Why do many think wood-fired boilers will be banned in France - and is it true?
A new poll found that a majority of people believe a ban on wood-fired boilers and stoves will come into force from 2027
Wood-burning stoves and boilers are set to see stricter regulation in the next few years
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The poll*, by German wood-burning stove manufacturer Hase, as reported by specialist site Chauffage-bois-magazine.fr, found that 51% of people in France believe that wood-burning stoves and boilers will be banned in 2027.
However, this is not strictly true; only the most polluting appliances are set to be banned from 2027 (a fact that only 10% of poll recipients correctly identified). Similarly, older appliances will need to be replaced with newer ones. The devices are not set to be banned completely.
“There is no explicit measure to that effect,” said energy renovation experts Hello Watt, to Le Figaro.
However, the company did highlight that subsidies to help people run wood-burning stoves and boilers have begun to drop. “On the other hand, there have been several cuts in subsidies recently, notably in April 2024 and a further reduction of 30% on January 1, 2025,” it said.
European regulation
It appears that the ‘total ban’ belief may stem from European regulation changes in recent years.
Audrey Zermati, strategy director at Effy, which specialises in energy renovation, told Le Figaro that the presumption of a ban was a “rumour”, but that there was a “real risk” of a change or ban, depending on possible future European regulation.
She said: “The rumour stems from a real risk due to an European regulation, but which, like many texts at the moment on the EU side, has been postponed. The alert is therefore less pressing than a few weeks ago.”
The European Commission has previously stated intentions to tackle appliances that are too polluting from 2027 onwards.
However, this does not automatically mean all wood-fired boilers and stoves. Some may be banned from being marketed because they emit fine particles, but there is currently no plan to ban the devices from homes completely.
Wood-fired boilers are also less polluting than open fires and wood-burning stoves, state figures from the Ministry of Ecological Transition.
In the Île-de-France region, open fires account for 44% of residential wood heating emissions, while wood-fired heating (boilers) accounts for only 5% of the total.
Willingness to change?
If a total ban were to come into effect, the poll found:
44% of people in France would be reluctant to abandon their wood-fired heating systems.
Almost 21% would be willing to comply with new regulations, and change
35% were still undecided
A majority said that while they would want to stay with wood-fired heating, they would be open to upgrading to a less polluting system.
When asked if they had the “financial means” to invest in a new form of heating if necessary:
In the event of a ban or more stringent rules, the poll also found:
91% of people said that financial aid should be put in place to help people make the transition
2% said financial aid should not be put in place
7% said they were not sure
Read also: Bordeaux to spend €10m helping residents replace old fire heating systems
Less-polluting devices
Wood-burning stove and boiler manufacturers are generally preparing for more stringent rules on the devices, which emit particles into the air.
Read more: What are the rules for wood-burning stoves in France?
Read also: Wood burning stoves: what are the rules in France?
“We at Hase are convinced that new technologies combined with high-quality materials guarantee that stoves will be non-polluting and efficient for heating in France,” said Olivier Schnell, Hase managing director for France.
“It is true that wood, when it burns, releases particles into the air,” said the Fédération des installateurs de poêles et de cheminées (French federation of stove and chimney installers) to energy and property construction expert website Batiactu.
“But the progress made by appliance manufacturers and the improvement in the quality of fuels…have significantly improved this impact,”.
*The poll asked 2,632 people living in France, aged 18 and over, (including 1,101 who have wood-burning heating) between March 4 and 12.
