Heating nightmare in France

[Alan Knighting]

Jules,

Some facts and figures for your information.

All my properties are on “tarif domestique option heures creuses, 22H00-06H00�. That means that, throughout the year I pay for electricity at the normal rate of 0.0765€ per kWh between the hours of 6.00 a.m. (0600 hours) and 10.00 p.m. (2200 hours) and at the reduced rate of 0.0450€ per kWh between the hours of 10.00 p.m. (2200 hours) and 6.00 a.m. (0600 hours).

The house I live in is supplied with 18 kW (code 020) which has a standing charge of 31.38€ per month. My larger gite (4 bedrooms) is supplied with 9 kW (code 026) which has a standing charge of 13.47€ per month and my smaller gite (one bedroom) is supplied with 6 kW (code 024) which has a standing charge of 7.50€ per month. All of them are more than sufficient to ensure that the main control box never trips out, even when stand-alone heaters or hot-air fans are used.

The kW rating of each property was established by EDF after interviewing me and establishing what was used in each property – a free service. The adjustments to the individual supplies were made on-the-spot.

All my meters are of the digital type Marcus has referred to and display, on-demand, exactly what has been used during the times of Heures Creuses and Heures Pleines (normal and reduced charging periods).

The electricity supply in all my properties is zoned so that the demands are balanced according to anticipated requirement. For instance, areas of high demand like kitchens and laundries are separated from each other and from areas of low demand like bedrooms so that I never experience a minor or a major trip-out.

Did you follow any of that? On the face of it - very complicated. In reality and with forethought - terrible simple.

Alan

[Calvados]

Hello everyone - merry christmas - I should be worrying about all the christmas prezzies I've not bought, or being Sunday evening I should be relaxing watching the TV (no chance!). No - not me, the born panic merchant. Our latest concern is 'how do we heat our next gite'. The gite is a complete renovation (like the first), but has no obvious method of heating. I need to have a reasonable standard of heating as we want to try to get Spring + Autumn lets, plus we may have to live in it ourselves for the next couple of winters. As always we are on a very tight budget. Gas central heating is out as there is no-where to place the big gas tank. Oil is an option, but I believe very expensive to run. Electric plug in fan heaters are no-go as in our current property more than 2 on at once and it pops the electric. Our best bet seemed to be night storage heaters as we have cheap nightime electricity and there is less chance of the trip setting off in the early hours, but we are finding it really hard to find this sort of heating unless we pay a fortune for each radiator. Anyone know of any alternatives or have any suggestions? The gite is an old farm house, will have bedroom + on-suite + Kitchen on ground floor, living room + bedroom on second floor, bedroom + bathroom on third floor. There is an old defunct, part built chimney from living room up through top bedroom + out of chimney. Any advice gladly received. Julesb x

Have a look at http://www.nef.org.uk/logpile/feedbackform.asp
and http://www.solidfuel.co.uk/frame/main.html, follow some of the links, especially on pellet stoves. £50 of pellets gives equivalent to £250 / £280 of other solid fuels. These stoves can heat up to 10 radiators and can be linked into gas or oil systems.
Regarding your part built chimney, it is important that you take professional advice on the correct lining of same.
In the Anglo-Normandy Forum (where I found this site ), some people nearly had a major mis-hap . Their flue was put in by a local firm, but NOT to the top of the chimney. The walls of the old chimney must have leaked carbon monoxide either into the floor space, bedroom or roof. They began to suffer bad headaches and lucky for them discovered the problem
Regards
Calvados