As winter approaches, memories of the threat of energy shortages resurface. And a new increase in regulated electricity prices is expected for February 2024. The subject is anxiety-provoking: nine out of ten consumers say that energy consumption is a subject of concern for them, in a survey published in October by the National Energy Ombudsman. More than 70% of respondents have noticed an increase in their energy bills over the last twelve months and almost a third are having difficulty paying them.
Among the 90% of households having reduced their energy consumption, 85% say they do so to reduce their bills, 42% for ecological reasons, 34% to cope with the energy shortage. Faced with worry with many faces, “the use of renewable energies is one of the ways to combine control of your bill and protection of the environment”estimates Richard Loyen, general delegate of Enerplan, the union of solar energy professionals.
Especially since France aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and to pass the share of renewable energies at 33% of final energy consumption in 2030, compared to 20.7% currently.
Wood is the leading source of renewable energy, with 33% of production according to the Ministry of Ecological Transition. Hydraulic energy, from the power of water, is second with 13.2%, ahead of heat pumps (12.4%). Biofuels (plant-based fuels) and wind power each account for 11%. It is 6% for photovoltaic solar power, 5.5% for biogas, produced by the fermentation of organic materials, 4.2% for energy from the incineration of household waste, 3.7% for geothermal energy. (recovery of calories in the land or sea).
Different options
How can an individual act at home? The simplest is to opt for one of the gas or electricity suppliers offering a “green” offer, that is to say including a more or less significant share of renewable energy. They use hydraulic or wind power in particular, energies which are not directly accessible to individuals. Most major suppliers offer green offers, but the share of energy actually coming from renewable sources is sometimes questionable. And these deals aren’t always cheaper either.
Other solutions exist for individuals wishing to act more directly. They can install a wood or wood pellet stove (also called pellets), a wood boiler or even a fireplace with a closed hearth or an insert. But the ecological impact of wood heating is controversial, particularly because of the emissions of fine particles that it generates.
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