Gas is the energy most used to heat your home. However, not everyone has access to it. Indeed, thousands of municipalities are not eligible for gas and must turn to another energy: electricity, wood or propane in the network. Like fiber optics, before subscribing to a gas supply contract with the supplier of your choice, you must pass an eligibility test. The latter will tell you if you can be connected to gas, but also if more or less major work is to be expected. How to get this valuable answer? We show you the steps to follow to find out your eligibility for gas.
In order to benefit from heating in your home, several energies are available. Only, the one that turns out to be the most economical and pleasant is gas. Unfortunately, not everyone can access it. Indeed, it is mandatory that his accommodation be located next to a distribution network and request a connection from his manager. In the collective mind, it is easy to say that it is an easy thing. However, more than 25,000 municipalities in France cannot be granted it. Do you want to know if you are eligible for gas? Here’s how.
In France, there are two gas network operators: GRDF and ELD. The former has the vast majority of customers; as for ELD, it will serve certain French municipalities. So, two questions will arise: how do I know if I am eligible for gas? To which of these two managers to turn? For that, it’s very simple.
First, go to the GRDF website to check your eligibility. All you have to do is enter your postal address, accept the terms and conditions and click on “Check that you can be connected”. A new page will appear on the screen, at the bottom of which a message will appear, either:
- “Your municipality is well served by GRDF”: you are therefore eligible and can request your connection from the manager;
- “Your municipality is not served by GRDF”: you are not eligible and will have to either go through a manager or call GRDF customer service to find out if a connection project is planned in the municipality.
INFORMATION UTILE
You can contact GRDF customer service on 09 69 36 35 34. You will have an online adviser who can tell you if a project is planned or redirect you to another service.
If you are eligible for the GRDF network, you will be able to make a connection request directly on the site, indicating your project. The more detailed it is, the better. It is important to note that the gas connection is chargeable. Its price varies according to the use you want to make of it: heating, hot water, cooking and if it requires an extension of the network. You will be able to obtain the price once the details of your project have been validated by the manager. Once this work has been carried out, all you have to do is commission your gas meter by subscribing to a contract with the supplier of your choice.
GOOD TO KNOW
The gas connection time varies according to the nature of the work to be carried out. It can take a few weeks or several months. It is therefore important to know your eligibility in advance in order to anticipate as much as possible. Thus, GRDF indicates:
- 10 working days for a classic connection;
- 15 days for a connection without extension but with the crossing of a public road;
- 2 months for a connection with a network extension.
If you are not eligible for GRDF, you can turn to ELD. The municipalities benefiting from it have a monopoly on the supply of natural gas. This means that you will not be able to take out a gas contract with another gas supplier.
In order to know his eligibility, the easiest maneuver is to contact his town hall. The latter will share with you the information and contact details of the gas manager in your municipality. All you have to do is contact them and let yourself be guided by their instructions.
What to do in case of ineligibility?
In France, more than 25,000 municipalities do not have access to gas. If you are in this situation and are eligible neither for GRDF nor for ELD, you will have to turn to another source of energy in order to be able to heat your home. For this, several solutions are available:
- Electricity: requires neither installation nor maintenance but is very energy-intensive and polluting;
- Fuel oil: possible to choose a supplier for each delivery but is set to disappear by 2030 and is very harmful to health and the environment;
- Propane in a tank: provides the same comfort and cleanliness as gas but is more expensive, requires a minimum commitment of 5 years and requires the installation of an outdoor tank;
- Network propane: in this case, no need for a tank but you will have no choice in your supplier;
- Wood: this alternative is very economical and clean for the environment, but the cost of installing it remains high.
Depending on your type of home and your personal preferences, you can choose one of these solutions to take full advantage of your home.