With the arrival of cold weather, 7 out of 10 French people are also worried about their heating bills.

Verdict: Heating bills have become a national concern (71% monitor them, 39% very closely), but energy efficiency has its limits when it comes to comfort. Only 22% would readily lower the temperature, while 26% refuse. Between strained finances and non-negotiable comfort, participatory solutions like demand response could become essential, provided they are better understood and explained.

French people are very attentive to their heating bills

By 2026, heating bills had become a matter of national concern: 71% of French people said they were monitoring their bills, with 39% checking them almost daily. Conversely, 17% reported being not very concerned or not at all, while 12% remained undecided. In other words, energy was no longer seen as something to be endured, but as a budget item to be managed, with a strong expectation of concrete actions to regain control over consumption.

Plan B in case of frost?

When asked about having a contingency fund for periods of extreme cold, 21% of respondents said they had already set aside a specific amount to weather a potential cold snap. For the others, the main concern lies elsewhere: anticipating without panicking, by identifying now the simplest actions and adjustments to make throughout the winter and avoiding the double whammy of an unpleasant surprise on the bill… and sacrificed comfort.

Ready to lower the temperature in case of tension on the network?

The French are not prepared to lower their heating at any cost—especially when it comes to comfort. Only 22% say they would be willing to reduce the temperature without difficulty if the situation required it. For 31%, such an effort would only be acceptable in the event of severe strain on the grid. And the red line is clear: 26% categorically refuse to compromise their thermal comfort, while 21% would only consider making a change if the winter were truly harsh.

In this context, gentler, more participatory solutions could change habits, provided they are clearly explained. This is the principle of demand response: individuals voluntarily agree to have their electric heating very briefly reduced during peak consumption periods, to ease the strain on the grid—and avoid resorting to more restrictive measures.

Methodology

Survey conducted in December 2025 with a sample of 3.128 people, aged 18 and over, via BuzzPress France's proprietary panel, composed of 27.700 active panelists, recruited on a voluntary basis and solicited by email.

The sample surveyed was constituted using the quota method, based on the following criteria: gender, age, socio-professional category, region of residence and size of urban area, in accordance with the structure of the French population. The results were then weighted to ensure their representativeness with respect to the target population.

The adjustment data are based on the latest INSEE reference sources (active population, census, household structure, etc.) and public administrative data available on the date of the survey.

This protocol guarantees the statistical reliability and reproducibility of the study according to the standards recognized by professionals in the opinion research sector.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.