French wood pellet stoves are far more expensive than they first appear

To the Editor,

My husband and I purchased a poêle à granulés (pellet burner) in 2020 to replace a log-burning stove. We had read and heard many positive things about them: cleaner burning, ease of temperature control, etc. 

However, what no one bothered to mention is that they are complex machines that need regular service and attention. Herein lies the problem. 

The company that sold us our pellet burner was very good about sales and installation, but useless with regard to after-sales service, including service under warranty. 

The problem is made worse by the fact that no enterprise wants to service a poêle that they have not sold and installed, so unless one is a qualified technician, there is no way to address problems. 

Like us, you can spend anywhere between €4,500 and €7,000 for the purchase and installation of a pellet burner only to end up with an expensive piece of metal junk. We are now replacing ours with another wood stove. 

We looked on Leboncoin and there are hundreds of secondhand ones for sale, so clearly not just us! Buyers beware.

C.L. and J.L., by email

Have you faced similar problems with a pellet stove in France? Let us know at letters@connexionfrance.com