Insee Première · January 2026 · n° 2088

2.6 million main residences still heated by fuel oil in 2022

In 2022, 2.6 million main residences – nearly 9% of them – were heated by fuel oil. Detached houses were particularly affected. Often large and poorly insulated, they were mostly built before 1970, when this energy source was inexpensive. Fuel oil heating was mainly found in rural areas, where older, individual housing prevailed. The occupants of oil-heated dwellings were older and had been living there for longer than average. Nearly one in two oil-heated households was in a situation of energy vulnerability, owing to higher conventional energy expenditure and lower incomes. Driven by economic considerations and by public policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the number of main residences heated with fuel oil almost halved between 2006 and 2022. This decline was particularly steep in the areas with the highest rates of population growth.