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Hydroelectric conversions boost demand for historic French watermills
Laws on restoring rivers mean many are now threatened with removal
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MaPrimeRénov and local grants: how to get financial help for home renovations in France
Applications for the scheme reopened in October
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Requirement to equip French homes with programmable thermostats postponed
Homeowners now have until 2030 to set up the devices
Power-hungry vacuum cleaners banned
New vacuum cleaners of more than 900W and noisier than 80decibels are no longer allowed in France in a move to cut energy wastage.
Officials say that across the EU vacuums use twice as much power per year as the French train network.
A previous ban limiting vacuums to 1,600W in 2014 has been credited with improving efficiency and cleaning performance. Tests by the consumer group 60 Millions de Consommateurs found 900W machines cleaned as well as the larger and noisier ones.
The ban, in force across the EU, also limits dust emissions to 1% and says motors must have a minimum 500 hours of life.
