How to get additional aid to replace an oil-fired boiler in France

Homeowners looking to replace their oil-fired boiler with a more environmentally-friendly alternative can now take advantage of up to €1,500 of additional aid.

Called the ‘Coup de boost fioul’, the measure was announced at the end of October and is available until the end of June 2023.

It applies to installations of heat pumps, biomass boilers, combined solar systems or connections to a heating network supplied mainly by renewable or recovered energy.

The money is provided by the government and supplements the ‘Coup de pouce chauffage’ grant already offered by energy suppliers as part of France’s energy saving certificate scheme (CEE).

Read more: CEE: France’s home renovation grant for main and second homes

Who can benefit from the CEE scheme?

Any household with an oil-fired boiler can benefit from the CEE scheme but the amount paid out differs according to the nature of the work and the owners’ level of income.

Read more: Do I have to be a resident to get France’s CEE home renovation grant?

Households on low incomes are entitled to a higher premium.

The table below shows ceilings for low-income households in 2022, divided between the Ile-de-France region and the rest of the country. If your yearly household income is less than that shown, you will be eligible for more aid.

For installations of biomass boilers, heat pumps or a combined solar system, the government top-up sees the total bonus increase:

• from €4,000 to €5,000 for low-income households
• from €2,500 to €4,000 for middle and high income households.

For connections to a heating network, the available aid increases:

• from €700 to €1,000 for low-income households
• from €450 to €900 for middle and high-income households.

The new bonus is a temporary measure. The estimate for any work done must be signed before June 30, 2023 and the work itself completed by December 31, 2023 at the latest.

How do I sign up?

You will need to select an energy company in the Coup de pouce chauffage scheme and accept the offer from the supplier or its partner before signing any work estimate.

Only professionals with a status called Reconnu garant de l’environnement (RGE) can carry out the work (a directory is available here).

After the work is finished, homeowners must send supporting documents to the energy company or its partner. This may include invoices and a signed certificate summarising the work.

The subsidies can be combined with the MaPrimeRénov’ grant, available to anyone who owns a house in France and lives in it as their main residence or landlords who rent it out as a main home.

It, too, is income based so the more a household earns the less money it is eligible for – but all households qualify for some help. You can read an explanation of the breakdown of costs in our article here.

Note that the Ma Prime Rénov grant includes the €1,000 bonus introduced by the government earlier this year for the replacement of an oil or gas-fired boiler.

Since July 1 it has no longer been possible to install a new oil-fired boiler (chaudière au fioul) in any French home for environmental reasons.

Related articles:

Can I still get an oil boiler in my French home if no other option?

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

What are the rules for having gas boilers serviced in France?