Extra €1,000 available in grants to replace a gas boiler in France

People who apply for green renovation grants to help them replace a gas or oil-powered boiler with a more environmentally-friendly heating system will be eligible from today (April 15) for up to an extra €1,000.

The government announced the measure in mid-March as part of an economic plan aiming to mitigate rising energy costs caused by the Ukraine war and to reduce France’s reliance on Russian gas and oil.

Read more:Energy, fuel, transport: France’s ‘resilience’ financial aid plan

Eligible heating system alternatives include heat pumps (including hybrids) or biomass boilers.

Read more:Explained: How to apply for a renovation grant for your French home

The extra money will be available until the end of 2022.

Currently, an air-to-water heat pump costs €10,000 to €15,000 (including installation). Very low-income households looking to purchase one can get total grants of up to €8,000, and low-income households up to €7,000.

Around half of this money comes from the MaPrimeRénov scheme, and the other from Certificats d’économies d’énergie (CEE).

Anyone who owns a house in France and lives in it as their main residence or rents it out can benefit from the MaPrimeRénov’ grant.

It is income based so the more a household earns the less money it is eligible for but even higher earners should, in theory, be eligible for some money. You can read an explanation of the breakdown of costs in our article here.

Ecological Transition Minister Barbara Pompili has said that switching from gas boilers to more eco-friendly alternatives can make your annual energy bills three times lower.

More than one million heat pumps were sold in France in 2021.

Beware scams

Jean-Yves Mano, head of consumer association Consommation Logement Cadre de Vie (CLCV) said that people thinking of making energy-saving renovations should be aware of scams.

He warned particularly about fairs or exhibitions showcasing energy-saving options.

He also said that telephone calls offering energy-saving products or renovations are banned in France.

He advised anyone looking to make renovations to seek help from France Rénov, the government’s eco-renovation platform.

You can read about how the platform works and how to apply for grants in our article here:

Explained: How to apply for a renovation grant for your French home

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