The “C” band seems to have gone a bit wonky. It should be 91-150 kWh/m2/year
Apparently our vendor was a bit miffed, having put in a heat pump and double glazing to only have got a “C”.
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The expanded polystyrene foam is a good idea - but I think you’d have to protect it with sheets of corrugated iron or it might blow away in a strong wind.
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Bonjour Shiba, Thanks for passing on this mostly-untrue scare story. I am an agent immobilier and I am not ‘very angry’ about the projet de loi énergie-climat. Like most agencies we have been following this white paper and feel that it is a very good thing. If you read the text of the paper it is filled with provisos and get-outs that will or will not be confirmed by parliamentary decisions made over the next 5 to 10 years. No old châteaux are going to be razed and no sales will be stopped. It will probably never be illegal to ‘sell’ a property: however, it may not be possible to rent it out without substantial work.
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I think the sales rep is trying to cause a little panic in order to get the sale. sale. just looked on a few sitesI, and the law concerns renta;s. In 2023, renats will be frozen for huses below a ceertain level, and soon they won;t even be rentable.
We just had a survey on our flat in Kent, and it is D, which will be the lowest rating at which it can be rented. So we’ll put insulation in the loft and as soon as we can get the tenant to agree on timing we will insulate the exterior walls (from the inside). That should take it to C.
Our home here is about 200 years old, thick stone walls and such, but bit by bit we have gotten it down from G to C. Replaced all the windows and door, interior wall insulation, pulled up the tiles and put down bois massif for the flooring (also insulated the floor where we could manage it). So, even in an old house it can be done.
We have seven radiators against outside walls and based on this morning’s experience with the one in my study there’s a definite improvement, so thanks. 
We have two radiators on internal walls. Would you recommend doing those as well?
I could see the latter helping a bit as a log burner probably does radiate quite a lot of heat - but standard central heating “radiators” actually radiate very little, they mainly heat the room by convection.
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we didn’t bother, feeling happy to be heating the inner-home… 
Having said that Billy, I do think my study is warmer. At the very least there is now an insulating barrier between my radiator and what is a very cold stone wall, so the heater is not having to heat up that bit of the wall.
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Forced convection works very well for getting the radiator to convect warm air into the room. Several types on the market, many self powered.
Interesting how this topic has morphed…
We have in our lounge a Godin cylindrical room heater which is (for the benefit of @corona) quite efficient and heats a good portion of our single storey pavilion.
Behind the heater is an outside wall (under a terrace) which we installed with plaque résistante au feu. The wall itself it formed from wood frame panels and has rockwool insulation inserted in the cavity. The flue is metal and fixed internally leading up to the chimney formed in the roofspace.
For some time, I’ve had in my mind whether placing a decorative cast iron fireback behind the Godin against the wall would improve matters (acting as a radiator, releasing latent heat into the room after the fire has extinguished itself) or whether it would be a tad dangerous to do so.
I’d welcome views.
Confusing effective with efficient again Graham 
The cast iron will absorb heat easily and radiate when you stop the Godin but you expend that energy to heat it first, your insulated panel wont absorb as much energy as the cast iron so more heat available to warm the space. Your choice but not heating the wall behind and possibly utilising a small quiet fan would be my option.
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The Godin is a “top loader” so that would be difficult.
I recall @james recommending a stove top fan some time ago but it wouldn’t work for us sadly.
efficiently effective do? 
Doesnt have to be specifically on top. A couple of low power paps fans works quite well. Most of my radiators have fans attached for a much more comfortable even heat in the room without on person feeling cold whilst another feels hot.
so, to be clear, you favour the idea?
Probably not, the more energy you use heating other things, the less is available for room heating but you might judge you have enough heat available so storing up a bit for later works for you.
Just saying that we have a ceiling fan at far end of room with log burner at the opposite end of the room… and rads on the walls, one rad at each end of the room… (it is a big room)
The ceiling fan gently circulates the air/distributes the heat … from whichever source… marvellously.
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Having lived in Texas for 20 years before coming to France, I recall how important ceiling fans are to air circulation for cooling/heating. The regulations for ceiling height do come into play, because ceiling fans are suspended from the ceiling and so clearance is an issue.
That said, they’re great!!!
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thankfully, our room has sufficiently high ceilings and one can walk underneath the fan… however, I have actually placed the dining table directly underneath… thus there is no possibility of accidentally beheading anyone who is “extra tall” … 
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I have a wonderful image of a 10 gallon hat being lopped off, to say nothing of the 2 pint head wearing it.
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LOL a fan blade tip knocks the hat at speed and makes it fly across the room like a frisbee!
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