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