Another Boost for MaPrimeRénov
Élisabeth Borne announced a 66% increase in the budget allocated to MaPrimeRénov' for 2024.
This announcement comes at an opportune time, as the number of complete renovations is on the decline. In fact, between 2021 and 2022, the number of such renovations fell by 17 percent, from 41,219 to 34,122. With this in mind, the government has set an ambitious goal of reaching 200,000 comprehensive renovations by 2024.
The MaPrimeRénov' program, launched in 2020 and overseen by the National Housing Agency (Anah), has already provided support to more than 1.5 million homeowners for their energy-efficiency renovation projects. This has resulted in more than 5.6 billion euros in funding from government sources. Although growing environmental awareness and rising energy bills are increasingly prompting French households to consider energy-efficient renovations, interest remains high. This recent injection of resources is in addition to the 7 billion euros in additional funding planned for 2024, with the goal of doubling efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, in line with European commitments to achieve a 50% reduction by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. In 2022, France came close to achieving a reduction of nearly 25%, underscoring the scale of the remaining challenges.
However, the program requires adjustments and improvements, as highlighted by Heero, a platform dedicated to energy-efficient renovations. This platform, which assists individuals in financing their projects, commends the efforts undertaken. However, its director believes that certain elements need to be corrected to strengthen a program that currently lacks incentives. Significant problems were revealed in October 2022 by the Defender of Rights, who received nearly 500 complaints over two years. Applicants face difficulties in obtaining the subsidies.
On the one hand, payment processing times are excessively long, mainly due to malfunctions in the online portal where applicants must create an account before submitting their requests. These delays are particularly harmful to low-income households, placing them in an even more precarious situation. On the other hand, the amounts granted remain insufficient. According to Heero’s statistics, the average renovation cost since January 1, 2023, has been €16,200, with financial assistance totaling only €2,442—€1,465 of which comes from MaPrimeRénov’ and €977 from the CEE grant. These subsidies thus cover no more than 15% of the estimated cost, leaving households to bear 85% of the burden (approximately €14,735 on average), which is excessive for many families. Heero believes that this situation significantly hinders the decision to undertake a renovation project. Furthermore, the platform notes that projects are often limited to minor changes, such as replacing windows, whereas attic insulation should be a priority to prevent energy loss. Among the necessary adjustments, the eligibility criteria for MaPrimeRénov’ and the Energy Savings Certificates (CEE) should be harmonized, as the two programs do not share the same definition of “comprehensive renovation”: for the former, this translates to a reduction of at least 55% in annual energy consumption, while for the latter, the threshold is set at 35%. Furthermore, CEE funding may be granted for an air-to-air heat pump, unlike MaPrimeRénov’.
