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14 recent and upcoming changes in France you may have missed in October
Includes ongoing water restrictions and rise in gas price
Published
We review changes (and news items) which have been made, together with some announced but not yet in place, and list certain key ones that may affect residents of France.
Water restrictions: 94 departments affected
Water restrictions remain in place across much of France following a summer of intense heat and low rainfall.
As of October 22, at least 90 departments of mainland France had areas subject to restrictions or calls to save water. Some 63 departments have at least one zone at the highest crise (crisis) level. All of Brittany is at crisis level. Check restrictions locally at vigieau.gouv.fr.
In affected areas, non-priority water withdrawals are suspended with exemptions limited to essential needs.
A further 18 departments have areas at alerte renforcée. Restrictions at this level can include tighter limits on watering gardens, green spaces and golf courses, filling pools and washing cars.
Groundwater reserves remain under pressure following months of dry weather, with sustained rainfall needed to replenish them and improve conditions ahead of winter.
Gas prices to rise
Some six million households are set to see their monthly gas prices increase by an average of 6.6% from November 1.
The rise will affect around 60% of residential gas subscribers, whose contracts are indexed to the Commission de régulation de l’énergie (CRE)'s reference price.
The CRE estimated that affected households will pay an average of €12 more on their November bill, including VAT, compared to the previous month.
This comes after prices rose by 5.6% on average in September and 6.3% in October.
The rise has been linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and to historically low European gas stocks. Households with fixed-price gas contracts will not be affected.
Stricter overdraft rules
Incoming rules will require French banks to more closely scrutinise the finances of anyone applying for an overdraft or looking to increase their limit.
The changes come into force from November 20. Existing overdrafts, or those agreed before this deadline, are not affected.
Current rules require banks to carry out solvency checks only on account holders applying for overdrafts of €200 or more or those that rolled over and lasted more than a month.
The new rules insist on checks regardless of the amount. Banks may choose to reject the overdraft request based on these checks.
Banks must also give clients clearer information about overdrafts, including fees.
E-gate facial recognition upgrade
An upgrade to facial recognition technology at airports across the UK means Britons will soon no longer need to scan passports to enter the country.
The changes should speed up the process of border control at e-gates by up to 25%.
The advances are set to be introduced in the coming weeks at Birmingham and East Midlands airports, following a successful trial at Manchester airport last year.
The systems should be rolled out to all UK airports that use e-gates early next year. The scheme will initially only apply to Britons, but could later be extended to all passport holders who are eligible to use e-gates. This includes Americans, Canadians, Australians, and EU citizens. Travellers will still need to bring their passports with them for international travel.
Heat pump aid
The government’s social leasing scheme for heat pumps opened on October 1, with the aim of installing heat pumps in around 55,000 homes over the next two years.
It is open to occupants of detached homes who fall into ‘very modest’ or ‘modest’ income levels. They must currently be using a gas or oil heating system.
The scheme will lease out funds of up to €9,800 to cover installation costs, which are paid back over three years as part of the energy bills settled. The government says these bills will be equal or lower than their current amounts, even with paying back the loan. After three years, when the full amount has been paid, bills will be cut by half.
Households should apply through participating companies: currently CapConfort, Izy by EDF, PAC'TE français, Octopus x Effy, Réflex, and Sonepar. Check their websites for more information.
Change to rental agreements
Since the start of October, landlords benefit from a shortened six-week timeframe for initiating an automatic termination clause, allowing them to end the lease early "in the event of a tenant breach" (such as unpaid rent or failure to provide a security deposit).
Alongside this mandatory change, optional clauses in tenancy agreements and renewals include a ban on hosting the property on tourist rental sites and including both the landlord’s and tenant’s mobile numbers on the lease.
Pool draining warning
Pool owners are being warned of the risks of draining pools entirely of water for the winter season, as changes in soil conditions can see structures face increased pressure.
It can lead to hydrostatic uplift (remontée hydrostatique), lifting the pool by several centimetres and causing it to become misaligned from surface level features. In some cases, pool walls and shells can begin to crack.
It can happen across France, but particularly where clay soils are prevalent alongside high water tables.
Recommended water levels differ between pools, the materials they are made of and surrounding soils, but specialists generally recommend keeping it around 10cm below the jets. Contact a local pool expert or the company who installed your pool for specific advice.
Information on funeral costs
Funeral directors must now give families a standardised information sheet about funeral rights and costs, including mandatory services for organising the funeral, and services required only in specific situations, for example, to comply with health regulations.
The leaflet must inform families that obtaining a quote is free and does not require a family to sign up with that director.
Housing benefit increase
The aide personnalisée au logement (APL) housing benefit increased by 1.15% in October.
This is slightly higher than the 1.04% increase last year, however no change is expected in 2027 as the government announced plans to freeze the benefit in the 2027 budget.
You can check if you are eligible using the official Service public help site.
New tow and impound fees
New fees for impounding and associated costs have come into effect.
Rates are now: physical immobilisation (wheel clamping): €7.60; pre-impoundment operations (moving the vehicle): €15.20; removal: €135 (up from €127.65); daily storage: €7.15 (up from €6.75); preparation for sale: €100.
Note that in Paris, Lyon, Toulouse, and Marseille, costs can differ.
Access to labour courts
Changes to the application process for a hearing at a labour court (conseil de prud’hommes) came into force on October 1.
The number of supporting documents required to request a hearing over a labour dispute with an employer has decreased. For example, evidence will only be required once the initial request has been processed, rather than for the initial submission.
Pet owner data stolen
A hacker claims to be selling data from I-CAD, France’s mandatory pet registry, covering 2.9 million people, mostly pet owners, and 50,000 vets. The data reportedly includes names, microchip numbers and animals’ birth dates. The claim has not been confirmed. Owners are urged to watch for scams.
Free heating simulator
Homeowners can now use a free simulator on the France Chaleur Urbaine website to find renewable alternatives to fossil fuel heating, including heat pumps, geothermal energy, wood-fired boilers and district heating.
Users enter their address and heating and property details. Results show estimated annual costs, savings versus gas, installation costs and technical requirements. Where nothing suits, the tool suggests energy-saving tips and aids available.
Supermarket SIMs return
Carrefour has relaunched its mobile brand more than a decade after leaving the sector, offering no-commitment plans on Orange’s network from €6.90 a month. Auchan has responded with €2 monthly discounts for cardholders. Lidl is said to be preparing to enter the market and Leclerc’s Réglo Mobile continues on SFR’s network.
Meanwhile, SFR is raising most bills by €1.49 to €4.99 a month. Orange is increasing some plans by €2. Such changes are legal with a month’s notice; customers then have four months to cancel penalty-free.
