Do you use a stove or fireplace to heat your home? New regulations may well change your habits.
Wood heating is an economical and ecological solution … provided you are well used. However, with the rise in environmental concerns and the fight against fine particle pollution, the state is increasingly hardening legislation. Some devices will no longer comply, areas will impose restrictions and the maintenance will be even more supervised. What are these new rules and which is concerned?
In several major cities and regions of France, wood heating devices are in the viewfinder. In Île-de-France, Grenoble or Lyon, open households are already prohibited, and too old wood stoves are gradually excluded. In question? Fine particle emissions that strongly contribute to air pollution. New regulations already impose more frequent sweeping in certain departments. Another notable change, open households are prohibited in the most polluted urban areas. In certain municipalities of Île-de-France, in the Metropolis of Lyon, Haute-Savoie and in the Metropolis of Grenoble, the use of this type of device is already prohibited. In 2025, it will be the turn of the Metropolis of Saint-Etienne then in 2026 of the departments of the Rhône, Ain and Isère. But the ban could go even further and worries wood heating users.
The European Commission is considering new environmental standards for wood heating devices, aimed at reducing polluting emissions. These standards, initially planned for implementation in 2027, could make many current stoves and boilers obsolete. However, faced with a notable opposition, especially on the part of countries like Germany and the Czech Republic, the presentation of this project was postponed for additional technical adjustments. It is important to note that the objective of this regulation is not to prohibit wood heating, but to promote more efficient and less polluting equipment. Although a total prohibition of wood heating is not envisaged, if the European regulations provided for 2027 is adopted, this could force many households to change their wood heating equipment to comply with new standards.
People using old stoves or chimneys, especially those not having the 7 -star green flame label would then be particularly affected by this measure. In the meantime, the restrictions are focused on those that live in areas subject to restrictions on air quality such as large cities or polluted valleys.
