REAL LIFE
the tank to register the level, but it kept getting caught on the corrugations inside. The exterior became sticky over time and the oil inevitably smelled to the point that it felt a bit dangerous. Because we used more fuel at different times of the year, we couldn’t rely on regular orders, so we had to call Combustibles de Normandie whenever we worried that the supply was getting low. With time, the cost of filling
up the tank went from about €900 every three to four months to €1,500 or more. Then, as inevitably happens
“There is no more fretting about how much fuel we might or might not have, urgent calls for fill- ups or noxious odours”
with machinery, the chaudière began to make disconcerting noises. We had it cleaned once a year, so our plumber knew it well. Last autumn he explained that 20 years was old for a chaudière; it had sadly arrived at the end of its life. Any replacement would
be costly, but while we had some affection for the faithful chaudière, we had no affection at all for the hideous plastic tank. It was a no-brainer that we would go for a different system. More ecologically minded than we had been two decades earlier, we had just taken the plunge and installed 16 solar panels in October 2022. The French government’s
€2,000 rebate for solar panels – as a direct deposit into one’s bank account after considerable but efficient bureaucracy – was an added inducement. There is also an attractive €2,500 rebate for installing a pompe à chaleur.
Clockwise from top: It's all systems go; the pump in place and working at last; the farmer and the forkliſt ready for action; the water heater and all other parts finally in situ; more working elements to enable the underfloor heating
Heat pumps cost more than
solar panels, but the decision seemed clear to us. Although it would have been cheaper to keep the oil tank and simply replace the boiler with a new model (about €8,000), the running costs would continue to rise with the price of oil, while oil itself has come to seem more and more ecologically irresponsible. Our regular plumber was not a specialist, but we easily found companies that gave estimates and chose local firm De Kerma Energies, in Pontorson, which even took care of all the paperwork for the government rebate.
WORTH THE WAIT Work started in November 2022 and took nearly three weeks – much longer than we had imagined – but came in exactly as estimated at just under €18,000. The price would have been a bit lower, of course, if our house had been smaller and
if we hadn’t needed a converter to accommodate the underfloor heating, which requires a different temperature from taps and radiators. A specialist disposal firm
quoted €900 to remove the old fuel tank and dispose of its contents, but a local farmer was happy to take it off our hands and we were happy to let him have the tank itself along with the remaining oil. Timing was crucial for this as we didn’t want to be without heat or hot water any longer than necessary, but he and one of his workers came at the strategic moment with an amazing forklift. We needed to uproot a climbing hortensia to make room for the pump itself and a local mason created a cement rectangle for the pump to rest on, but De Kerma took care of everything else; they even installed a small temporary electric hot water heater so we could shower and wash dishes
during the three weeks it took to complete the works. The system takes up more
space than our old one but it is surprisingly quiet and clean, and serves not only the house but the gîte as well. There is now no more fretting about how much fuel we might or might not have, no more urgent calls for fill-ups and no more noxious odours. We have all the bells and whistles, too, that come with modern technology including a thermostat with an app. The system will still need a yearly check-up, but we could not be more pleased! ■
Useful websites dekerma-plomberie-electricite. fr/
ecologie.gouv.fr/prime- chaudieres
france-renov.gouv.fr/aides Le Petit Lapin, Caroline’s holiday rental cottage in Sains
airbnb.com/h/ mycottageinbrittany
FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: November/December 2023 75
© CAROLINE ZILBOORG
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