MaprimeRénov': What Has Really Changed!
As the schedule for gradually banning the rental of properties with poor energy performance ratings continues, France must accelerate its energy transition. To this end, the government had announced a strengthened version of the MaPrimeRénov' program, set to take effect on January 1, 2024. However, in light of the obstacles encountered on the ground by professionals, budget cuts, and a drastic drop in applications for assistance, the government has revised its plan.
Incentive Program Since its creation in 2020, the MaPrimeRénov' program has already facilitated the renovation of 2 million homes, including 210,235 comprehensive renovations. According to official figures, 89% of French people who have benefited from this assistance say they are satisfied with it, and 69% say they would not have carried out the renovations without it. Furthermore, 68% of beneficiaries are low-income households. It is important to note that the energy savings achieved through MaPrimeRénov' amount to 14.44 TWh/year, which is equivalent to the combined annual energy consumption of the residents of Lyon and Paris.
The Goal for 2024: Accelerate “
” In 2019, residential buildings accounted for 16% of direct greenhouse gas emissions in France and 45% of the country’s final energy consumption. Nearly two-thirds of these emissions come from residential buildings, and nearly one in five homes is classified as an “energy-inefficient building”—that is, in energy efficiency class F or G according to the Energy Performance Certificate (DPE).
“To meet our climate goals for 2030 and 2050 and improve citizens’ quality of life, we must accelerate the pace of large-scale renovations—the best way to move housing out of the ‘energy-inefficient’ category,” states France Rénov’. 200,000 thermal renovations will need to be completed starting in 2024—more than double the current annual rate. At the same time, the pace of removing primarily fossil-fuel-powered boilers must also accelerate in order to phase out approximately 75% of oil-fired boilers and 20% of gas-fired boilers (excluding hybrid models) by 2030. "
It should be noted that while the targets announced in January 2024 remain theoretically in effect, the overall budget allocated to the MaPrimeRénov’ program was revised downward in February 2024, from 5 billion to 4 billion euros.
A Simpler and More Robust Program
To achieve the ambitious goal of 200,000 energy-efficient renovations by 2024, MaPrimeRénov’ is evolving, notably with the introduction of a new guided process. Households wishing to undertake renovation work that improves their energy performance rating by at least two classes will automatically receive support and an increased grant. Although this program specifically targets homes rated F or G, it is available to all homes.
My “Rénov’ Advisor” will be responsible for providing support with technical, administrative, and financial procedures, and the cost of their services will be covered 100% for households with very low incomes, 80% for those with low incomes, 40% for those with moderate incomes, and 20% for those with higher incomes, up to a maximum of 2,000 euros.
In addition, a one-stop shop is being created, offering a single grant and requiring only one application to be filed with ANAH. Regarding funding, grants are increased based on household profiles, with a cap of up to 70,000 euros for renovations in cases where the energy performance rating improves by four classes. The subsidy rate can reach up to 90% for a so-called “very low-income” household seeking to renovate an energy-inefficient home.
To prevent a backlog of applications, government authorities announced in early March 2024 that they intend to expedite the review of accreditation applications, with the goal of increasing the number of accredited organizations from the current 439 to 600 by June 2024. Particular attention will also be paid to achieving a more balanced distribution of facilities across the country, as the current geographic distribution is quite uneven.
A Step Back Regarding the End of Single-Project Grants
The version of MaPrimeRénov' that took effect on January 1, 2024, was supposed to mark the end of single-project grants, which would have received little or no support in order to encourage larger packages of energy-efficiency improvement projects. However, this announcement appears to have dampened homeowners’ enthusiasm, as a 40% drop in MaPrimeRénov’ applications was recorded between January and February 2024.
The government has therefore reversed its decision, and most single-project renovations (such as wall insulation and window replacement) are once again eligible for the program—without the need to work with a project coordinator—through December 31, 2024, including for single-family homes considered to be energy-inefficient. In fact, the requirement to complete and submit an Energy Performance Certificate (DPE) for a single-project renovation to be eligible for MaPrimeRénov’ has also been extended to December 31, 2024.
“The philosophy is that a comprehensive renovation is preferable to a single measure. But a single measure is better than nothing at all,” states the Ministry of Energy Transition. Finally, the RGE certification—which is required for renovation projects to qualify for the MaPrimeRénov’ subsidy—can now be obtained more easily by tradespeople through a Validation of Prior Learning (VAE) process.
