With colder-than-average conditions hitting France, it makes sense to be as prepared as possible, and the country has some rules on taking care of your home and vehicle in winter.
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1. Clearing snow from the front of your home
After heavy snow, some local authorities will issue a decree that states you must clear (or salt) the pavement in front of your home to make it safer.
However, if there is no specific decree about this in your area, it is not a requirement. Instead, the local commune will be tasked with clearing roads and pavements to ease walking and driving.
Yet, if a passing pedestrian falls and injures themselves outside your home because of a build up of snow and/or ice that you have failed to clear, you could be liable to pay damages to them.
2. Evictions during winter
France has a trêve hivernale (winter truce) for rental properties, which runs from November 1 to March 31, and means that landlord owners cannot forcefully evict tenants during this time.
However, the trêve does not apply in the event that the situation goes to court; a judge can order an eviction during this period.
Owners whose tenants have not paid rent can call a helpline for support, at 0805 16 00 75.
3. Snow tyre rules
In some areas, snow tyres are compulsory between November 1 and March 31. These areas - dubbed areas of obligation d’équipements en période hivernale - include certain mountain roads in 34 departments in the Alps, Corsica, the Massif Central, the Jura mountains, the Pyrenees and the Vosges mountains.
Road signs show drivers when they are entering or exiting one of these zones.
To drive, each tyre must be a ‘snow tyre’ (from November 24 this year, this must be of type 3PMSF) or at least two of the active tyres (e.g. if your car is rear-wheel drive, the two rear wheels) must have metal chains or textile ‘socks’.
Read more: MAP: The French areas that require snow tyres this winter
Read more: Are all-season tyres allowed during winter in France?
4. Chimneys and smoke
You can only operate an open fireplace if your commune allows it; some do not. For example, in Lyon and in 167 communes in the Rhône, Isère and Ain departments, the use of open fireplaces has been banned since April 1, 2023.
You must also have your chimney swept at least once a year.
It is also important to check the rules of your building (if you live in a co-ownership property or there are specific rules for your particular property and/or surroundings). You may need to use ‘green flame (flamme verte)’ equipment to ensure your fire is energy efficient and generates less pollution.
Read also: Tips to help avoid chimney fires as numbers increase in France
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Other heating equipment must also have regular checks carried out by an approved professional to ensure that it is safe and in good working order, for example, gas-fired heaters or oil-fired boilers. If you fail to do so, and a fire or other major incident breaks out as a result, you may not receive any insurance payments depending on your policy.
Read more: Am I allowed to sweep my own chimney in France?
5. Power cuts in case of non-payment
In the event that your electricity or gas bill goes unpaid, energy suppliers are not allowed to cut off your heating or hot water supply from November 1 to March 31, if the home is a main residence (a home occupied for more than eight months of the year). However, the power level may be reduced.
Unpaid bills will still be due and expenses will continue even during the winter. Your power may be cut from April 1 if bills remain unpaid (except if you have an EDF subscription for water, which can never be cut off).
If you cannot pay, you can contact your supplier to ask for a payment schedule change, or call free for more help and information from énergie-info on 0800 112 212.
6. Power cut compensation
If your power is cut off by the supplier for a significant time (for example, if wires come down due to heavy snow) you may be entitled to compensation. You do not have to do anything to receive this; it will be credited to your account automatically if applicable.
A decision issued by the energy regulation commission, la Commission de régulation de l'énergie (CRE), on January 21, 2021 outlines the rules. The full report can be downloaded from the official government website here, in French.
The CRE decision states that compensation is due for:
- Any supply interruption lasting more than five hours
- Where the fault is caused by the distribution network, including during exceptional events
- Where less than 20% of all end consumers supplied were affected
Compensation is calculated according to the following:
- €2 (excluding VAT) per kilovolt ampere (kVA) of power subscribed for each five-hour period of outage, if this power is less than or equal to 36 kVA
- €3.50 (excluding VAT) per kVA of power subscribed per five-hour period of outage, if this power is greater than 36 kVA.
Compensation is capped at 40 consecutive five-hour periods, which is the equivalent of 8.3 days or eight days and eight hours of power outage.
Read more: Does insurance cover food in fridge ruined after power cut in France?
7. Road accidents due to ice or snow
In the event of a road traffic accident due to snow or ice, your vehicle insurer does not have to cover the incident (even during unusually-cold weather) unless you have taken out comprehensive cover. Third-party liability cover only covers damage caused to third parties, not to your own vehicle.
This also applies in the event of injury as a result of the accident. If the accident causes disablement or death, any passengers will be compensated, but neither the driver nor their family will automatically be compensated unless the driver holds specific driver’s cover. Check your insurance policy for full details.
8. Skiing accident insurance rules
You may have insurance for skiing accidents as part of your household policy. Sometimes, these include cover for ‘civil liability in private life’ for damage caused to third parties, which also applies to skiing.
However, you will need extra insurance for any damage you suffer yourself. For this, you will need personal accident cover for you and/or your children. Check your policies before you head to the mountains.
Mountain rescue services, if you need them, do need to be paid for and if you do not have insurance, this can be extremely expensive (for example, last year, a helicopter in Courchevel cost €82 per minute for use during a skiing or hiking accident).
Make sure you have ‘snow, mountain, ski’ insurance at any French winter sports resorts, clubs or ski schools, and check your insurance terms before you hit the slopes. Similarly, take extreme care on off-piste routes; these are typically not covered by insurance policies.
9. Frozen pipes insurance
If your pipes and water system freezes as a result of very cold weather, most buildings insurance policies will not cover the damage if you cannot show that you took every precaution to avoid it.
Most policies require you to take preventative measures such as turning off the water, ensuring the heating keeps water above 0C, adding antifreeze, or otherwise protecting pipes.
If you fail to take these measures, your insurance can refuse to pay, or cut any payments by 50%. You are advised to ensure that you are following all of the insurance policy instructions to the letter so if your pipes still freeze, you stand a better chance of being able to claim.
10. Home insurance due to bad weather
France has a term called ‘catastrophe naturelle (natural disaster)’ which may apply to your insurance policy if your home is damaged by exceptional inclement weather (at all times of the year, including winter).
This state can only be declared by the government in a decree. Once the order has been published in the Journal Officiel, you have to file a claim with your insurer within 30 days.
This assurance catastrophe naturelle can be invoked for damage caused by natural disasters (earthquake, flood, drought, landslide) or other issues caused by violent weather.
Natural disaster insurance is included in all multi-risk home insurance policies (assurance multirisques habitation) held by the vast majority of homeowners in France.
You should check your insurance schedule for the specific terms of your contract and coverage.
11. ‘Snow days’ and work
You can refuse to go to work if poor weather conditions make travelling impossible or very dangerous (for example, if public transport is suspended, or roads are impassable as a result of snow or ice).
Your employer is not required to pay for these days and can also deduct the unpaid hours from your overall pay unless your contract states otherwise.
They can also ask you to work the lost hours later, or ask you to work from home instead.
12. Energy and heating financial aid
France has a financial aid scheme for household heating during the winter months; the chèque énergie.
The payment is means-tested, and sent to the 20% less well-off households in the country. It is sent automatically to individual people in a household that qualifies according to their most recent income tax statement.
It can be used to:
- pay energy bills
- purchase fuel
- certain energy-related work.
In 2023, the amount varied between €48 and €277 per year. The 2023 cheque expires on March 31, 2024.
