Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs): Real estate diagnosticians fear a loss of confidence with the new electrical coefficient planned for 2027

The electricity-to-primary-energy conversion coefficient used to establish the energy performance diagnosis (DPE) is expected to be lowered again on January 1, 2027. After falling from 2,3 to 1,9 at the beginning of 2026, it would be reduced to 1,7.

SIDIANE, the interprofessional union for real estate diagnostics, understands the objectives pursued by the Government: to accelerate the electrification of uses, reduce the use of fossil fuels and encourage in particular the installation of heat pumps in homes.

The professional organization, which presents itself as the leading union in the sector in France, nevertheless warns of the consequences of these successive changes for the understanding and credibility of the DPE.

Better-rated housing without renovations

The previous revision of the electricity conversion coefficient, which went from 2,3 to 1,9 on January 1, 2026, mechanically improved the energy rating of many homes heated by electricity.

According to official estimates cited by SIDIANE, nearly 800.000 homes are no longer considered energy inefficient. Some homes previously rated G can once again be offered for rent, while properties rated F are exempt from the rental ban scheduled for January 1, 2028.

This regulatory change, however, does not correspond to any physical transformation of the dwelling. Insulation, windows, ventilation, and heating equipment remain the same, while the energy performance certificate (EPC) rating may increase by one class.

For Sidiane, this discrepancy is difficult for many owners and tenants to understand. The proposed reduction from 1,9 to 1,7 could exacerbate this confusion by removing several hundred thousand more homes from the energy inefficiency category, just one year after the previous reform.

According to Denis Mora, general delegate of SIDIANE: "With successive changes, there is a risk of undermining public confidence in the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) and, more broadly, in the work of the professionals who carry it out."

A reform that requires more education and explanation.

SIDIANE believes that this new development cannot remain a mere technical or regulatory change. It should be accompanied by clear information for landlords, tenants, and all housing professionals.

The union is demanding, in particular, that the reasons for this further reduction in the coefficient be explained and that the nature of the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) be more clearly defined. The EPC is a standardized assessment of a dwelling's energy and environmental performance, established using a calculation method defined by regulations.

The letter assigned to the property represents only part of the information provided by the energy performance assessment. The report also describes the characteristics of the building envelope, insulation, windows and doors, heating and hot water systems, ventilation, and summer comfort. It also includes recommendations for improving the property's energy performance.

SIDIANE calls for a national information campaign

Faced with successive revisions of the calculation method, SIDIANE calls on public authorities to launch an information campaign dedicated to the operation of the DPE and the consequences of the new electricity conversion coefficient.

The organization considers this educational effort essential to preserve confidence in the diagnosis and to remind people of its role in decisions regarding purchase, rental and energy renovation.

According to Denis Mora, general delegate of SIDIANE: "Because by focusing all our attention on a letter and a color, we risk forgetting the essential point: behind the label, the EPC remains first and foremost a diagnostic tool designed to provide a better understanding of a dwelling, its equipment, its strengths and weaknesses, and to inform the decisions of those who occupy it, buy it, rent it out or wish to renovate it."

Image illustrating the article via Depositphotos.com.