A consumer association in France has warned homeowners to proceed with caution before beginning any environmental construction projects, and to ask seven key questions before going ahead.
The recommendations come from respected consumer association 60 Millions de Consommateurs. It encourages homeowners and landlords to proceed with caution, and to arrange work through the official state channels to ensure the highest levels of safety, and eligibility for any financial help.
It recommends asking and considering:
1. How do I know what work, if any, is needed?
One way to identify the work that may be needed in your property is to consider areas in which you may be overspending on bills or experiencing discomfort for environmental reasons.
For example:
Are your heating bills too high?
Does your home feel cold in the winter and too-hot in summer?
When was your home built, and when was the insulation last updated?
Do you regularly pay more for water than you think you should?
How old is your boiler, and how is it powered?
Do you have single glazing, or old, wooden window frames?
Does your home have poor ventilation, cold walls, or a damp problem?
If so, your home may benefit from better insulation, ventilation, or a more efficient boiler or heating system.
Another quick way to check if your home could benefit from environmental work is to check its DPE rating, or have it rated (diagnostic de performance énergétique, the rating that shows the environmental efficiency of a property).
It is mandatory for a property to have a DPE when selling it, and properties classified as E, F and G must be improved to at least a D, so checking this rating could literally pay off in future.
Read also: Many French property energy efficiency ratings now out of date: How to check yours
2. Is the work mandatory if I am a landlord?
This depends on the DPE rating of your property. Since January 1, 2025, it has been forbidden to let or renew the lease of a tenant if your property is classified as G. From 2028, this ban will also extend to properties classified as F, then to E from 2034.
Properties with these ratings must therefore have work done to bring their DPE rating up to at least D.
Since January 1, 2024, landlords have been eligible for the same financial assistance as owner-occupiers.
Read also: Landlords in France can now increase rent for some tenants: when and by how much?
These rules apply to owners of flats as well as standalone properties. In the case of flats, it is recommended that the work is carried out on the building as a whole - with agreement from all flat owners - including the common areas, but as a landlord you must primarily ensure that your privately-owned areas (e.g. the flat in the larger building) complies with the DPE rating rules.
If you are renovating a flat (whether as a landlord or owner-occupier), you can make changes if they only affect your property. For anything that would also affect common areas or others’ properties (e.g. insulation of exterior walls), you must have co-ownership permission, as voted at a general meeting.
Similarly, work that affects common areas will not be covered under your private MaPrimeRénov grant, and would need a separate grant, the MaPrimeRénov Copropriété (distributed according to the percentage of ownership in your building), with a cap of €25,000 per building.
3. How can I proceed safely and securely?
The best way to get the ball rolling on any work is to head to the France Rénov website, which can direct you to a neutral and independent France Rénov Accompagnateur Rénov (renovation advisor). They offer free help to identify the necessary or recommended work for your property.
If major work is recommended, you can then hire a France Rénov-approved Accompagnateur Rénov, so that you can qualify for financial aid for the work via the MaPrimeRénov scheme. The advisor will carry out a DPE if needed, and recommend the specific work needed.
This is a much safer, more secure option in comparison to getting quotes directly from - for example - a tradesperson or insulation company. Even trustworthy companies are likely to recommend their solution over others, and may miss other problems that an independent advisor would not.
Similarly, agreeing to work without the advice of an independent advisor could put you at risk of scams or too-high quotes.
Read more: France plans crackdown on fraud around obligatory energy ratings for homes
Also when it comes to choosing the company or professional to do the work itself, it is recommended to go with an RGE (Reconnu garant de l'environnement) certified professional, from the official directory of RGE professionals at France Rénov.
This is someone who is trained and qualified in energy renovation in their field. Not only is this route required in order to qualify for MaPrimeRénov, it is also much more likely to result in higher quality work, and ensure you avoid scams.
If you contact a company directly, ask to see their RGE certificate. Also, be aware of tradespeople who agree to the job or who offer a quote without asking many questions, or who are happy to agree over the phone.
A good tradesperson or company will visit your home and do a thorough measurement and check to assess the work needed.
It is also recommended to get quotes from different RGE-certified people or companies, so you can compare offers.
4. How much will the work cost?
Energy renovation work is not cheap.
Housing authority ANAH (l’Agence nationale de l’habitat), which coordinates the MaPrimeRénov scheme, estimates that the average cost is around €17,000 for a geothermal heat pump, €16,000 for a pellet boiler, €15,500 for external insulation, €8,500 for insulating roofs and attics, €6,400 for insulating interior walls etc. The average cost of a major renovation is €55,000.
Some projects also have mandatory elements that will add to the cost. For example, you may well need to add mandatory insulation (except in some cases; check with your mairie) if you are:
However, there are multiple schemes available to help you cover these costs, including MaPrimeRénov, and local subsidies.
“Depending on your income, MaPrimeRénov’ can finance up to 90% of €70,000,’ said ANAH spokesperson Martin Lagane, to 60 Millions de Consommateurs. “With this amount, you can plan a very ambitious programme of energy-saving work.”
For any work that MaPrimeRénov does not cover - particularly if your household does not qualify for the maximum amount available - there are other loans to check, including the zero-interest eco-loan (un prêt à taux 0%).
5. Can I do the work gradually, over time?
Yes, but it is recommended that you have a fully-complete action plan for the entirety of the work before you do so. This is to avoid ad-hoc work that does not anticipate the next steps, which can cause more problems and the need to redo work in the long-term, advises the consumer group.
For example, if you change your windows, but they are not done to allow for future insulation changes, they may need to be ripped out and redone. Similarly, insulation that is installed without considering the home’s wider ventilation needs may also cause problems long-term.
6. Do I need planning permission, or an architect?
You may need prior planning permission from your local authority if:
The work changes the appearance of your home, e.g. installing new windows, changing the roof, adding external thermal insulation. In this case, you will need to apply for planning permission (prior declaration or building permit).
This is particularly true (and can be difficult to get) for older properties that are in areas of heritage interest or near historic monuments.
You may need an architect if:
In this case, you can choose an Accompagnateur Rénov who is also an architect. This means that they can oversee and help plan your work from the DPE audit onwards, and ensure that it complies with all regulations.
7. How much will I save on bills after the work?
It depends on the scope of the work, but the French agency for ecological transition, l’Agence de la Transition Écologique (ADEME) estimates - for example - that “replacing a gas boiler from the early 2000s with a new condensing model can save 25 to 30% in energy”.
For its part, France Rénov states that major renovation involving work on several key areas can achieve energy savings of up to 65%.
Overall, the comfort of the home is likely to improve, states 60 Millions de Consommateurs, with a room heated to 19C feeling more like 18.5C in a well-insulated home, compared to 16.5C in a poorly-insulated one.
Similarly, every year in France, notaires estimate that homes with higher DPE ratings tend to increase in value (and vice versa), even when allowing for regional price disparities.
