“Are you cold? Put on a sweater!”. Have you heard this phrase all your childhood? It may come back into your daily life this winter. In recent weeks, the autumn has barely begun, the government has multiplied the speeches around energy savings and heating of the French. The latter are indeed called upon now to reduce their electricity consumption so as not to put the country under tension during the coldest days. It is also a way for everyone to save money when the bills are getting higher and higher at the end of the month.

The government has put in place a tariff shield on gas and electricity prices, which should limit price increases to 15% for the year 2023. During a press conference given on September 14, the Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne specified that this would correspond to an increase of 25 euros per month for gas and 20 euros per month for electricity. Without this government aid, the increase could have been 180 euros for many French people.

In addition to this boost, the government wants to give the right reflexes to the French, especially with regard to heating, which is particularly energy-intensive. Invited to BFMTV on Monday September 26, the Matignon tenant recalled: “The rule is to warm up to 19°C”. A rule, really? Well, yeah ! As the Public Service website explains, “in heated accommodation, the average temperature measured in the center of each room is limited by regulation to 19°C”.

If you live in a condominium with collective heating, you do not regulate your radiators which are therefore normally programmed for this temperature. If you live in a detached house, then you do as you please. Do you risk penalties if you overheat your home? No, since no control is planned, unless you request it, in the event of a malfunction of your heating. You therefore risk nothing legally by heating above 19°C, but, at the time of collective efforts, it would not be very fair play.