Car insurance, solar panels, bank scams: 5 French practical updates

Car insurance changes

A digital registry of car insurance policies will make the current physical green stickers obsolete from April 1.

The new system means police can check your number plate against an online system to see if your vehicle is insured.

We cover questions including why the changes have taken place, and what newly-insured drivers will need to do.

Read more: End of green car insurance sticker in France: Eight questions answered

In addition, we look at how the changes will impact drivers when they drive abroad.

Read more: End of car insurance stickers in France: what about driving abroad?

Be wary of bank advisor fraud

Banks are warning again of an increase in scams which see fraudsters pretend to be calling from a victim’s bank.

They use a ‘two-step’ method that involves ‘phishing’ for information from people, then using this knowledge to gain their trust on the phone, whilst pretending to be calling from the customer support team of the victim’s bank.

Typically scammers pretend a fraudulent transaction is being attempted, and they require your help in cancelling it, or that someone is trying to access your account from elsewhere.

Read more: Bank call scams: why more people are being caught out in France

Where are there shortages of healthcare professionals?

Rural areas have much fewer healthcare professionals per 1,000 residents than larger cities, new data has confirmed.

The Connexion looks at the information on a department-by-department basis, to see where shortages are the most serious.

Two maps in the article look at the density of GPs and specialists compared to national averages, showing for both of these services, departments in the centre of France are some of the lowest-performing areas.

Read more: Which rural areas of France are hardest hit by lack of doctors?

Cheapest car repairs

The cost of repairing a car has gone up by more than 25% in the last four years, however there are some departments where it can remain significantly cheaper.

We look at which departments have the lowest average cost for car repairs – both Brittany and the south-west saw multiple departments perform well.

The most expensive are also covered, meaning readers can compare the costs of nearby departments to see where they may find a good deal – or potentially overpay

Read more: Where in France is it cheapest to repair a car?

Solar panel efficiency

Finally, this article covers the average length of time for solar panels to pay for themselves, by cutting costs on electricity.

Areas in the south-east which see the most sun have the quickest returns, however in many areas within 12 years panels installed in most places will have paid for themselves. A map is included.

Installation grants and the selling of surplus energy can also quicken the amount of time it takes for the panels to pay for themselves.

Read more: MAP: How long before home solar panels cover costs in France?

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