{"id":3181,"date":"2026-09-10T00:25:45","date_gmt":"2026-09-09T23:25:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/heating-costs-what-each-heating-option-really-costs-this-winter\/"},"modified":"2026-09-10T00:25:47","modified_gmt":"2026-09-09T23:25:47","slug":"heating-costs-what-each-heating-option-really-costs-this-winter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/heating-costs-what-each-heating-option-really-costs-this-winter\/","title":{"rendered":"Heating Costs: What Each Heating Option Really Costs This Winter"},"content":{"rendered":"
The first heating bill arrives in a few weeks<\/h2>\n
A home heated with electricity in France uses on average 4 312 kWh over the heating season, from October to March. At the regulated price, that amounts to roughly \u20ac836 for a single winter. The same house, cooled all summer, costs \u20ac59. The ratio between the two items ranges from 10 to 75 depending on configurations, and that is not abnormal: increasing from 5 to 19 \u00b0C in January requires producing a 14-degree gap, whereas cooling from 33 to 26 \u00b0C in August only asks for 7.<\/p>\n
This is the item where a household has the most to gain, and it is also where the most false ideas circulate. The first of these concerns the price of the kilowatt-hour: it\u2019s the figure everyone compares, and it\u2019s the wrong one.<\/p>\nRead also<\/span> Parcel scam: the photo of your package is generated by AI, and that\u2019s not the real trap<\/span><\/section>\n
The verdict in one sentence: the real cost is calculated in euros per useful kilowatt-hour, including the equipment\u2019s efficiency, which places a heat pump around \u20ac780 per year, while direct electric heating exceeds \u20ac2,400 and no electric radiator, regardless of its price, consumes less than another.<\/p>\n
<\/figure>\n
The price of the kWh: the figure everyone watches<\/h2>\n
Here are the rates recorded for 2026, in euro cents per kilowatt-hour. These are the figures that feed the usual comparisons.<\/p>\n
\n
\n\n
\n
Energy<\/th>\n
Price per kWh<\/th>\n
Note<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
\n
\n
Wood pellets in blocks<\/td>\n
4.20 to 6.30 c\u20ac<\/td>\n
Reserved for silo-equipped setups<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Logs<\/td>\n
7.00 c\u20ac<\/td>\n
The cheapest fuel accessible to all<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Pellets in bulk<\/td>\n
7.1 to 7.4 c\u20ac<\/td>\n
Truck-deliverable, silo required<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Pellets in bags<\/td>\n
7.5 to 8.0 c\u20ac<\/td>\n
The most common format for households<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
District heating network<\/td>\n
7.72 c\u20ac<\/td>\n
Available only in certain towns<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Natural gas<\/td>\n
12.76 c\u20ac<\/td>\n
Excluding subscription<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Domestic fuel oil<\/td>\n
18.51 c\u20ac<\/td>\n
New installations banned since 2022<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Read as is, the ranking seems straightforward: wood dominates, electricity costs three times more than pellets. Yet this table does not tell you what you pay to heat your living room. It tells you what you pay to buy raw energy, not the same thing.<\/p>\nRead also<\/span> Fast fashion tax: what Shein and Temu will really cost you in addition<\/span><\/section>\n
The real calculation: the cost of the useful kilowatt-hour<\/h2>\n
Between the energy purchased and the heat that arrives in the room, there is a piece of equipment, and this equipment has an efficiency. A condensing boiler returns about 90% of what it consumes. A pellet stove, 85%. A heat pump, on the other hand, produces 3 to 4 kWh of heat for 1 kWh of electricity consumed: its efficiency exceeds 300% because it does not generate heat; it relocates it.<\/p>\n
The table then changes completely. For a need of 12,000 kWh of heat per year, which corresponds to a properly insulated 100 m\u00b2 house:<\/p>\n
The gap between the top and bottom of the table reaches \u20ac1,620 per year. Over ten years, that\u2019s more than \u20ac16,000, which is the price of installing an air-to-water heat pump, with or without subsidies deducted.<\/p>\nRead also<\/span> Phone ban at school: what the law really says, and what science thinks<\/span><\/section>\n
