NEW or replacement fioul, or oil fired, heating systems in France will be banned from the beginning of 2022.
The measure had been proposed by a citizens committee looking at ways to ‘green’ the French way of life, and the government has backed the proposal to bring an end to the use of oil, as well as coal, heating systems in the home.
There are currently around three and a half million homes in France using the equipment, but from 1 January 2022 no replacement systems or new ones can be installed in properties.
The government has said that it will help poorer households with the replacement of systems, up to 80 per cent of the cost, and has also stressed the importance of proper insulation in the home.
But what alternatives are available?
In the French countryside fioul is still quite common and you will see the large white containers in gardens a safe distance away from from the house.
But the problem is that many homes in the countryside can not be connected to town gas and so are likely to have to swap across to wood fired systems, heat pumps or solar – not a simple task.
Wood fired systems, especially those using pellets drawn in automatically, are very efficient but stocking the pellets in a dry and protected environment could be difficult.
While heat pump systems can be expensive and depending upon which type is installed may require the laying of pipes in the ground.
Solar is another option which also receives government support, but again physical constraints within a property might prove difficult to overcome and also the amount of sunlight received throughout the year needs to be accounted for.
An estimation of the financial support available, as well as information on claiming a rebate for the replacement work, is available via Prime à la conversion des chaudières.
