Taxe foncière dates
Notices (avis) for the taxe foncière property owner’s tax start arriving on one of four dates.
Online versions can be found in your personal space on the tax website on August 28, for those who pay the tax in one lump sum, and on September 20, for those who pay in monthly instalments.
For those who receive paper versions, they should arrive between August 25 and September 19, if paying in one lump sum, and between September 22 and October 8, if paying in monthly instalments.
The tax is levied on main and second homes, with reductions or exemptions linked to factors such as age, disability or income.
An initial deadline of October 15 is in place for cash, cheque, bank transfer payments with a SEPA bank, or paying at a tabac.
However, this is extended to October 20 for those paying online through the tax website or app.
Energy taxes go up
The VAT rate on energy contracts increased from 5.5% to 20% in August, affecting both gas and electricity bills.
The change is required due to EU laws which state that the same VAT rate must be applied across the entire energy sector.
To lessen the impact, consumption taxes on energy usage will decrease.
This includes the excise tax (taxe de l’accise) for both gas and electricity subscriptions, which will be reduced gradually between August 1 and December 31.
Additionally, the tax for using the public electricity grid (the TURPE tax) will also fall from 7.7% to 2.5%.
Gas prices
Increased VAT means that gas bills will rise by roughly €40 annually according to the French Energy Commission (CRE).
However, the actual cost of gas dropped slightly in August, reducing a little the impact of the VAT change.
The price of gas per kW/h for cooking and hot water dropped from €0.1397 to €0.1392, and for heating fell to €0.10801 from €0.10852.
Financial aid for fibre
Grants are now available to help cover the cost of fibre broadband installation where technical obstacles have made connection difficult or expensive.
The scheme will apply to work carried out between September 1 this year and May 31, 2027.
The aid is means-tested and only for main residences where a normal connection to the fibre network has failed due to the need for further work.
It cannot be used with other state grants. The amount will depend on the scale of the work required.
The person or company doing the work will apply the aid directly, deducting the amount from your final bill.
You will be notified in advance of the level of support approved.
At present, only residents in communes included in the first three batches of the ADSL shutdown are eligible.
Click here to check when the copper telephone and internet network is scheduled to be closed in your commune.
Linky meter fees
Households that have still not installed a Linky smart meter to monitor electricity usage face an additional €6.48 charge, excluding VAT, every two months on their bill.
An additional €4.14 charge will be added if meter readings have not been supplied to the grid operator Enedis in at least 12 months.
The fees will be waived for properties where Enedis confirms it is impossible for the meters to be installed.
West Nile virus
The first native case of the West Nile virus in France in 2025 has been confirmed by regional health authorities.
The disease, spread by common Culex mosquitoes, was reported in Hyères (Var) on July 30.
It follows several indigenous cases of dengue fever and chikungunya, spread by tiger mosquitoes which are now rampant in France.
Last year, 34 cases of the West Nile virus were reported, all in Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur and Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
EV lease subsidies
A government scheme to help low-income families lease electric cars is returning for a second year in September.
Applications will open on September 30.
To qualify, you must have a revenu fiscal de référence of €15,400, be working or looking for a job, and depend on a vehicle to get to or carry out your work.
A similar scheme last year closed after just six weeks because so many people applied.
The budget allocated for the project is €370million, which the government said should help finance 50,000 cars for three years.
Cold calls
Unsolicited cold calls will be banned from August 11, 2026.
Telemarketing will only be allowed in two cases: if the consumer has given prior, explicit, informed and revocable consent; or if the call relates to an existing contract.
A firm must end the call immediately if the consumer objects, and must not call again.
Companies in breach face penalties of up to €500,000 and five years in prison.
A full ban on marketing by phone, SMS, email or social media already applies to the energy-efficiency renovation sector and adaptations for elderly or disabled people.
