How many energy-inefficient homes are there really in France?

The number of homes considered energy-inefficient in France was estimated at 6.6 million as of January 1, 2023, marking a significant decline from the 7.1 million recorded in 2022—a 7% decrease—according to the annual report from the National Observatory for Energy Renovation.

This tally covers the entire French housing stock, including primary residences, second homes, and vacant units, totaling 37 million units. As of January 1, 2023, the number of energy-inefficient homes is estimated at 6.6 million, representing 17.8% of the housing stock, down from 7.1 million (19.5%) in 2022. This represents a 7% improvement, as noted in a publication dated November 20.

Energy performance certificates (EPCs) assign ratings from A to G to homes and buildings, reserving the ratings “F” and “G” for energy-inefficient buildings, often due to insufficient insulation or heating systems that emit high levels of CO2, such as natural gas or heating oil.

When focusing on the 30 million primary residences in France as of January 1, 2023, the number of energy-inefficient homes is estimated at approximately 4.8 million, or 15.7% of the housing stock, compared to 5.1 million (17.1%) in 2022. The Observatory reports a decrease of approximately 380,000 homes compared to the previous year.

The social rental housing stock has a lower average energy efficiency rating than the private housing stock, with 380,000 units and 8.1% rated F and G, compared to 4.4 million units and 17.1% for the private housing stock. At the regional level, the Île-de-France region presents the most concerning situation, with 21.7% of homes classified as energy-inefficient and 47.5% of primary residences rated E through G.

This situation can be explained in part by the prevalence of small dwellings in this region, which account for 43% of the total (compared with an average of 27%), with higher rates of substandard housing: 31.3% for dwellings smaller than 30 m² and 19.7% for those between 30 and 60 m².

Overall, among second homes and vacant dwellings, the proportion of energy-inefficient homes is higher than among primary residences. Approximately 30% of second homes (about 1.1 million dwellings) and 24% of vacant dwellings (about 0.7 million) are rated F or G.

The Observatory bases its findings on the energy performance assessments (DPE) conducted between October 2022 and March 2023 (a total of 915,000 assessments), extrapolating these data to the entire housing stock.