Heating oil prices in France near €1.90 a litre ahead of winter

Homeowners in France who use heating oil to warm their homes could face higher bills as winter approaches, with the average price close to €1.90 a litre.

Heating oil, known as fioul domestique in France, is widely used in rural areas, where homes may not be connected to the mains gas network.

The average price reached €1.8926 a litre on October 9 for orders of between 2,000 and 4,999 litres.

An average household uses between 1,500 and 3,000 litres per year. This means that, at this price, ordering 2,000 litres would cost €3,785.20, making it a significant expense.

The price is higher than at the previous major increase in March 2022, when a litre cost €1.7547. Filling a 2,000-litre tank now costs around €276 more than it did at that time.

By comparison, the average price reached €1.0244 a litre in February 2012 and €1.0164 in October 2018.

After the increase in 2022 (€1.7547), prices dropped to €1.1303 a litre in June 2023.

There have also been periods of sharp price falls at other times seeing a litre cost €0.5114 in March 2009 and €0.5434 in January 2016.

However, the October 9 increase is still below the latest September peak.

Households cut back on heating oil

The high cost has already changed the way households heat their homes and manage their fuel supplies. 

A report broadcast by France 2 in late September described customers ordering smaller quantities instead of filling their tanks completely, while others are planning to heat only certain rooms or use wood-burning stoves alongside their oil-fired heating to reduce consumption.

The owner of fuel supplier Tartavel Énergies also said that orders at his business had fallen by 20%-25% this year. 

TotalEnergies announces price reduction

Households, however, could see some relief as TotalEnergies is set to introduce a reduction of €200 per 1,000 litres of domestic heating oil.

The measure will run from November 1 to January 31, 2027 and was announced following the government's plan to release 10 million barrels of diesel from strategic reserves to help reduce fuel prices. 

The reduction is equivalent to 20 cents per litre, or €400 on a 2,000-litre order, if the full discount applies.

However, homeowners should check the prices and conditions offered by their supplier before ordering, as the announced discount does not mean every customer will pay the same final price.