Category: Property

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.

WITH 90% of forest fires in France caused by human activity, the pompiers of the Dordogne have asked people to take care in the woods to cut the risk of accidentally starting a fire.

The Service Départemental d’Incendie et de Secours de la Dordogne dealt with around 100 forest fires in 2019, which burnt 142 hectares in total, and these statistics were up on the previous year.

Update July 2022 – Forest fires in south west France have seen the authorities step up their awareness campaign.

And the Dordogne préfecture has placed the département under a ‘risque sévère’ warning for forest fires.

And for 2020 the pompiers will also be able to use high performance drones to help in the spotting of fires with the new equipment able to reach an altitude of 100 metres and the high-tech kit also carries a heat detector.

But despite the new gadgets being at their disposal, the authorities say that it is the general public that can ensure fires do not start by accident, be that by not taking care when using a BBQ or by creating sparks when working with small machinery and tools in the forest.

Related: Rules tightened on burning of garden waste in the Dorodgne

A TIGHTENING of the rules on burning garden waste has been introduced by the Dordogne préfecture, with the risk of a heavy fine hanging over transgressors.

The new rules bring a complete ban on the burning of garden waste between 1 March and 30 September.

In the past restrictions could be introduced due to the fear of forest fires, but now the ban not only covers this risk but also is an attempt to cut down on air pollution.

The burning of any other type of household waste is banned completely, and while it is possible to burn some garden waste in the winter months, you will still need to request permission through your local mairie three days in advance.

The authorities are suggesting that people let garden waste compost naturally, or take it along to their local waste tip, or dechetterie, for it to be dealt with there.

If you do decide to burn garden waste on your property illegally then you face a fine of 450 euros.

EXPATS living in France are set to lose their entitlement to the winter fuel allowance after the chancellor introduced a ‘temperature test’ in his spending review.

George Osborne said: “From the autumn of 2015, we will link the winter fuel payment to a temperature test. People in hot countries will no longer get it. It is, after all, a payment for winter fuel.”

This means all pensioners living in France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Malta, Gibraltar and Cyprus, will no longer get the benefit as they have warmer winter weather.

The list of countries was drawn up by the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia, which analysed which countries were warmer on average between November and March than the south west of England – the warmest part of the UK.

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THE north east corner of France has experienced very heavy rain over the past few days, with many rivers bursting their banks and flooding local homes.

There is an Environment Ministry website that is particularly focussed on rivers and the dangers of flooding, its Carte de Vigilance “crues” provides a snap shot of areas that might be at risk.

If you hover your mouse over the different areas of the map and click, this takes you through to more detail for individual rivers and water courses that shows the levels at various measuring stations.

At the opposite extreme with summer temperatures on the rise, a different mapping service is available that provides information on water restrictions.

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.

KAREN Bates spent 11 years in Normandy, slowly working on her own house while handling the paperwork of her partner’s joinery business.

The couple had crossed the Channel with Karen’s young son, leaving his older sister in boarding school in the UK, and had high hopes of making a success of French life.

But rarely do plans run smoothly and despite working hard on the business, Karen slowly began to see a change in her family and herself, taking to writing in her journal to help tackle some of the problems.

Soon the journal became a source of relief, ensuring Karen stayed clear of the gin and anti-depressants, and formed the framework of a book that she went on to publish just before moving back to the UK called Faking It In France.

Here Karen talks about her time in France.

Craig McGinty: What was the reason behind your move to France?

Karen Bates The reason we moved to France in the first place was. It was really on a whim. I mean, it might sound absolutely crazy, but we sold our business and we had some money in the bank, and my brother already lived in Brittany.

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LIVING in the French countryside has its appeal to many, except when it comes to energy costs as they are 23% more expensive than the national average according to researchers.

Figures from the Centre de Recherche pour l’Etude et l’Observation des Conditions de Vie (CREDOC) show the average spent on energy costs in France is €1,450 per household per year.

However, households in smaller towns with less than 20,000 inhabitants pay 17% more, but it is worse in communes with less than 2,000 people where costs are 23% more expensive.

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FOR many people a move to France involves the setting up of a small gîte to offer up to holiday makers and as a way to earn a few euros.

But for author Susie Kelly it meant repairing old buildings, handling entertaining guests and as you will read below corralling the chickens into the barn away from a sensitive visitor.

These are just some of the tales featured in Susie’s latest book, Swallows & Robins – The Guests In My Garden, and here is an extract for you to enjoy.

The Lamenting Hens, by Susie Kelly

Lavande’s first guests this year are a gentle elderly couple staying, fortunately as it will turn out for the hens, for only one week. They have come, they say, just to enjoy the quiet country life. With frogs, crickets, bats, nightingale, owls, and many other varieties of birds in our garden, I’m sure they will.

However, the morning after their arrival the old gentleman is shouting over the fence, “Miss, Miss, please come quickly.”

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WITH winter on our French doorsteps it only seems like yesterday that many parts of the country were experiencing severe cold spells, writes Paul Wilkins.

The winter has a huge impact on many residents, particularly those in rural areas where life can be quite ‘cut off’ even during the high season, so cold spells can be somewhat demoralizing.

Your home is pretty much your safety and comfort zone during the winter months and it needs to be kept warm and safe. There is very little you can do to ward off external influences, but there is plenty that you can do to prepare for them.

Before those shutters are closed and the wood is chopped here are a few things to add to the checklist in your preparation for winter.

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THE sights and sounds, as well as some of the characters of France, have been brought to life in an new Kindle ebook by journalist Peter Clayton.

Leaving behind his home in the north west of England to visit his maison secondaire, some 20 miles south of Cherbourg, Peter would use his trips to France to visit and explore the country.

And it is many of his adventures and discoveries that have found their way in to Tales From Across La Manche, all of which he insists are ‘totally genuine’.

“Because of family commitments, we now split our time between homes in Manchester and Normandy,” Peter said.

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