Website helps to apply for grants

DETAILS of the new €135million fund to provide grants for householders to carry out work to improve the energy efficiency of their homes have been revealed by the government, which has set up a one-stop-shop to simplify the application process.

Householders applying for the grants must meet certain financial criteria and can find information and a simulator to check their project on the website renovation-info-service.gouv.fr

The telephone number 0810 140 240, charged at local call rate, can put you in touch with one of the 450 Points Rénovation Info Service (PRIS) across France where a local advisor can help with your project.

Two grants, €3,000 for low-income households and €1,350 for those on middle incomes, will fund work to cut energy bills, improve the comfort of homes and increase property values.

Two out of three people in France could qualify. The grants are available to owners and tenants and are available for two years on a first come first served basis.

They could benefit 95,000 households but are restricted to main homes and must be used for a combination of works.

There is a maximum income level to qualify, of a total household income of €35,000 a year for the €1,350 prime and a complicated income/family size calculation for the €3,000 grant.

This second calculation is based on household size, annual income and location.
A couple earning €35,000 in Ile-de-France could be eligible for the €3,000 grant, while elsewhere in France the revenue limit drops to €26,000.

Insulation work must include two items from a list including roof insulation and installing a central heating boiler. Work must be carried out by a professional.

Anyone interested should check the Rénovation Info website to find the different kinds of aid available and to be put in touch with a local adviser.

The €3,000 grant can be used with other aids, but not the €1,350.

A link on the “Vos aides financières” page detailing the €3,000 and €1,350 grants also leads to a simulator, which is at www.tinyurl.com/cnxn-simulation

A reduced VAT rate of 5% will also be applied to insulation improvements but the extent of the works involved has not been revealed.

VAT had been due to rise from 7% to 10% but was reduced in the energy efficiency programme.