Reminder: Deadline to apply for wood energy vouchers is approaching
You have until May 31 to request government help with your wood heating bills
You may be eligible for financial help if you heat your home with logs, wood pellets or wood chips
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Those who heat their home with wood have fewer than two weeks to apply for government financial assistance.
The ‘exceptional energy vouchers’ were launched in December.
Aimed at easing the burden of soaring energy bills, they are in addition to traditional annual energy vouchers sent out in France to help modest-income households.
Originally, the application deadline was the end of April, but it has been pushed back to May 31 to allow more eligible households to apply. It is unlikely the deadline will be extended again.
The vouchers are worth between €50 and €200 and can be put towards the cost of wood (logs, chips, pellets, etc) that is used to heat homes.
The vouchers can be used in tandem with the annual chèque énergie to pay for resources (and bills). But you cannot apply for both the ‘exceptional’ wood and fuel oil energy vouchers.
France’s finance minister, Bruno Le Maire, recently announced that the exceptional vouchers would be discontinued as part of a wider effort to save up to €30billion of government spending by 2027.
The exceptional vouchers were introduced in December 2022, as an additional resource to help low-income households deal with increased energy costs throughout the winter period.
Read also: Date outlined for when France will end price freezes on energy bills
How do I know if I am eligible?
To be eligible for the special chèque énergie bois, you have to have an annual household income per consumption unit (RFR) of under €27,500 – around 70% of all households that heat their homes with wood fall into this category.
Households with a modest income below this level will receive €100 if they heat their homes with wood pellets, and €50 if they heat them with wood chips or logs.
Those with the most modest income (less than €14,400 per household income unit) will receive €200 if they heat their homes with pellets, and €100 for the other methods.
Aside from paying for wood resources, you can also use the wood voucher to pay for a bill in the same way you would with a traditional chèque énergie.
Read also: How to sell energy to the grid from your solar panels in France
Where can I apply?
You can check if you are eligible for the voucher, alongside making your application, through the government website here.
To make the claim, you will need your numéro fiscal.
If you have trouble with the portal, you can call the service’s helpline for free on 0805 204 805.
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