How to Reset a Linky™ meter ? Our Complete Guide

Rolled out in French households since 2016, the Linky™ smart meter installed by ENEDIS has been mandatory and is now present in almost all homes in France as of the end of 2021. More precise than previous meters, it distinguishes between active power, apparent power and reactive power. In short, this connected meter reflects your actual electricity consumption. However, it may sometimes trip. Don’t worry, here’s how to safely reset your Linky™ meter.

Reset your Linky meter in 5 simple steps

Before going into more detailed explanations, here are the essential steps to quickly reset your Linky meter:

1. Check your main circuit breaker
   See whether the switch is set to O (off) or I (on). Move it back to I to restore power.
2. Look at your Linky meter screen
   Messages appear to indicate the cause of the outage. Take note of what is displayed, this will guide your next steps.
3. Reduce your appliances’ electricity usage
   If the power trips again after switching back on, the power level included in your contract is not sufficient to cover all your appliances (the message “Puiss. Dépassée” power exceeded appears). Unplug or switch off energy-intensive devices (heating, washing machine, oven, etc.) to avoid overload. Then reset the meter by pressing and holding the + button for more than 2 seconds to restart it.
4. If the problem persists and your screen displays “Contactez votre fournisseur” (“Contact your supplier”), call your electricity supplier directly.
5. If the screen remains blank, contact the ENEDIS emergency service on 09 72 67 50 XX (replace the last two digits with your French department number — cost of a local call).

Now that you know the essential steps, let’s look in more detail at why your meter may have tripped and how to resolve each situation.

Linky, the smart meter

Thanks to minute-by-minute monitoring of your electricity consumption, the Linky meter enables you to choose an offer suited to your needs. By taking into account the different types of power used in your home (active, apparent and reactive power), Linky is less tolerant of exceeding the maximum power than older meters, which could handle up to 15% over the limit. The Linky meter requires greater precision.

For this reason, it may trip slightly more often, causing a power cut in your home. One common reason? The electrical power (kVA) you subscribed to with your energy supplier is not suited to your actual consumption. If this happens, you will need to restart or more precisely, reset the meter.

Resetting a Linky meter

First of all, be aware that this meter is not equipped with a traditional reset switch like older meters. You must follow specific steps to safely reset your Linky meter.

If you notice that you no longer have electricity at home, the first thing to do is check the main circuit breaker located in your electrical panel. It is a box with two positions: I when operating normally (closed circuit, electricity flowing) and O when it has tripped (open circuit, no electricity).

Depending on what your meter displays, the restart procedure will differ as explained below.

Understanding why your Linky meter has tripped

A Linky meter can trip for several reasons. Exceeding maximum power, moving home, or sometimes an unidentified cause, here’s how to understand why your meter suddenly tripped and what steps to take depending on your situation.

Exceeding the maximum power allowed in your contract

If your circuit breaker is set to O, first try unplugging the electrical appliances that were running and may have caused the outage. For example, was the toaster operating at the same time as the washing machine? Did you just plug in an iron?

Once done, switch the breaker back to I. If it automatically switches back to O, it means not enough appliances have been disconnected. If it remains on I, check your Linky™ meter. The message “Puiss Dépassée” appears on the screen. This means you have exceeded the maximum power subscribed to when signing your contract with your energy supplier.

Simply press and hold the + button for a few seconds. The meter will restart automatically and electricity will be restored.

Please note: It is not necessary to hold the button for 10 seconds, as sometimes stated online. ENEDIS specifies in the official Linky manual that pressing for “more than 2 seconds” is sufficient. In practice, 3 seconds is generally enough to reset Linky.

Linky trips after moving home

When moving into a new property in France, your new energy contract may not yet be activated. To limit electricity consumption outside a valid contract, the power of your Linky meter may be temporarily restricted to 1 kVA. As soon as your consumption exceeds this 1 kVA limit, the meter will automatically trip.

While waiting for your energy contract to be activated in your new home, you will need to limit your electricity use to essential appliances only. To safely reset your Linky™ meter, simply press and hold the + button for a few seconds.

Finally, remember to contact your energy supplier as soon as possible to regularise your situation and notify them of your change of address.

• To go further: read our detailed article explaining how to open a Linky meter.

The cause of the outage is not identified

After switching the breaker back to I, your Linky™ digital screen displays the message “Contactez votre fournisseur” (“Contact your supplier”). This means that the cause of the outage has not been clearly identified. It is therefore time to call your electricity supplier. They are the only party able to help you understand the reason for this malfunction.

Do you need fast and high-quality assistance? Contact ENGIE’s breakdown service.

What should you do if nothing appears on the screen and the meter won’t turn back on?

Despite your attempts, the meter remains off? Have you checked whether your entire neighbourhood is without power? It may be a general outage related to the ENEDIS network. In this case, there is no need to handle your installation — simply wait for service to be restored. You can track real-time updates via the ENEDIS website or mobile app.

However, the Linky meter screen may remain completely blank and display no message, even after pressing the “+” button for several seconds. This may indicate a more significant technical issue affecting your meter.

To diagnose and resolve the problem, intervention by ENEDIS is required. Contact the ENEDIS emergency service by calling 09 72 67 50 XX (replace the last two digits with your department number). This call is not surcharged.

What should you do if your Linky meter trips regularly?

If your Linky™ meter trips frequently, contact your electricity supplier to understand the issue. Only your supplier can determine whether your subscribed power level (kVA) is sufficient to cover your needs or whether another issue is causing the repeated malfunction.

Explore the French version of this article