DPE: the Court of Auditors recommends a professional diagnostician card

Regularly accused of being the subject of fraud, manipulation and approximations, the DPE is now mandatory for any rental or sale of accommodation.

It's a "very useful" system, but it "must be exemplary," said Pierre Moscovici, First President of the Court of Auditors, during a press conference held Tuesday. He noted "undeniable progress" in improving it, but believes that efforts "must continue."

The Court considers that the "measurements or observations" from which the DPE label is derived may be imperfect and "taint the result with uncertainties".

Similarly, diagnosticians must comply with new requirements from July 2024, with certification to be obtained, but this "is not enough to fully control the risks observed in terms of probity and impartiality," deplore the Sages of rue Cambon.

However, the cases of serious fraud detected by the DGCCRF (fraud repression) are "marginal".

While the independence of certification bodies must be guaranteed, the Court of Auditors noted that "a number of training and certification bodies have structural or financial links with each other", which represents "potential conflicts of interest".

The Court therefore recommends "continuing the structuring of the sector before the end of 2026", with a professional card for diagnosticians, the obligation of strict separation between training and certification missions and the establishment of a "geographic incompatibility" for auditors who have practiced another profession in the sector.

"We must put an end to endogamy in the sector," said Mr. Moscovici, calling for "strong state regulation."

In March, the Minister for Housing, Valérie Létard, presented a series of ten measures to enhance the credibility of the DPE, which are generally in line with the findings and recommendations of the Court of Auditors.

As for the gradual ban on renting energy sieves (labels F and G), it "did not sufficiently anticipate the difficulties encountered by individuals in complying with it," according to the report.

"The rental ban depends directly on the implementation of the DPE and has major consequences on the property situation and the real estate market in general," recalls Mr. Moscovici.

For the Court, clarifications are needed, "even some adjustments" to facilitate the implementation of this law, in particular by coordinating it with the regulations on co-ownership and town planning.

Mr. Moscovici also deplores the fact that there is "no planned assessment of the rental and real estate markets" of the gradual ban on renting energy-saving devices.

The DPE gives a rating from A (the best) to G (the poorest) to assess the energy performance of a home based on numerous parameters, such as the insulation of the walls and roof or the heating system.