Hello, we use Leclerc for our electricity. We recently received details of their new “at cost price” offer and want to register. Has anyone been able to register with a UK mobile phone number - We are trying to talk to them.
Thanks in advance.
Allen
Exceptionally (because they are beyond awful to deal with if you get any problem) make life easy for yourself and get yourself a 2 euros a month sans engagement SIM contract with Free.fr to get a French phone number.
If Orange is the only game in town with a signal near your place sosh.fr (the LCC of Orange) does the same for 5 euros. That will give you a French phone number.
The reason I suggest this is Leclerc app, which they’ve basically switched to as the only place they’ll allow loyal customers to save quite a few of the discount coupons given to them, is geolocked. It won’t download to a phone with a French contract SiM in it, in France, if the phone is not also set to France market (this is deep in phone settings and can’t always be changed by the user).
So the Leclerc app is set not to allow Playstore to download it due this quite extraordinary level of geolocking. Because it wouldn’t download to UK hardware even when the UK was in the EU, and I believe it’s also refusing to download to other EU countries like Czechoslovakia, or Germany, which IIRC is illegal discrimination in offering services amongst EU citizens.
I raised a complaint about it as a longstanding loyal customer when they switched so many new discounts to app only and mentioned the probable illegality but I got “Le Shrug”.
So do yourself a favour and don’t try to beat it just get a French SIM. If you’re in the UK a lot you might want to consider if you need to pay slightly more so that your French SIM could receive calls whilst roaming in the UK, in which case if Bouygues signal is good at your place take a look at their sans engagement packages too.
Is this offer good? Seems you have to check to see if the price is not too high today before you get the vacuum cleaner out.
Thanks Karen, I’m coming to the same conclusion and coincidentally one of our phones on EE has just been blocked so probably need to get French SIM.
Can’t complain really - been here 6 years. Hey ho.
Thanks again.
Hello James, thanks for the reply - it makes me want to read the small print (arrgh).
also google Que Choisir - I think they are about to do a mass buy of electricity - think they get good deals and certain they were inviting signups two weeks or so ago. Leclerc will produce other deals.
The simple reason is a French mobile phone number provides the utility provider with proof of your ID
In the UK you can buy a phone SIM with a £1 coin.
But in France to buy a SIM you’ll need the money plus proof of ID (name/address).
The reason is security as it means a French mobile phone number provides a contact number with a proven link to a name and an address
By comparison, a UK mobile provides nothing (but makes them great for crooks!)
That’s why all on-line sites/call centres for all utility providers require a French mobile number as one element of ID proof (unless you visit them in person and not via the web or by phone call).
Thanks Andrew, good info that I didn’t know. Makes some sense.
Hi,
We received the same email from E.Leclerc. Our contract will end mid-Oct. Disgusted as in May 2021 we were issued our next 12m of payments.
Now looking to change supplier.
What suggestions/recommendations can the folks on SFN give?
Que Choisir said they are organising a bulk buy of electricity and were looking for people to join very recently. I deleted it (but wish I hadn’t now as today my bill came through they are wanting 6.5% more for next year) but I am sure a google would find it.
This seems to be similar to the utility buys moneysavingexpert is doing in the UK.
Mint énergie Online and Green seems to be good, ecological and reasonably priced.
Thanks Karen - will take a look for that.
Not one we’ve heard of but can seek it out.
If you decide on Mint, let me know and i’ll give you my code, we both then get some money off!
Will probably go for Mint. What’s your code?
I was seriously considering Mint, well, was ready to pull the trigger as they sound great, but for 12kVA actually seem more expensive per unit than EDF frustratingly. I’m currently on 9kVA which is cheaper than EDF but was intending to upgrade to 12 as I’m tired of not being able to make a cup of tea when the oven’s on without losing the lot 
. Very undecided now. Is it a token ‘have a fiver’ sort of discount @toryroo or a meaningful amount? If I could get it down to nearer EDF’s unit price it would be a no brainier.
Just wondering if your electrics are OK… are they ancient or modern ??
9KW is fine for us… we often have dishwasher/kettle/oven/microwave on at the same time as well as normal electrical stuff elsewhere… and nothing trips…
They are very modern, the whole place rewired 2 years ago. I may have been using a little creative license there @Stella 
, it’s not quite that bad, but I do have 3 different buildings using the supply, at times all at once, so the extra 3kVA could come in handy on occasion, and the increase in the standing charge is minimal really.
I use a 1000W kettle. Just in case I would accidentally have too many items on. This takes the biggie out of the equation so I never have to worry.
My Linky trips if you breathe on it so I am cut off multiple multiple times per year by it. As soon as there’s lightning it seems to trip - the standard meter never did.
I must admit I’ve never thought to actually look. The (french) electrician did a very British sharp intake of breath and tutted when he saw the vast array of electrical appliances he had to install in my new kitchen so I knew I was dicing with death, or dicing with the trip switch, in the kitchen, but it’s very rare it overloads, but yeah, I guess I should have looked at the things I could do something about such as the kettle. I tend to come a cropper as I say when you’ve got 3 kettles on in 3 different buildings all at once lol