Will wood heating really be banned in 2027?

Will wood heating soon be banned?

NO: the rumors come from the ongoing revision of Ecodesign, the European standard that regulates the characteristics imposed by Europe on appliance manufacturers. Like all standards, it undergoes changes, the next of which is scheduled for 2027.

The first draft presented by the European Commission, however, anticipated a development that would be difficult for manufacturers to maintain in such a short time frame. The Member States of the European Union have therefore contacted the European Commission, which has suspended the draft for the time being in order to conduct a more in-depth study.

Like all forms of energy, domestic wood heating must meet environmental and efficiency criteria, which make it an increasingly economical solution with less impact on air quality.

In any case, there is no question (and there never has been) of banning the use of wood-burning appliances that meet current standards. The action plan drawn up by the Government with stakeholders in the domestic wood-burning heating sector, presented in 2021, must continue. This includes supporting the replacement of old appliances with new-generation, high-performance systems, promoting the use of quality fuel and communicating good practices to consumers.

Is wood heating bad for air quality?

NO. It is true that wood, when it burns, releases particles into the air. But the progress made by appliance manufacturers and the improvement of fuel quality, in compliance with the standards imposed at French and European level, have made it possible to significantly improve this impact, thereby allowing a significant improvement in air quality.

Wood heating is regularly the target of detractors, who sometimes even almost make fossil fuels seem like preferable solutions for the environment, but it is important to look at the studies and factual figures: between 2012 and 2023, emissions linked to domestic wood heating have fallen by around 40%, largely thanks to technical developments made to wood heating appliances and the renewal of old appliances.

And projections show that the continued renewal of the stock of old domestic wood-burning heating appliances and the improvement in the quality of fuels could make it possible, by 2025, to further reduce these emissions by 3 (source: "Outlook for the stock of domestic wood-burning appliances: growth and performance of the stock, reduction in consumption and improvement in air quality", CERIC Laboratory, September 2024).

Good to know: it is necessary to differentiate between two data which, without being contradictory, do not represent the same thing. Indeed, the quality of the air breathed is measured by the concentrations of particles, captured in real time by dedicated stations. This data is available on the Géod'air website. It is distinct from emissions which represent the quantities of direct pollutants and which are, in part, the subject of an annual national report (excluding in particular natural sources, air and maritime transport). These emissions, based on estimated data, which also do not take into account chemical reactions in the air, are those which are regularly communicated to the general public even though they do not reflect the quality of the air actually breathed by the French.

Thus, the Central Air Quality Monitoring Laboratory (LCSQA) presented at the end of 2024 a national analysis of fine particle concentrations (PM2.5) for 2021. It shows that the residential sector (including domestic wood heating) represents on average, in France, 22% of annual PM2.5 concentrations. These results put into perspective the figure of 60% of emissions often presented in a caricatured and simplistic manner, to stigmatize a renewable energy that has continued to demonstrate its usefulness in the energy transition of our country.

Domestic wood heating puts too much strain on forest resources

NO: here again, it is important to look at the figures closely. The improvement in the performance of new appliances, the quality of fuels and the insulation of housing allow a reduction in the consumption of the resource each year. By 2035, even with an increase in the number of appliances (from 8 million to 10 million), consumption should fall by 15%.

In addition, the National Forest and Wood Programme (PNFB) sets development objectives for the wood industry by ensuring that the harvest rate for all uses remains below the increase in forests.

In conclusion

Today, wood heating is present in 8 million French homes. It is, and will remain, the cheapest heating solution in France, with (in particular for logs) a reassuring price stability, in the face of the volatility and the announced increase in the prices of fossil fuels.

The efforts and progress constantly made by the entire sector, from the producer to the installer, including appliance manufacturers, make wood heating an energy of the future and a key factor for the independence and satisfaction of the energy needs of the French.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.