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Hilltop windmill offers free night in Dordogne
Accommodation for two people can be booked for one night through town website
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People with a second home in France should check their insurance policy
Cover can be reduced or voided for homes left empty for significant periods of time
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Photos: four historic French châteaux on sale for under €1 million
Grand abandoned properties are looking for new owners
Electric heaters cost more than wood
It costs three times as much to heat an average home using electrical central heating than with a modern wood-burner, according to an online poll
Website Quelleenergie.fr reported it costs nearly €1,680 a year, an average of €140 per month to heat a property using electricity, compared to just €769 for the latest wood-burning systems.
A total 41% of homes in France use electric central heating, which Quelleenergie.fr said cost a annual average of €16.10 per square metre, making it the most expensive heating option.
The 19% of the French population who use fuel oil to heat their homes saw their bills jump 12% year on year, on top of an 18% increase in 2016, as fossil fuels became more expensive.
Government aid of up to €3,000 is available to update environmentally unfriendly fuel oil heating for a greener system such as wood.