Two observations that are almost always missing in this type of comparison. First, the COP announced for a heat pump is measured under standardized conditions: in very cold weather, it falls, and a heat pump sized badly will fall back on its electric resistance, bringing it back to the cost of direct electric heating. Second, pellets saw a spike in 2022 that doubled their price in a few months. A fuel that is cheap today is not necessarily cheap for ten years.<\/p>\n
The installation cost, the other half of the equation<\/h2>\n
\n
\n\n
\n
Equipment<\/th>\n
Installation<\/th>\n
Annual bill<\/th>\n
Cost over 10 years<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
\n
\n
Electric radiators (6 units)<\/td>\n
600 to 4 000 \u20ac<\/td>\n
~2 400 \u20ac<\/td>\n
~24 600 to 28 000 \u20ac<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Gas condensing boiler<\/td>\n
3 000 to 7 000 \u20ac<\/td>\n
~1 390 \u20ac<\/td>\n
~16 900 to 20 900 \u20ac<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Pellet stove<\/td>\n
3 000 to 8 000 \u20ac<\/td>\n
~990 \u20ac as main supplement<\/td>\n
~12 900 to 17 900 \u20ac<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Air-water heat pump<\/td>\n
10 000 to 16 000 \u20ac<\/td>\n
~780 \u20ac<\/td>\n
~17 800 to 23 800 \u20ac<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Pellet boiler<\/td>\n
10 000 to 20 000 \u20ac<\/td>\n
~990 \u20ac<\/td>\n
~19 900 to 29 900 \u20ac<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n
The rankings tighten up, and that is where subsidies become decisive: a heat pump subsidized up to \u20ac5,000 outruns a gas boiler over ten years. Without aid and with a \u20ac16,000 installation, it remains behind.<\/p>\n
The pellet stove holds a particular place. On paper, it offers the best investment-to-bill ratio in the table, but it heats a volume, not a house: in a partitioned or multi-story dwelling, a supplement is necessary, and the calculation degrades.<\/p>\nRead also<\/span> Plug-and-play solar kit: what it really yields since the June reform<\/span><\/section>\n
One word on the carbon footprint, since it increasingly enters decisions and the energy performance certificate (DPE). For 15,000 kWh useful, there are about 85 kg CO\u2082 with a heat pump, 325 kg with pellets, 1,766 kg with natural gas, and 2,181 kg with fuel oil. The gap between the first and the last is a factor of 25.<\/p>\n
<\/figure>\n
The myth that costs French people the most<\/h2>\n
This is the most useful section of this dossier, and it can be summed up in one physics sentence: all electric radiators have an efficiency close to 100%<\/strong>. A convector at \u20ac40 turns one kilowatt-hour of electricity into one kilowatt-hour of heat. A dual-core inertia radiator at \u20ac1,200 does exactly the same. It cannot do better, because nothing is lost: every kilowatt-hour consumed becomes heat in the room.<\/p>\n
The consumer association UFC-Que Choisir is categorical on this point and terms the idea that an inertia radiator \u201ckeeps heating after it\u2019s turned off\u201d as a deceptive marketing claim. It merely dissipates, with a delay, the heat it has already consumed.<\/p>\nRead also<\/span> Nicaragua buried its canal at $50 billion, then quietly relaunched the project elsewhere<\/span><\/section>\n
Better comfort, quick heat-up, good compromise<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Inertia<\/td>\n
\u20ac70 to \u20ac1,100<\/td>\n
Identical<\/td>\n
Soft, stable heat, slow start<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Dual-core<\/td>\n
\u20ac300 to \u20ac1,200<\/td>\n
Identical<\/td>\n
Speed and comfort combined, at a price that raises questions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n
Where do savings on electric heating come from, then? In three things only: thermostat precision, scheduling, and the home\u2019s insulation. Replacing six convectors with six high-end inertia radiators costs between \u20ac1,500 and \u20ac6,000 and will not lower consumption. Invest the same amount in insulating the attic, for instance, and you\u2019ll likely see a bigger impact.<\/p>\n
