Electrification plan: Prime Minister's announcements create shock among building tradespeople

While CAPEB supports the goal of energy transition in France and the need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, it believes that Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's announcements on electrification remain largely disconnected from the economic and social reality of small construction businesses, already weakened by a crisis that has lasted for more than two years.

Building electrification: key announcements for tradespeople

The measures presented by the government directly concern building tradespeople, particularly those in the heating and plumbing sectors. They include ending the installation of gas boilers in new constructions by the end of 2026, a massive increase in subsidies for electrification to €10 billion per year, and an acceleration of the deployment of heat pumps, designated as the primary alternative solution.

The plan also includes the transformation of social housing with a gradual phase-out of gas, as well as measures to promote electric mobility for businesses, particularly for tradespeople's commercial vehicles. In the context of a prolonged crisis in the French construction sector, these announcements come as a particularly difficult signal for small, independent businesses to accept.

CAPEB: a timetable deemed too fast for craft businesses

For CAPEB, these announcements regarding the electrification and decarbonization of buildings, while part of a long-term strategy, are considered too hasty and insufficiently consulted with professionals. The organization points to a disconnect between a highly directive public policy and a construction market that has been under considerable strain for over two years.

She reiterated that she has been advocating for two years a more gradual and realistic approach, tailored to the capabilities of small businesses. According to her, these measures reflect an impractical approach that does not foster a climate of trust within the sector.

Heating: serious concern among plumbers and heating engineers

The CAPEB (Confederation of Craftspeople and Small Building Contractors) is particularly concerned about the consequences for heating contractors. Companies specializing in gas boilers could experience a sudden disruption to their new construction business as early as the end of 2026. The transition to other solutions, particularly heat pumps, appears difficult to implement within such a short timeframe.

In a sector already marked by declining activity, craft businesses could find themselves struggling to adapt their skills in barely a year, with a significant risk of disorganization.

The organization insists on the need for the Government to quickly clarify its plan to make it credible and economically sustainable for the construction sector. Tradespeople expect a better consideration of the realities on the ground.

She also points out that the Electrification Plan must not come at the expense of support mechanisms for energy savings, particularly home insulation, which is essential for a coherent and effective energy renovation in France.

CAPEB advocates an approach based on energy sobriety, prioritizing the reduction of consumption through insulation, within the framework of a comprehensive renovation process, before the electrification of equipment.

Energy renovation: a strategy deemed unbalanced

CAPEB highlights several structural limitations of the government plan. The heat pump market remains insufficiently dynamic despite existing subsidies, while their high cost continues to deter households from undertaking energy renovation projects.

Furthermore, comprehensive renovation and insulation are considered insufficiently taken into account, even though they are essential to sustainably reduce energy consumption and guarantee the effectiveness of the work.

The organization emphasizes that it is essential that the Electrification Plan and its dedicated resources do not exclude subsidies for energy savings. It advocates for energy efficiency as a prerequisite for any building decarbonization strategy in France.

According to CAPEB, this imbalance between electrification and energy sobriety undermines the overall coherence of the energy renovation policy.

She also points out that the market cannot be decreed and that without confidence from households and businesses, the objectives set risk remaining theoretical.

Construction: CAPEB calls for urgent measures and a more gradual approach

In this context, CAPEB calls on the government to thoroughly review its strategy. It requests a more gradual and collaborative approach with building professionals, as well as regulatory stability that allows businesses and households to invest.

She also advocates for a support plan for activity in the building sector, including emergency measures for employment, as well as a boost to demand through targeted mechanisms, notably a temporary reduction of VAT on energy renovation work to 5,5%.

Finally, it calls for a comprehensive approach integrating energy renovation, home insulation and hybrid solutions, in order to guarantee an effective and sustainable energy transition.

For Jean-Christophe Repon, president of CAPEB: “We share the goal of decarbonization, but this transition must be gradual, transparent, and built in collaboration with tradespeople. Today, the announcements are creating uncertainty and shock for already struggling businesses. In a sector experiencing a recession, this message falls on deaf ears with tradespeople who are waiting for concrete answers. The priority must be energy efficiency, with a renovation approach based on insulation before electrification. Without visibility and trust, this transition risks exacerbating the crisis rather than resolving it.”

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.