Low-income households, the first victims of the suspension of MaPrimeRénov'

Nathalie, a 59-year-old resident of Calvados, has just bought a house in Eure with inheritance money that is "not very expensive, but needs to be renovated, mainly to insulate it."

The accommodation is rated F in the energy performance diagnosis (DPE), one of the lowest ratings, corresponding to the energy sieve category.

Nathalie had therefore taken steps to carry out a major renovation with insulation of the walls and attic, replacement of the windows, installation of a heat pump and a ventilation system.

Estimated budget: 70.000 euros, including potential assistance from MaPrimeRénov' of 70% of the amount, and therefore a potential remaining charge of 21.000 euros for Nathalie and her husband.

With the suspension of new applications for aid from July 1st to mid-September, Nathalie finds herself "in a somewhat difficult situation," with a delayed move and associated costs, and no certainty about the aid she could actually receive.

Housing Minister Valérie Létard wants to "change the rules" of MaPrimeRénov' after the summer suspension with the aim of better managing the 3,6 billion budget for this year.

No details have been given at this stage, which plunges the entire sector into total uncertainty.

"It's terrible, in terms of visibility, confidence for households" and also "for our employees who have no idea how things will go" for the rest of the year, laments Juliette Laganier, general director of Soliha, a federation of housing assistance associations, which notably provides support for comprehensive renovation projects.

High remaining charge

"We cannot support households without knowing the conditions of the aid," insists Juliette Laganier.

His fear is that he will have to "go back with households that did not submit their application before the summer and review the entire project with the new framework" of the MaPrimeRénov' scheme, which benefits 73% of low-income and very low-income households.

According to Manuel Domergue, director of studies at the Foundation for Housing the Disadvantaged, a reduction in aid by lowering the ceilings for the amount of eligible work, currently €70.000 for the most effective renovations, is being discussed within the State.

This would mean "a remaining cost to be paid by low-income households" but if it is too high, "they will not carry out any work and it is the renovation of the homes of the poor that suffers," assures Manuel Domergue.

Without aid, Nathalie will indeed have to cut back on her project and not carry out all the work she had planned, even though her ambition is to "live more or less comfortably once she retires" in "an insulated house" that requires little energy expenditure.

In 2024, a third of French people suffered from the cold in their homes and 28% had difficulty paying their energy bills, according to the Energy Mediator.

Manuel Domergue notes only the "beginning of the momentum for comprehensive renovation" of housing, with 91.374 major renovations planned by 2024, according to the National Housing Agency. "This is a drop in the ocean among the 5 million energy-wasting areas."

"The state's long-term objective is 700.000 comprehensive renovations per year, and now, at the first level, they're taking a break," he complains, believing that the government "really doesn't have the money to see out the year."

Juliette Laganier had also alerted the State "at the beginning of the year to the fact that there was no slowdown in the momentum while the files for the end of 2024 had still not been processed."

She hopes for "a framework that changes as little as possible and protects households with the lowest incomes as much as possible." She also wants to refocus aid on comprehensive renovations, to the detriment of small, individual renovations.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.