Scams to Avoid Before Spending a Dime<\/h2>\n
The energy-saver box<\/strong> reappears every autumn via telemarketing, with a promise of 20% savings on the bill. The salespeople often have precise personal information, which makes the call credible. The device does not reduce a residential household\u2019s consumption: what the meter measures is active energy, and no box plugged into a socket decreases it by a fifth. The rule is simple: no serious savings are achieved without modifying either the equipment, the insulation, or the usage.<\/p>\n
Renovation-energy marketing<\/strong> follows the same pattern. The details to demand before signing: complete identification of the company, an up-to-date RGE qualification to be eligible for MaPrimeR\u00e9nov\u2019, a detailed protocol, costs excluding VAT (HT) and including VAT (TTC). No payment before completion, and a 14-day cooling-off period applies for a contract signed outside a business location.<\/p>\nRead also<\/span> Amid Western delivery uncertainty, Ukraine moves to official purchase of its Equalizer drone<\/span><\/section>\n
What lowers the bill without works<\/h2>\n
Before changing systems, there remains room for maneuver that ADEME quantifies precisely.<\/p>\n
\n
Lower the comfort temperature by one degree, and you save about 7% of consumption.<\/strong> On a \u20ac836 electricity bill for heating, that\u2019s around \u20ac60 for a single degree. Going from 21 to 19 \u00b0C in living rooms translates to about \u20ac120.<\/li>\n
A programmable thermostat can deliver up to 15% savings<\/strong>\u2014up to \u20ac270 per year on an \u20ac1,800 electricity bill, and up to \u20ac210 on a \u20ac1,400 gas bill. It\u2019s the best return on investment in this dossier: a connected thermostat costs between \u20ac150 and \u20ac250 and is paid back in a single heating season.<\/li>\n
Heat bedrooms to 17 \u00b0C instead of 20 \u00b0C<\/strong>\u2014you sleep better, and the room spends twelve hours a day unoccupied.<\/li>\n
Purge radiators and service the boiler every year<\/strong>\u2014a radiator with an air pocket heats poorly and costs as much.<\/li>\n
Close shutters and curtains at night<\/strong>, open them in the daytime on the sunny side. A single-glazed window loses most of its heat through radiation at night.<\/li>\n
Ventilate 5 to 10 minutes per day, with heating off<\/strong>. Dry air heats faster than humid air, and short ventilation costs less than continuous airing through a slightly ajar window.<\/li>\n
Avoid covering radiators with laundry or furniture<\/strong>, which blocks convection and nudges the thermostat toward overheating.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Combined, these gestures commonly account for 20 to 25% of the bill. It isn\u2019t spectacular per item, but it\u2019s immediate and free.<\/p>\n
Useful gear: a tado\u00b0 V3 connected thermostat for a boiler, or connected thermostat heads to control an existing central heating room by room\u2014the cheapest solution when you can\u2019t touch the boiler, such as in a condo.<\/p>\nRead also<\/span> In a remote canyon in Yunnan, a giant glass elevator upends daily school life in a village<\/span><\/section>\n
<\/figure>\n
The thermostat decree: what changed at the end of 2025<\/h2>\n
This is little publicized information, yet structurally important. Decree no. 2023-444 of June 7, 2023 made the installation of a programmable thermostat mandatory on existing residential heating systems by January 1, 2027. Decree no. 2025-1343 of December 26, 2025 postponed this deadline to January 1, 2030.<\/p>\n
What remains in force: for new constructions with building permits filed from January 1, 2027, the obligation applies on that date. And there is an exemption when the installation is not technically or economically feasible, notably if the payback time exceeds ten years, with supporting evidence.<\/p>\n
The practical consequence is counter-intuitive: postponement is not a reason to wait. A thermostat pays for itself in one heating season; obligation or not does not change this calculation. Owners bear the installation cost, tenants the maintenance.<\/p>\nRead also<\/span> This 400 million euro French bridge has cost taxpayers nothing since its opening in Millau in 2004<\/span><\/section>\n
