400.000 fewer energy-inefficient homes by 2025, largely due to an energy performance certificate (EPC) reform

The number of energy-inefficient homes stood at 5,4 million on January 1, 2025, 400.000 fewer than a year earlier, mainly due to a reform of the energy performance diagnosis (DPE), according to government statistics published on Thursday, November 13.

These highly energy-inefficient homes, rated F or G on the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), represent 14,4% of the total French housing stock. The EPC assigns a rating from A, for the most energy-efficient homes, to G, for the least efficient.

Among primary residences, 12,7% are energy inefficient, representing 3,9 million homes. The majority (2,5 million) are owner-occupied, while within the private rental sector, 13,8% of dwellings are energy inefficient, representing 1,1 million homes.

Within the private rental stock, there were, as of January 1, 2025, 453.000 dwellings classified as G, whereas from that same date, the law requires that all rented accommodation be classified as F at a minimum, under penalty of the owner being required to carry out work.

The data and statistical studies department (SDES) of the Ministry of Ecological Transition estimates that the change in the calculation thresholds of the DPE for small areas, announced in February 2024, has had the effect of removing 160.000 apartments from the category of energy sieves, which corresponds to "38% of the estimated decrease in energy sieves" during the year among main residences.

And the new modification of the DPE, which this time concerns the electricity conversion coefficient (which is used to calculate the energy actually consumed), should remove "around 700.000 main residences" from the status of energy sieve.

This figure is lower than the 850.000 homes put forward in July when this reform was announced, which will come into effect on January 1, 2026. This first assessment "was estimated on the basis of the stock on January 1, 2023", the study justifies.

"The energy-inefficient properties in the private rental stock belong to owners who are rather old and have modest incomes," the study notes: 17,7% of the housing in the private rental stock owned by owners over 80 years old are energy-inefficient.

Beyond the modification of the DPE, "the interpretation of the downward trend in the number of energy sieves remains delicate", according to the SDES, because it "may reflect a real improvement in the energy performance of the stock (...), but also possible effects of behavior of both diagnosticians and owners".

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.