Category: Property

EXPECT to see mention of the EcoWatt service over the coming months as France looks to reduce its energy use this winter.

EcoWatt describes itself as a weather forecast for electricity use across France, providing an alert service should the supply come under stress.

The service was created by le Réseau de Transport d’Electricité, RTE, and has three levels of use to advise people and businesses to cut their consumption if possible.

Three levels of electricity use

Normal levels of consumption are currently in place in early October, but as winter approaches we may see the next step up which is ‘strained’ and people are urged to cut their energy use.

The third and final level is ‘very strained’ and EcoWatt warns that power cuts are very likely unless cuts in energy consumption are taken quickly.

The service offers a four day forecast and it is possible to receive updates and warnings via text messages and email if you register with the website.

The French government is currently urging homeowners and businesses to reduce their electricity use by turning down heating levels, using high energy use equipment during quiet times and turning off lights.

And if you want to check the water quality coming out of your tap in France, then an online service is available for you to look over.

THE Dordogne authorities have said that the current water use restrictions will remain in place, with little sign of improvement in the near future.

Update October 2022 – The Dordogne authorities have said that from 1 October the restrictions on domestic use will be lifted.

Rainfall levels have been low across the region with Bergerac seeing 27 mm of rainfall since the beginning of September, and Terrasson just 3 mm.

The agricultural sector still faces restrictions, and homeowners are also being asked to do their bit, with the current measures ensuring that water supply is being maintained.

But all homeowners in the Dordogne are being asked to continue to be aware of their water use, with a ban on private car owners washing their vehicles remaining in place.

Other restrictions in place cover private pools that cannot be refilled if larger than 20m3 and gardens, lawns or potagers cannot be watered between 8h and 20h.

Map of Dordogne water use restrictions

There are four different levels of alert covering water use, your local mairie should be your first port of call if you are keen to find out the latest information.

WATER use restrictions for Dordogne homeowners, and many in the agricultural sector, will remain in place despite some rainfall in the département in August.

The Dordogne préfet has said that from 1 September 2022, restrictions will be tightened on the extraction of water for agricultural irrigation in some areas.

Homeowners in the Dordogne are being asked to continue to be aware of their water use, with a ban on private car owners washing their vehicles remaining in place.

Other restrictions in place cover private pools that cannot be refilled if larger than 20m3 and gardens, lawns or potagers cannot be watered between 8h and 20h.

Map of water restrictions

A new map has been produced by the Dordogne authorities showing which of the four different levels of alert apply to different areas of the département.

There are four different levels of alert covering water use, your local mairie should be your first port of call if you are keen to find out the latest information.

The Dordogne authorities introduced restrictions for homeowners on the 10 August and it was hoped then that they might be eased by the end of the month.

But with water levels and the humidity of the soil still very low, it seems unlikely that any changes will be made for the coming weeks.

Across France record summer temperatures have seen most areas face water restrictions and a campaign has been launched by authorities to be aware of water use in the home, agriculture and business.

AT least once a week your letterbox is likely to groan a pile of brochures and flyers offering cut price deals, a chance to sell gold bracelets or tackle the damp in your house.

Whether you want to receive all this paper is never questioned, but now a trial has been launched giving 2.5 million homeowners across France a choice.

The “Oui Pub” pilot study is giving people the option to display a small sticker on their letterbox saying they want to receive promotional material.

And those letterboxes that do not have a sticker will no longer receive the brochures and flyers.

Map of “Oui Pub” trial

The test will run from 1 September 2022 until 2025 in 14 areas across France, including ville de Bordeaux, agglomération d’Agen and Grenoble Alpes Métropole.

Homeowners were provided with the stickers earlier this year and it was explained how the scheme would work, with unaddressed mail banned from letterboxes that do not display the “Oui Pub” stickers.

Amount of junk mail in France

Figures from 2019 show that 894,000 tonnes of printed publicity materials are stuffed through letterboxes in France, and it is something that concerns the public.

A total ban was proposed by a citizen’s collective, but it is hoped the “Oui Pub” trial will strike a balance, reducing the amount of waste paper thrown away and hopefully cut the cost of dealing with the rubbish.

THE Dordogne préfet has announced some changes to the water restrictions in place for agriculture, but for homeowners there is no change to the limitations they face.

In its latest press release the authorities have said that despite some rain in recent days, water levels are still not as high as they should be.

So private car owners cannot wash their vehicles, private pools larger than 20m3 cannot be refilled and gardens, lawns or potagers cannot be watered between 8h and 20h.

The initial set of water restrictions targeting homeowners came into force on 10 August, and at the time the préfet said they were expected to be in place until the end of August.

Dordogne water restrictions map

A new map has been produced by the Dordogne authorities showing which of the four different levels of alert apply to different areas of the département.

The lowest level in France is vigilance, or warning, and this means should be aware of their water use and try to conserve and not waste any water.

The next step up is alerte and this requires homeowners to reduce the amount of water they use, for example in swimming pools or if watering their gardens.

The second highest level of warning is alerte renforcée and this could see homeowners asked not to wash their cars, a ban on the water of lawns and farmers being asked not to water crops for half the week.

And the highest level is crise which places an emphasis on ensuring drinking water is available to all residents and any other use facing tight restrictions or being banned completely.

An online service is available to find out what water restrictions are in place for different parts of France.

If you have any questions about the restrictions that apply to your local area then the mairie should be your first point of contact as they will have the latest information from the authorities.

A LEADING property website says that the Dordogne has the strongest appeal for second homes located in the countryside.

SeLoger compiled search data from March 2021 to March 2022 for towns and villages in the French countryside that have at least 20 per cent of properties registered as second homes.

Their research found that 7.1% of searches through the SeLoger website were for property in the Dordogne, ahead of the Yonne département (6.7 %) found to the south of Paris and the Var (6.3%), found in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region.