Avaliable subsidies in 2026<\/h2>\n
MaPrimeR\u00e9nov\u2019 remains the main scheme to switch heating systems. The amounts by action, for a standalone installation:<\/p>\n
\n
\n\n
\n
Equipment<\/th>\n
Very low income<\/th>\n
Low income<\/th>\n
Medium<\/th>\n
High<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
\n
\n
Air-to-water heat pump<\/td>\n
\u20ac5,000<\/td>\n
\u20ac4,000<\/td>\n
\u20ac3,000<\/td>\n
Not eligible<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Geothermal or solar-thermal heat pump<\/td>\n
\u20ac11,000<\/td>\n
\u20ac9,000<\/td>\n
\u20ac6,000<\/td>\n
Not eligible<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Air-to-air heat pump<\/td>\n
Excluded from standalone measure; eligible only in a broader renovation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n
The conditions to know before getting a quote: principal residence, dwelling at least fifteen years old, COP of at least 3.4, minimum power of 3 kW, and above all installation by a certified RGE professional. Without RGE, no aid.<\/p>\n
Potential combinations further reduce the bill: energy-savings certificates open to all households, a heating boost for replacing an oil, gas or coal boiler, a zero-interest eco-loan up to \u20ac30,000 over twenty years, and VAT at 5.5% on air-to-water and geothermal heat pumps. In the case of a substantial renovation, the CEE are integrated into the overall aid rather than requested separately.<\/p>\nRead also<\/span> Commando anti-nuclear? Jellyfish again take over a French power plant<\/span><\/section>\n
Any change of the heating system, which is a co-op matter<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Apartment, independent electric heating<\/td>\n
Thermostat and programming, insulation, possibly a reversible air conditioner if allowed by the building<\/td>\n
Replacing convectors with high-end inertia radiators: no savings in consumption<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
House, recent gas boiler<\/td>\n
Keep it, maintain it, add a programmable thermostat<\/td>\n
Replace a condenser boiler younger than ten years<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
House, old oil or gas boiler<\/td>\n
Air-to-water heat pump with MaPrimeR\u00e9nov\u2019 and a heating boost: best subsidized case<\/td>\n
Stay on oil, whose new installation has been banned since 2022<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Poorly insulated house, rated F or G<\/td>\n
Insulate first \u2014 attic, then walls. A heat pump on a thermally leaky envelope will rely on its auxiliary resistance<\/td>\n
Change the generator before the envelope<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
House with easy wood access<\/td>\n
Pellet stove or log stove as the main heating for the living area<\/td>\n
Count on it to heat a partitioned floor<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Off-grid dwelling<\/td>\n
Heat pump or pellets<\/td>\n
Propane, at more than \u20ac2,100 per year for 12,000 kWh<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Tenant<\/td>\n
Free measures, thermostatic heads, door seals, thick curtains<\/td>\n
Any heavy investment, which is the landlord\u2019s responsibility<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n
Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
What is the cheapest heating in 2026?<\/h3>\n
The air-to-water heat pump, at around \u20ac780 per year for 12,000 kWh of heat, ahead of pellets at around \u20ac990. The calculation takes into account the equipment\u2019s efficiency: the heat pump produces 3 to 4 kWh of heat for each 1 kWh of electricity, which offsets a kilowatt-hour price that is roughly three times higher than wood.<\/p>\n
Does an inertia radiator consume less than a convector?<\/h3>\n
No. All electric radiators have nearly 100% efficiency: one kilowatt-hour consumed yields one kilowatt-hour of heat, regardless of the model. What changes is comfort, temperature stability, and thermostat accuracy. UFC-Que Choisir calls the claim that an inertia radiator \u201ckeeps heating after off\u201d a deceptive marketing argument.<\/p>\n
