MaPrimeRénov' scheme in France paused – how are ongoing projects affected?

France’s government-backed eco-renovation scheme MaPrimeRénov’ has been temporarily suspended amid a high number of applications and thousands of cases of potential fraud.

Economy Minister Eric Lombard announced the changes yesterday (June 4) following several days of speculation.

However, those who have already submitted applications should not be affected, with plans to continue payouts provided claims are legitimate.

The government hopes to bring the scheme back before the end of the year, Mr Lombard told the Senate's Economic Affairs Committee. 

The announcement has been met with anger by professionals in the sector, who say it is counterproductive and jeopardises the livelihood of workers at a time when the scheme is clearly proving to be successful, as well as homeowners who feel they are left in financial limbo over the move.

What does this change for applicants?

The government is expected to announce the full specifics of the suspension in the coming weeks, although those who have already filed their claims should be unaffected.

Housing Minister Valérie Létard announced that a “temporary closure this summer of applications for comprehensive individual renovation and for individual insulation or heating system replacement work,” is now in place. 

However applicants should be able to submit these “by the end of September,” she said. 

Other applications including those consisting of several different renovations at once should soon have their timelines clarified.

For those who have already submitted an application, provided the scheme finds the claim is not fraudulent, the funds will be issued “as soon as possible,” Ms Létard added.

This caution over fraudulent claims is not without basis – up to 12% of all MaPrimeRénov’ applications (16,000) currently in place have been deemed ‘suspicious’ by the government. 

In 2024, up to 40,000 claims were said to be fraudulent.

The scheme cost around €3.6 billion in government spending in 2024 and had a similar budget for 2025. Despite seeing the number of related home renovations triple at the start of 2025 it is expected to be fully resumed once the issues are resolved.

The suspension is “not about making savings on the sly,” said Mr Lombard in a questions session at the Senate.

“Of course, once the [issues] have been resolved, the process can continue,” he added. 

A new-look version of the scheme could be introduced with several elements changed and eligibility criteria changed, although this is not yet confirmed.

An ‘outrageous’ decision

The decision has been met with anger by both homeowners and contractors carrying out the works.

The former are anxious over a potential delay in receiving grants and funding, taking their renovations far over planned budgets, whilst contractors see a threat to their livelihood with an end to the scheme.

One homeowner told French media outlet BFMTV that they are awaiting €42,000 in grants from the scheme, almost half of the €91,000 outlay of a major renovation project.

Despite the assurances of the minister, they are concerned.

“If we do not get this aid it completely throws off the budget we had planned…if there is no more aid, I don't know how we will manage, it is worrying,” said Charles Train. 

“If [MaPrimeRénov’] is stopped, we know that households will close their wallets and halt their projects. Around 100,000 tradespeople will find themselves out of work by the end of the year,” said president of the French builder’s federation (Fédération française du bâtiment) Olivier Salleron. 

“The system was set up five years ago and is modified every six months. At the beginning of the year, it was frozen for two months, and three months later, it was frozen again,” he added in an interview with French media outlet FranceInfo.

“There is certainly some [fraud], but 16,000 out of the total number of renovations is not tragic, especially since with [modern IT services] there must be a way to detect them,” he said. 

“Building trades businesses need visibility and stability, especially in this difficult economic climate where their activity and cash flow are fragile,” said president of the CAPEB organisation for small businesses and artisans Jean-Christophe Repon. 

Artisans “want to know whether all applications submitted by 30 June 2025 will actually be processed. They are also wondering about the future: is this just a temporary freeze or [leading to] a complete overhaul of the scheme in 2026,” he added.