[Update November 1 at 08:00 - The government has now announced that fines will not be handed out for non-compliance with winter tyre rules until at least the end of 2022.]
A new month brings new changes for people in France - we outline nine changes which will take place in November 2022, including a new state aid for people heating their homes with oil, a quit-smoking campaign, the start of winter tyre rules in mountainous areas and more.
Taxe d’habitation payments for 20% of households
The 20% of French households which are still obliged to pay taxe d’habitation this year will need to do so in November.
If you do not pay online but rather by cheque, cash, card, TIP Sepa interbank transfer etc., the deadline is November 15.
For online payments through the impots.gouv.fr website or app, the deadline is November 20, and if you have a direct debit the money will be taken from your account on November 25.
Taxe d’habitation is slowly being phased out, and no one will have to pay it for their main residence in 2023. However, the tax will be maintained for all second-homes.
Read more: French taxe d’habitation: Who is fully exempt in 2022?
Read more: French second homes: taxe d’habitation rates continue to rise
Winter tyre rules enforced
On November 1, people driving without winter tyres or chains in mountainous areas where they are required will risk a fine of €135.
Read more: Are snow chains a permitted alternative to winter tyres in France?
Read more: Recap: France’s new snow tyre law starts, what you need to know
The Loi Montagne applies to 48 French departments, which can choose to implement the rules across their whole area, only in certain communes or not at all.
Cars, vans, buses and lorries are all concerned, with the only exception being cars fitted with studded tyres.
Vehicles such as cars, camper vans and vans can either use four winter tyres or, failing this, carry fabric socks or metal snow chains in their boot.
The snow chains or socks must be suitable for at least two ‘driving’ wheels and the driver must know how to fit them when needed.
If you buy winter tyres, they should be marked with ‘M+S’, ‘M.S’, ‘M&S’ or ‘3PMSF’
Winter tyre laws came into effect last year, but drivers were given a grace period, meaning that penalties will only be enforceable this winter.
The requirement will remain in place every year between November 1 and March 31, regardless of weather conditions.
The 48 departments in which winter tyre rules can be imposed are: Ain, Allier, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Hautes-Alpes, Alpes-Maritimes, Ardèche, Ariège, Aude, Aveyron, Cantal, Côte d’Or, Creuse, Doubs, Drôme, Eure-et-Loir, Gard, Haute-Garonne, Hérault, Isère, Jura, Loire, Haute-Loire, Lot, Lozère, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Nièvre, Puy-de-Dôme, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Hautes-Pyrénées, Pyrénées-Orientales, Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin, Rhône, Haute-Saône, Saône-et-Loire, Savoie, Haute-Savoie, Tarn, Tarn-et-Garonne, Var, Vaucluse, Haute-Vienne, Vosges, Yonne, Territoire de Belfort, Corse du Sud and Haute-Corse.
Drivers will be notified that they are entering a winter tyre zone by road signs.
Beginning of the trêve hivernale evictions ban
France’s trêve hivernale, which bans landlords from evicting tenants over the winter months, will begin on November 1. It will end on March 31, 2023.
This also means that energy producers cannot cut off a client’s electricity or gas if they fail to pay their bills, although they can reduce electrical voltage.
Support for those heating their homes with oil
Certain people who use heating oil in their homes will receive a cheque worth €100-€200 on November 8, depending on their income.
Read more: Fuel oil aid for homes in France: Who is eligible for the €100-200?
This will apply to people who received the government’s chèque énergie in 2022 and who used it to buy heating oil.
These people will be sent the new cheque automatically.
At the end of this year, 12 million households will also benefit from an exceptional chèque énergie.
You can find out more about these government aids here.
Fuel discount reduced
Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne announced at the height of the refinery strikes that have been affecting French fuel supply in recent weeks that the government’s 30-cent-per-litre fuel discount would be extended until November 15.
This is meant to make sure that people who have struggled to fill up their car over the past three weeks do not miss out on the last days of the increased discount, which had initially been set to end on November 1.
Read more: France’s 30-cent ‘at the pump’ fuel discount to be extended
After November 15, the reduction will be cut to 10 cents per litre, and will be removed altogether at the end of December.
TotalEnergies will also continue offering its 20-cent-per-litre discount until November 15, before reducing it to 10 cents.
Last prime exceptionnelle de rentrée payments sent
Since September 15, the government has been sending out primes exceptionnelles de rentrée payments to help lower-income households with the rising cost of living.
The support comes to €100, plus an extra €50 for each dependent child. Some 10.8 million households receiving state benefits or student bursaries were set to benefit.
On November 15, the last group of recipients – people who benefit from the prime d’activité for low-income workers – will get their payment. However, these peoples will only be paid €28, plus €14 for each dependent child.
Black Friday
Black Friday falls on November 25, the day when brands across much of the world offer discounts on their products ahead of Christmas.
Le Mois sans tabac
Smokers in France are invited in November to take part in the Mois sans tabac (Month without tobacco) to help them try to quit.
Participants can sign up to the website and find tools and advice that they can use to overcome their addiction.
This is the seventh year of Mois sans tabac. The government states that after 30 days without a cigarette, cravings are considerably reduced and the chances of stopping definitively are five times higher than they were at the start of the month.
Agirc-Arrco pensions increase by 5.12%
Some 13 million people who have Agirc-Arrco supplementary pension scheme will see it rise by 5.12% on November 1.
This figure is based on the average salary increase per head in 2022, which is 4.8%.
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