Why is heating oil not included in the French state’s fuel discount?

Reader Question: Why has domestic heating oil been excluded from the list of fuels benefitting from the French government’s 18-cent-per-litre discount?

On April 1, the government introduced a discount reaching 18 cents per litre in mainland France on all road and boat fuels.

Read more:Recap: how to benefit from France’s 18 cent-per-litre fuel discount

“It benefits all private and professional users: road and rail vehicles, boats and ships (including transport, tourism and fishing), farming and forestry vehicles, construction vehicles, public service vehicles [...] and the stationary engines of businesses,” the government said in a statement.

This list shows that the discount is focused on fuel used for different forms of transport and services rather than home central heating.

“The government has not taken measures regarding heating oil, which consumers are waiting for,” Frédéric Plan of the Fédération des combustibles, carburants et chauffage told Nice Matin.

“Its silence on this point can be explained by the fact that we are no longer in a period where we need to heat our houses [all the time]. Even though winter is not completely over, the majority of consumers have full tanks.

However, “it will be necessary to put measures in place [for heating oil] in September.”

French residents who are struggling to pay their energy bills may benefit from the government’s chèque énergie (energy cheque), which ranks between €48 and €277, depending on the household income.

These cheques began to be distributed this month, with eligible people receiving theirs automatically, without having to apply.

If you think you should receive a cheque this year, you can check whether you qualify using this government simulator.

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