Energy Savings Certificates (CEE): The government confirms an increase in "bonuses" to stay on track with the ecological transition

Heat pumps, electric cars, thermal renovation: the private money windfall from "energy saving certificates" (CEE) will increase significantly from 2026 to keep the course of the ecological transition, with an impact on the energy bill probably "marginal" and on which the government will be "very vigilant".

The CEE budget already represented 6 billion euros in 2025, but this machine for financing energy savings and decarbonization will see its envelope reach more than 8 billion euros in 2026, as indicated on October 24 by the Minister for Ecological Transition Monique Barbut.

This is the concrete translation of a decree from the Ministry of Economy published on Tuesday which endorses the new terms of the "6th period" of the CEE extending from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2030.

Created in 2005, this mechanism is based on the polluter-pays principle: it obliges energy suppliers to finance actions to reduce energy consumption and improve energy efficiency.

In exchange for granting a subsidy to a household or business, for example to replace an oil boiler with a heat pump, the supplier receives an Energy Savings Certificate (CEE). At the end of each period, they must demonstrate that they have met the CEE target set by the government.

Keen to stay on course with financing the ecological transition without further increasing its budget, the State is turning to this so-called extra-budgetary mechanism to finance more aid in electric mobility - to move away from fossil fuels (ecological bonus, social leasing) and in the energy renovation of housing, in particular to complement the public subsidies of MaPrimeRénov', which are overwhelmed by the demand.

"This decree makes it possible to maintain our ambition in terms of energy efficiency and decarbonization, but also to support low-income households with a minimum level of operations for their benefit," the Ministries of Economy and Ecological Transition explained to AFP.

During this sixth period, the annual energy savings obligation for electricity, gas, heat, and cooling suppliers will increase by 27%, from 825 to 1.050 TWh cumac – the unit of measurement used to calculate energy savings over the lifetime of operations. Approximately a quarter of this (280 TWh cumac) is earmarked for low-income households.

But mobilizing more private money may not be without consequences for consumers. This is because the bonuses generated by Energy Savings Certificates (CEE) are partly passed on to consumers in their energy bills and the price per liter of fuel.

"Reasonable" increase

Currently, the level of Energy Savings Certificates (CEE) required from businesses represents "an increase of 4 or 5 cents per liter of gasoline" and "several euros per megawatt-hour for energy companies," calculates Nicolas Moulin, founder of PrimesEnergie, which assists individuals in obtaining subsidies. What will the situation be in 2026? It's difficult to predict because CEEs are a market with fluctuating prices. But the government assures that it will be "very vigilant" regarding the effects on energy prices.

"The level of obligations is certainly increasing, but there will be more opportunities (for operations) to open up, therefore a larger market for CEEs, which may allow for a marginal impact," Bercy believes.

In recent months, the State has already sorted through eligible operations by removing works deemed ineffective in terms of energy savings, and modifying, or even improving, others, in order to direct these private funds towards operations deemed priorities, such as electric mobility, the installation of heat pumps and large-scale energy renovations of housing (combining several works).

Some energy renovation professionals had hoped for stricter "obligations," which would have meant more projects. The government ultimately opted for a "reasonable" increase, keen to keep costs down, according to Nicolas Moulin.

"There is an interest" among professionals "in doing more work, but the CEEs weigh on purchasing power. Bercy has understood this well," he adds.

The decree also formalizes a government objective to "strengthen the technical and human resources" for the fight against CEE fraud, which was deemed inadequate in a September 2024 report by the Court of Auditors. In its draft 2026 budget, the government plans to increase the number of control agents from 25 to 54 full-time equivalents.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.