Target 2028. Noted for their environmental impact, diesel boilers should have completely disappeared from French homes in less than six years, according to government plans. Today, approximately 3.5 million homes are still equipped with it, or 12% of homes in France.
With the support of various aid schemes, the replacement rate of these polluting boilers has accelerated in recent years. And the movement could still grow in a context of rising fuel prices. “A lot of people uninstall them,” he confirms to West of France a heating engineer from La Manche.
At Effy, a company specializing in energy rehabilitation, requests to replace diesel boilers have increased by 70% compared to last year. If the increase in the price of fuel oil has something to do with this, a recent change in regulations may also have encouraged affected French people to abandon fuel oil faster than expected.
From July 1 it is forbidden to have a diesel boiler installed in your home (but not to continue having it). A move likely “misunderstood” by some people who rushed to replace their heating system, according to Audrey Zermati, energy renovation specialist and chief strategy officer at Effy.
Decrease in aid at the beginning of the year
The implementation and strengthening of financial aid has allowed the dynamics to start in recent years. Among the main ones: MaPrimeRénov’ and especially the CEE (energy saving certificates), in particular through the Coup de Pouce Heating bonus. Combined, these devices allow, for example, a modest household to benefit from up to 9,000 euros in aid to replace a diesel boiler with a heat pump at 12,000 euros. If the remainder to pay remains substantial, it can quickly become profitable when the price of domestic fuel oil has already increased by almost 70% in a year, going from 897.75 euros per 1,000 liters in August 2021 to 1,517.71 euros today. , according to INSEE.
Despite the strong demand, aid for energy rehabilitation works -and in particular for energy saving certificates- has drastically decreased in recent months, as confirmed by data from the Ministry for Ecological Transition. These are decisions of the public authorities that had the effect of lowering the “price” of the EWCs and therefore the premiums resulting from them.
The reduction of these aids may have meant a slight slowdown in the interventions for the replacement of diesel boilers at the beginning of the year. Just as the “anxiety-provoking general context” with the start of the war in Ukraine may have encouraged consumers to “compromise” during the first half of the year, says Frédéric Plan, general delegate of the French Federation of Fuels, Fuels and heating (FF3C).
“Insufficient” support?
But this drop in aid “has not stopped the dynamic of intentions”, assures Audrey Zermati, affirming that “the trend is still strong”. Especially since the government has decided to increase the level of aid from the EEC that had been reduced. MaPrimeRenov’s budget has also been slightly revised upwards to €2.45bn as part of the 2023 finance bill (compared to €2bn in 2022, before a €400m extension).
While these additional funds are welcome, they are still “insufficient” for Audrey Zermati, especially “in view of what we spend on emergency measures for fossil fuels” through the gas tariff shield or the fuel discount. In addition, 70% of the aid for energy rehabilitation is destined for a change in the heating system. “Aids for isolation are very little requested” while this work may be essential, still laments the director of Effy’s Strategy. Audrey Zermati calls for “maintaining aid for heating” at the same time that aid for insulation is reinforced.
Among the aid for the replacement of a heating system, 90% is intended for the installation of a heat pump, according to Effy (gas boilers with very high energy efficiency are no longer eligible for the EEC boost from July 2021 ). The fuel oil industry is counting on the arrival of biofuels to reactivate itself. “The logistics are ready”, emphasizes Frédéric Plan, who only expects in the next few days the publication of a decree in the Official Gazette to officially start the commercialization of this new energy.
Complete order books?
Do homes that heat with oil have to rush to change their heating system? Audrey Zermati recalls that the subsidy for the installation of a renewable energy boiler through MaPrimeRenov’ has been increased by 1,000 euros (maximum 11,000 euros) for files submitted between April 15 and December 31, 2022. And nothing says that this additional boost will be extended next year.
However, as the demand is particularly high, it must be ensured that the company contacted can install the new heating system on time, ie this winter. “There may be a risk that the order book will be filled,” warns Audrey Zermati. Meanwhile, people who heat themselves with fuel oil will be able to benefit from aid of up to 200 euros to deal with the rise in prices.
Source: BFM TV
