The French electrical code: books and websites.

[RobertArthur]

The Promotelec organisation has revamped its website. There is now also a section covering the essentials of electrical installation, the heart of how a home or building functions. It must guarantee safety, performance and adaptability to current and future needs. This page brings together the essentials you need to know about its key components ( consumer unit, sockets, circuit breakers, earthing, etc.), best practices for checking and maintenance, as well as solutions for upgrading an installation according to its use: home automation, IRVE (electric vehicle chargepoint), renovation, etc. Both professionals and individuals will find practical advice, explanatory diagrams and guidelines for designing, understanding or modernising an electrical installation that complies with standards, in particular the NF C 15-100 standard, the French electrical regulation for low-voltage (LV) installations.

Les essentiels de l'installation électrique.

The two gentlemen Gallauziaux & Fedullo updated their "L'Installation Électrique" in June this year (2025), now the 8th edition. It follows the new structure of the French regs, 21 individual chapters.
The latest edition of Promotelec's standard work ‘L'Officiel de l'Electricité’ dates from 2022, i.e. before the revision of NF C 15-100, which came into force this year. Probably an update real soon now. As this revision has brought about very few real changes for the installation of electrical systems in houses, I still use the reference works that were published in 2016 and 2017. Combined with what Promotelec's website now has to offer, this is more than enough for me.

[Hotrodder]

"L'Installation Électrique" by G&F was my guide doing two complete installations from scratch decades ago. Some times I thought my head would burst trying to type it all into a translater but that very hassle meant that I eventually understood the differences between UK and French methods, and I could see the sound reasons for those differences. Such a shame there wasn't an English translation, or at least a PDF version that could be more easily translated.

[RobertArthur]

Not for every DIY guy, the SéQuélec data sheets: essential reference material for electricians. Already for many years available on the website of ENEDIS, now a nice overview by Promotelec.

I just had a look at the website of the Eyrolles publishing company and to my surprise the update of Promotelec's reference quide, L'Officiel de l'Électricité, has still not been published for some or other reason. The revised 2022 edition is still going strong. Perhaps the publishing company wants to sell all what's left in stock before going to the market with a new edition.

Promotelec already published a summary of the new regs introduced last year, covering the structure of the regs, not a DIY or electrician's guide.

Une nouvelle structure NF C15-100-1

[RobertArthur]

One of last year's updates makes the so called "Consuel Attestation" procedures for a new or completeley renovated house electrical system easier:

" Since 1 January 2025, the compliance certificate has been updated to simplify the process for you. From now on, once your certificate has been checked and approved by CONSUEL, it is sent directly to the Distribution System Operator (DSO), such as Enedis. Previously, this transmission was your responsibility or that of your contractor – in this case, the electrician – which could lead to oversights or errors delaying the commissioning of your installation."

Promotelec information.

About the new 2025 regs, again, this book. To conclude a link to a website with practical down-to-earth advice for the DIY and a few remarks about the updated French electrical code.

[RobertArthur]

Gone are the days of the electrician’s best friend, this little red bible of Promotelec, the mémento rouge, here the 25th edition, 2010, 148 pages with almost everything you need to know about the French electrical code, the NFC 15-100. Focus: les installations électriques privatives. In 2013 they said goodbye to this very popular series with the 27th edition, still for sale in 2016.

To be honest, nobody really understood why the senior management at Promotelec had come to that decision, but then again, their ways are often not entirely fathomable. Because it was such a handy little booklet, easy to take with you and leave behind as a handy reference for others. There was a lot of text, but more importantly, there were also loads of useful tables and diagrams. Take this table for example (still 220 V) from one of those very first booklets, late seventies.

Let’s just say that, fortunately, there is still such a thing as incremental insight: after a ten-year absence, the publication of its successor was announced this spring. Still for a reasonable price.


Mémento des évolutions de la norme NF C15-100.

[Blaze]

We've been working on the complete renovation of an abandoned house in the port which will house the beach lifeguards in the summer.
Three of our SNSM colleagues are pros in the building trade but OH has done all the wiring (assisted by Yours Truly). It's been quite a job and we're awaiting the Consuel's visit after a check by an electrician pal that everything conforms.
It's fiddle, time consuming even with all the right equipment and the materials are expensive. We could have earned a tidy sum if we were being paid !!!