Ban gas boilers? The government is thinking about it… but Bruno Le Maire is against it. Asked about LCI this Sunday, on the sidelines of the Aix-en-Provence Economic Meetings, the Minister of Economy and Finance took a stand against this track, which aims to limit France’s dependence on gas-exporting countries, while improving its carbon footprint.
“I am very reserved vis-à-vis the bans, I have always bet on the intelligence of our compatriots, on the accompaniment”, justified the strong man of the government. “I am opposed to the ban on gas boilers. It’s a bad idea, which will cause a lot of concern among our most modest compatriots ”, then justified the boss of Bercy.
Instead of a punitive ban, Bruno Le Maire would favor “incentives” to convince households to change energy. The Minister thus cited the example of aid for the purchase of electric vehicles, which work “very well”, according to him. “We can obtain exactly the same result, with incentive devices” as with a ban which could rob individuals. Taxation could, for example, be more advantageous for households switching to other means of heating, and penalties, on the contrary, would weigh on those who keep it. “We leave the choice to you, there are incentives, there are also penalties […], but no ban”, he concluded.
This speech comes at a time when gas boilers are already prohibited in new individual buildings. Anxious to go further, the executive recently launched a consultation, until July 28, to consider banning the installation of new gas boilers. However, it would not be a “replacement obligation” and the evolution would be “very gradual”, specified the Ministry of Energy Transition. In addition to the climate issue, the objective of the measure is also to limit the energy bills of households, and, above all, to wean off massive imports of gas from abroad. A way, too, to relieve the tricolor trade balance, while the boss of TotalEnergies, Patrick Pouyanné, was cautious about gas imports for this winter.
