Precarious tenants forced to turn off the heating at -10 degrees in Franche-Comté

A wave of extreme cold has been hitting France for several days. In the east of the country, in the Territoire de Belfort, the mercury drops and approaches -10 degrees. A situation which does not suit the tenants of rue de Leval, in Rougemont-le-Château. Since this summer, they have had to deal with skyrocketing loads and now live without a radiator for most of the day.

The origin of this problem dates back to 2023. The lessor Néolia decided to install a heat pump in this three-story building. “We were told that it was going to be great, and that we could go on vacation with the savings on our bills,” confides Muriel Bernand, in the columns of “L’Est Républicain”. After the work was completed, the twelve residents of this residence continued to live normally, before this devastating blow, at the beginning of summer 2025.

Invoices exceeding 3,000 euros

“I received the regulation and for two months of consumption, I am asked for more than 2,200 euros. And this is in addition to what I said last year. » Muriel Bernand is not an isolated case: some neighbors have to pay bills exceeding 3,000 euros. Large sums for these low-income tenants, which they refuse to pay. This winter, they are forced to reduce the heating to minimize their energy consumption.

For its part, Néolia, who has already held meetings with these residents, justifies the explosion of bills by energy prices which have “increased sharply” between 2023 and 2024. The lessor also mentions “discrepancies between the studies at the start of the project (of the heat pump) and the result”. At this stage, no compromise has been found and Néolia is still awaiting payment of the invoices.