How much does electric heating cost per year in France?<\/h3>\n
About \u20ac836 for a heating season from October to March, based on an average consumption of 4 312 kWh at the regulated rate, i.e. nearly \u20ac140 per month over that period. For a 100 m\u00b2 house needing 12,000 kWh of heat, the bill exceeds \u20ac2,400 per year.<\/p>\nRead also<\/span> Naval ships from China and Russia circle Japan, a show that worries Tokyo<\/span><\/section>\n
Will a thermostat be mandatory in 2027?<\/h3>\n
More for existing homes. Decree no. 2025-1343 of December 26, 2025 moved the deadline from January 1, 2027 to January 1, 2030. The obligation remains applicable for new constructions where the permit is filed after this date.<\/p>\n
How much can you save by lowering heating by one degree?<\/h3>\n
About 7% of consumption per degree, according to ADEME. On an \u20ac836 electric heating bill, that\u2019s roughly \u20ac60 for a single degree. Moving from 21 to 19 \u00b0C in living spaces saves about \u20ac120 per season, with no investment required.<\/p>\n
What subsidies exist for installing a heat pump in 2026?<\/h3>\n
MaPrimeR\u00e9nov\u2019 provides \u20ac3,000 to \u20ac5,000 for an air-to-water heat pump and \u20ac6,000 to \u20ac11,000 for geothermal, depending on income; households with higher incomes are no longer eligible for the isolated measure. Add energy-savings certificates (EEC), a zero-interest eco-loan up to \u20ac30,000, and a 5.5% VAT on air-to-water and geothermal heat pumps. Installation by a certified professional (RGE) is mandatory.<\/p>\nRead also<\/span> In France, 27,500 hectares of vineyards were uprooted with no replanting plan<\/span><\/section>\n
Do energy-saving boxes work?<\/h3>\n
No. These devices, sold by telemarketing with a promise of 20% savings, do not reduce the consumption of a residential dwelling. The meter measures active energy, and no plug-in box can subtract a fifth. The real levers are the equipment, the insulation, and the usage.<\/p>\n
Verdict<\/h2>\n
Three decisions shape the heating bill, and they are not taken in the order suggested by the telemarketing.<\/p>\n
The first is free: one degree less, hourly programming, radiators cleared and purged. Between 20 and 25% of the bill, available this week, with no quotes and no work. The second costs between \u20ac150 and \u20ac250: a programmable or connected thermostat, up to 15% savings according to ADEME, paid back in a single heating season. The postponement of the requirement to 2030 changes nothing about this calculation.<\/p>\nRead also<\/span> Domestic work is going uber in India, with opportunities for women and fears of abuse<\/span><\/section>\n
The third is a heavy investment, and it is the only one that deserves several quotes and some patience. A heat pump replacing an old oil or gas boiler remains the best-subsidized move in 2026, with up to \u20ac5,000 from MaPrimeR\u00e9nov\u2019 plus the CEE. But on an F or G-rated house, the order reverses: insulation comes first, or risk seeing the heat pump settle on its resistance in very cold weather and cost like a convector.<\/p>\n
What remains the easiest savings to make is the one that costs nothing: do not replace six convectors with six inertia radiators and hope for lower consumption. Physics forbids it, and \u20ac1,500 to \u20ac6,000 would be better spent in the attic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3182,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2303,2302,2304,195],"class_list":["post-3181","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-costs","tag-heating","tag-option","tag-winter","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3181","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3181"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3181\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3183,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3181\/revisions\/3183"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3182"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3181"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3181"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3181"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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