France’s home renovation grant system to resume in September
MaPrimeRenov' scheme is being paused for the summer to tackle fraud and backlogs
MaPrimeRénov’ is one of the government’s key tools for improving the energy efficiency of France’s housing stock
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France’s flagship home energy renovation grant, MaPrimeRénov’, will resume from September 15 following a summer pause aimed at tackling fraud and backlogs, the government has confirmed.
The suspension, which starts on July 1, comes as demand for the scheme remains high, with authorities reporting tens of thousands of suspect claims and pressure from professionals calling for clarity and continuity.
Public Accounts Minister Amélie de Montchalin said a “total review” of all submitted applications would take place during July and August.
“All honest applications will be granted, all fraudulent ones will be excluded,” she told radio RTL. “This is not for savings. The aim is to ensure that 100% of funds go to legitimate projects.”
MaPrimeRénov’ is one of the government’s key tools for improving the energy efficiency of France’s housing stock, particularly among low-income households and buildings with low DPE energy efficiency ratings.
It is backed by a €3.6 billion annual budget in 2025, of which €1.3 billion has been allocated to date, according to Finance Minister Eric Lombard, as renovations have tripled in early 2025 compared with the same period last year.
Ministers maintain the suspension is operational, not financial. “Ecology remains an absolute priority,” Mr Lombard told the Senate on June 4, promising a restructured but continued programme.
Housing Minister Valérie Létard has also pledged rule changes before relaunching the application portal in September.
This could include a tighter focus on the worst-performing homes (energy ratings E, F, and G), lowering spending caps, or ending certain bonuses.
How does this pause affect existing MaPrimeRenov’ applications / ongoing work?
If your MaPrimeRénov' application has already been approved and you have received confirmation of your grant amount (the notification d’attribution), you will not be affected by the suspension - even if you have not yet submitted your final claim for payment.
The suspension only affects new applications from July 1.
In other words, if you have received confirmation of the grant but are still waiting for the work to be completed in order to submit your claim, you remain eligible for the funding - as long as you follow the regular process and deadlines for submitting your claim after the work is done.
Read more: Estimate renovation gains to French home with new official tool
Suspension allows fraud investigators to catch up
In 2024, up to €229million in fraudulent applications was detected in the MaPrimeRenov’ scheme, with €50million still under investigation, accounting for around 12% of current claims - around 16,000 dossiers.
The rapid acceleration of applications and inconsistent rule changes since the scheme’s launch in 2020 are also blamed for creating confusion and enabling abuse.
“The president is absolutely right to see this as a necessary policy. But he is also right that it is intolerable to have massive fraud, Ms de Montchalin told RTL.
The suspension of MaPrimeRenov’ drew criticism from associations and industry figures, who say the move risks damaging a scheme that has proved both popular and necessary.
“This is a policy that works - so they suspend it,” said Manuel Domergue of the Fondation Abbé Pierre. “It is absurd.”
Trade bodies have also warned of financial risks to building firms.
“The renovation sector needs stability,” said Jean-Christophe Repon, president of the Capeb artisans’ group. The stop-start pattern of recent years – with freezes at the start of 2024 and again now – is causing severe disruption, he added.