How many second homes in France?

There are 3.6 million second homes in France, with mountain and coastal properties also popular places to buy, whilst the countryside also has its appeal.

The quiet atmosphere, cost of living and slower pace of life are just some of the factors that draw many French people to the countryside way of life, but the Dordogne seems to have a real draw on people.

The Dordogne is the second most popular location for British people living in France, coming in behind Paris.

What price is Dordogne property?

The SeLoger research goes as far as saying that Saint-Cyprien, with its Medieval church and its typical Périgordian streets, is one of the most popular villages to be searched for in the Dordogne.

With average prices in the village working out to 1,640 €/m², and an average price for property in the Dordogne coming in at around 1,488 €/m².

Online searches for Dordogne property came in the most part from residents living in Bordeaux, with searches from the city also reaching into the Lot and the Landes.

With internet access now strong across many areas of France, and télétravail proving increasingly popular the chance to take a break and work from a home in the countryside is proving very appealing.

THE Dordogne préfecture has announced the relaxation of its fire risk severity warning to modérée, from the severe risk level it announced in early August.

The change now means motorised vehicles can access and park in forested areas, previously they were banned from the forests in the afternoon to reduce the risk of accidental fires being started.

The Dordogne authorities have also said that firework displays are now authorised and that agricultural and forest workers can now work normally in wooded areas.

The préfet of the Dordogne took the decision with the support of the pompiers of the SDIS (Service Départemental d’incendie et de Secours) and asked that people still took extreme caution in the forests of the departement.

Dordogne water use restrictions

The Dordogne was not saved from effects of the blistering hot weather France has suffered from in the past few months, with around 50 fires breaking out since the beginning of August.

And despite recent heavy downpours, homeowners across the Dordogne still face water use restrictions, including a ban on topping up swimming pools and washing their cars.

The press release from the Dordogne préfecture announcing the change to modérée for forest fire risk can be read below:

OVER the past couple of days I have seen five Canadair water-bombing aircraft heading west in the direction of Bordeaux, sent to tackle the large fire in the southwestern Gironde region.

Around 7,000 hectares of forest has already been burnt in the fire, with thousands of people forced to evacuate and a thousand pompiers tasked with fighting the fire that has been described as ‘an ogre’.

Since the turn of the year more than 57,000 hectares of ground has been burnt in France, the largest amount burnt in the last 15 years.

🔥 #Incendies. 57 680 hectares ont brûlé en France depuis le début de l'année. C'est un peu plus que la superficie de Paris + du Val-de-Marne + des Hauts-de-Seine.https://t.co/q32MBVpcfC pic.twitter.com/zc9915VaU7

— Visactu (@visactu) August 11, 2022

And help has been coming to tackle the Gironde fire from beyond France, with fire fighting teams sent from other European nations and additional Canadair aircraft deployed from the EU.

Map of forest fires in France

You can get an idea of where the fires in France are by visiting the Copernicus website, which is an EU service that uses satellite technology to help member states tackle the worst forest fires.

Click on the Current Situation Viewer and you will be taken to a map of Europe showing fires across many different countries.

If you look for the options panel and then Active Fires, you will see two tick boxes that say MODIS and VIIRS, tick these.

Then on the map you will see a number of red dots highlighting the areas that are currently burning, which have been detected by two orbiting satellites.

Information on the fires is provided six times a day via the two satellites scanning the land below, and after two to three hours the mapping service is brought up to date.

France has experienced a terrible summer of forest fires, as well as drought conditions, with the authorities stressing the importance of being aware of just how easy it is for fires to start with the countryside so dry.

THE Dordogne préfet has tightened water restrictions across the département with a focus on use around the home.

From 10 August and at least until 31 August, 2022, private car owners cannot wash their vehicles, private pools larger than 20m3 cannot be refilled and gardens, lawns or potagers cannot be watered between 8h and 20h

These new rules apply to everyone across the département.

There is a total ban on watering golf courses between 8h and 20h, and the same applies to sports pitches, whilst public fountains that do not recycle the water they use will have to be turned off.

The decision to tighten water restrictions has been taken to ensure that drinking water levels are maintained, as the département and the whole of France struggles with the drought conditions.

Map of Dordogne water restrictions

A new map has also been published by the Dordogne authorities highlighting the areas that are currently under the different levels of restrictions, which is causing problems for many farmers as more of them fall under the higher levels of alert.

The full press release can be read below.

THE Dordogne préfecture has published a map highlighting the areas across the region that face water restrictions, as concern grows about water levels across France.

Update 10 August, 2022: Tighter water restrictions have been introduced by the Dordogne authorities, with more being asked of homeowners.

The Dordogne authorities have said that new restrictions are in force from Friday 5 August, 2022, with river levels continuing to fall especially smaller rivers and streams in the département.

Water levels are low due to the lack of rain in recent weeks, with little sign of improvement in the coming week.

The current water levels are similar to that in 2019, but a month in advance, with fears that the situation could continue into autumn.

At the bottom of the page is the full press release from the Dordogne préfecture.

If you find yourself in the highest level of crise which places an emphasis on ensuring drinking water is available then your first port of call should be your mairie to see what restrictions are in place for your local area.

Overall though with many areas of the Dordogne facing high temperatures and little rain, then being water wise and reducing your use is the way forward, and again visiting your mairie for the latest information.

Water restrictions map for France

The French government has stepped up its measures to help areas across the country who face water shortages, as the drought continues to bite.

An online map of water restrictions is available that lets you find out what level of alert you fall under.

With the month of July in France being the driest on record since March 1961, some villages are having water brought in, farmers are having to reduce or cut completely irrigation of their plants and French nuclear power plants are reducing their output due to cooling water levels being low.