Inflated quotes and inaccuracies in audits: on-site visits are necessary to combat MaPrimeRénov' fraud

"The attics are very well insulated, so there is no reason to insulate the sloping sections" of the roof, contrary to what was planned in the energy renovation work estimate, according to an agent who came to carry out an inspection before the possible granting of a MaPrimeRénov' subsidy.

The visit of this technical expert, who asked not to be identified, was triggered by doubts on the part of the MaPrimeRénov' processing service upon reading the application file: no wall insulation and a water heater unchanged since the construction of this house in 1984, in Aubevoye, a small town in the Eure.

Screwdriver in hand, the inspector removes an electrical switch to examine the inside of the walls: bingo! "Behind the plasterboard, there's a 5 cm air gap, then the concrete block wall." A construction that's "slightly more insulating" than an uninsulated wall.

As for the old water heater, it doesn't exist. A gas boiler was installed in the basement in 2019. "Investing 20.000 euros in a heat pump if changing the boiler isn't necessary is questionable" and "not very honest of the auditor," notes the agent, taking a pedagogical approach with the owner, Fouad.

This 50-year-old automotive technician was well aware of the many "frauds and inflated quotes" in energy renovation, but not that it could affect his own house, which he rents to a family.

The control of the "initial state of the dwelling", reported in the energy audit, will however have revealed that elements degrade the energy rating of the dwelling and justify certain works, not really necessary in the end, according to the technical expert, for which 49.000 euros was requested, the maximum possible subsidy given the owner's income.

"Three and a half pieces of information"

Files riddled with inconsistencies: the Seine-Eure conurbation, 40 km south of Rouen, has received dozens of them since the creation in 2024 of the "Renovation Supporters" (MAR), professionals who advise individuals in their energy renovation projects, which must be consulted to request a subsidy.

Before 2024, the inter-municipal authority helped households to renovate their homes for energy efficiency by relying on local professionals certified by the Normandy region. But "overnight, we received applications submitted by MARs from Marseille, Lyon, and Bordeaux, with audits containing three and a half pieces of information, immediate inconsistencies, but very clean quotes," which raised suspicions with the MaPrimeRénov' application review service, explains an instructor who wishes to remain anonymous due to recurring pressure from dissatisfied individuals and companies.

An initial on-site inspection in 2024 revealed irregularities, as did subsequent inspections of other cases. "100% of the applications submitted by applicants from outside the department are fraudulent," warns Anne Terlez, vice-president of the metropolitan area, in charge of housing.

This is not about identity theft, scams against individuals or companies not authorized to do this type of activity, but about negligence and inaccuracies that contribute to wasting public money or at least make the renovation less effective.

10% to 15% physical checks

"The spectrum between identity theft and a perfect file is very wide, there are many different degrees of potential fraud," the file examiner further emphasizes, deploring the lack of action on the part of the National Housing Agency (Anah), which distributes the MaPrimeRénov' aid, on these other facets of fraud.

She notes that "it is on the energy audit that these companies are most successful in deceiving the investigating services, which are composed of administrative and not technical staff", and insists on the importance of "on-site checks", before work, without which "it is impossible to prove whether something exists or not".

For its part, Anah assures that it has "tools and techniques" to control the pre-work energy audit and to call upon instructors who have "all the expertise to judge the quality of the work projects".

Nationally, physical checks concern 10% to 15% of projects and take place after the completion of the work, the public agency told AFP.

But in the Eure department, Anne Terlez says she experienced "conflicting demands" between the "massification" objective of energy renovation pursued by the National Housing Agency (Anah) and the necessary fight against fraud. Anah dismisses this criticism, citing longer waiting times as proof of its efforts to combat fraud.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.