France-Ireland ferries
Brittany Ferries will increase its weekly services between Cherbourg and Rosslare from five to seven from the start of October, just after the Stena Line service between the ports ends in September.
At time of publication, its timetable shows a daily service operating only for October. “Full schedules will be published shortly,” Brittany Ferries said.
Help for Ma Bank customers
Former customers of Ma French Bank who did not transfer their funds before it closed down must now recoup the money from a public fund.
The online arm of La Poste’s banking service announced last December that it would close after just six years.
It was one of the first major online banks in France, and had more than 700,000 customers at its peak.
Account holders were instructed to transfer their funds before July 10.
From that date, balances were transferred to the Caisse des dépôts et consignations (CDC), a government-controlled public investment fund.
Requests to recoup funds from a closed Ma French Bank account can be made through the CDC website: ciclade.caissedesdepots.fr.
The CDC will hold money for 30 years.
Fréjus tunnel
A new road tunnel under the Alps linking France and Italy has opened to traffic after more than 10 years of construction.
The second passage of the Fréjus tunnel, parallel to the original 1980 gallery, was inaugurated in late July. It allows each direction of travel to be separated, improving evacuation conditions and significantly reducing risk in the event of fire.
The 12.9km tunnel connects Modane (Savoie) with Bardonecchia (Piedmont) and is used by two million vehicles each year.
Phone signal site updated
Mon réseau mobile (monreseaumobile.arcep.fr), the online platform that lets users compare coverage and service quality of Bouygues, Free, Orange and SFR, has been updated.
The platform was developed by the communications authority Arcep in 2017, and the new version, released in July, offers greater clarity and ease of use.
A series of colour coded maps of France show which operators offer the best signal for making calls, sending texts and using mobile internet.
Coverage can also be tested on certain major roads and transport lines, including TGVs, TERs and even metros.
The Antennes et déploiements feature indicates the location of mobile antennas across the country, enabling the filtering by relevant networks (2G, 3G, 4G, 5G) and whether sites are undergoing maintenance, with information updated daily.
The map Zones à couvrir shows areas that should gain coverage in the next 24 months.
French ‘WW’ plates stopped
Drivers travelling into Spain risk being stopped by Catalan police if their vehicle has a temporary French number plate beginning with WW.
Officers in the area of La Jonquera, which borders France, noticed an increase in the number of these cars crossing the border over summer.
The letters indicate a car owner has a provisional registration certificate, known as a CPI, while waiting to receive the vehicle’s final registration document.
Applying for temporary plates is easy and inexpensive, and is apparently favoured by some criminals wishing to disguise stolen cars.
Drivers with such plates should carry receipts or other proof of purchase/ownership.
Warning over dog disease
Vetsin Puy-de-Dome have warned that canine parvovirus (parvovirose) is spreading in the area with at least one confirmed death.
The disease is contagious through direct contact, but also via surfaces and soil.
The clinic advises all unvaccinated dogs to stay away from the area and be prevented from interacting with other dogs.
The virus has a fatality rate of around 91% for unvaccinated and untreated pets.
Symptoms include rapid weight loss, loss of appetite, diarrhoea and vomiting.
Beware fake Enedis agents
Electricity distribution operator Enedis has urged caution following an increase in fraudulent sales calls and home visits by fake agents.
A statement on its website warns clients against sharing their personal information, and encourages the refusal of any unscheduled visits.
If a client arranges for an agent to visit, they will always be told the name of the contracted partner company when making the appointment.
Suspected scams can be reported to Enedis customer services using the relevant support form or by telephone on: 09 70 83 19 70.
Benefit fraud clampdown
Several new measures have been announced to crack down on social security fraud, including plans for access to the financial data of all benefits recipients.
Minister of Health and Labour Catherine Vautrin outlined the plans in August.
She claims the measures will help significantly reduce the €13 billion of social security fraud committed annually.
The tighter controls will be introduced in a bill this autumn to be debated by MPs, although it might be opposed.
