Government suspends MaPrimeRénov' without consultation, putting more than 100.000 construction jobs at risk

The Ministers of Economy and Housing confirmed on Wednesday that the MaPrimeRénov' application window for comprehensive energy renovations and one-off insulation and boiler replacement work would close this summer.

Olivier Salleron, president of the French Building Federation (FFB), considers the government's decision to close this office "unjustifiable, unspeakable," and risks putting "100.000 employees in the sector out of work."

The FFB plans to use its national congress on June 13 to "decide on the measures to be taken," Olivier Salleron told AFP. "There's going to be trouble," he added, with protests, blockades, and the erection of cranes in "strategic locations" being considered.

Ready to participate in the mobilization, Peter Lehmann, a heating engineer in the Hautes-Alpes region, warns: "We don't have tractors, but we do have machinery." He fears "catastrophic consequences in terms of employment."

The building trades union, Capeb, is also keen to protest, and is organising itself to define "a movement" in order to "react strongly and express our discontent," according to its president, Jean-Christophe Repon, interviewed by Franceinfo.

Energy renovation represents 30% of the activity of FFB members and 600.000 employees, according to Olivier Salleron.

"VSEs, SMEs, artisans, everyone is up in arms. Add to that the serious and historic crisis in new housing, enough is enough, we're not going to let ourselves die without saying anything," he growls.

Similar anger is felt by manufacturers of heat pumps and water heaters, some of whom are already "suspending" their investment decisions in factory expansions, said Teoman Bakoglu, deputy general delegate of the FIEEC, which represents the electrical, electronics, and communications industries. "If there are no more orders, the factories will shut down," he told AFP.

In a joint press release, 19 professional energy renovation organizations expressed their "astonishment" and "concerns."

"Without stability of the system, let alone its sustainability and simplification, thousands of installation companies, building tradespeople, distributors and industrial jobs are directly weakened," denounce these federations of professionals in the building, heating, energy, electricity and climate engineering sectors.

The group of federations believes that the meeting scheduled for Friday at the Ministry of Economy to discuss the energy renovation market is "no longer necessary because it is now irrelevant" and is requesting a meeting with Prime Minister François Bayrou.

"Scourge" of fraud

The suspension only applies to new applications. "Non-fraudulent applications submitted before the closure will be processed and paid as quickly as possible, and a process to accelerate the processing will be implemented," the Ministry of Housing stated.

"Households want efficient renovations. Tradespeople are ready. But the government, with these announcements, is not meeting the social, energy, and ecological challenges," criticizes Vincent Legrand, president of Dorémi, a company specializing in energy-efficient home renovation.

"Individuals plan their budgets and their renovations based on MaPrimeRénov'. If they're no longer eligible for it tomorrow, they'll be stuck in their energy sieve," worries Christophe Perrier, head of Elaborplan, a project management company specializing in renovations, extensions, and new builds. "People can't afford to spend millions."

This suspension of the system is due to "current backlogs (of new applications, editor's note) and excessive fraud," according to Eric Lombard, Minister of the Economy, who estimates the number of "suspicious files" at "16.000," or "12% of the stock."

Jean-Christophe Repon sees it as a "good thing" that the government is tackling the "scourge" of fraud, "on the condition that for once it listens to building tradespeople to create the conditions for a virtuous energy renovation market."

"What's not a problem is renovation by gesture," which refers to the implementation of a single type of thermal renovation work. "It must continue; it keeps the craftsmen working," claims Olivier Salleron.

Pierre-Marie Perrin, director of public affairs for the Hellio group, an energy renovation company, says he understands "the government's desire to clean up the system of massive fraud of which it is a victim," but regrets "the confusion caused" by the recent announcements, "to the detriment of the actors who keep it alive, with low-income households being the first victims."

A new blow for construction professionals according to the Union of Independents and VSEs (SDI)

The construction sector is experiencing an unprecedented crisis. In 2024, bankruptcies in the real estate development sector exploded by 150% compared to 2023. And the trend is not reversing: in the first quarter of 2025, bankruptcies continued to soar, with a 21% increase compared to the same period the previous year.

This haemorrhage is affecting the entire construction sector, particularly the finishing sector, which saw 8 companies close their doors in 307 (+2024% compared to 21). And 2023 more followed in the first quarter of 1555.

It is in this context that the government is considering suspending or even cancelling the Ma Prime Rénov' scheme and its €3,5 billion allocation for 2025, of which only €700.000 has been used to date, leaving professionals and consumers in a state of expectation.

For Marc Sanchez, Secretary General of SDI: "The suspension or even cancellation of Ma Prime Rénov' is a particularly negative signal in the context of the deep crisis experienced by small construction companies. The situation is Kafkaesque: the ink on the law on administrative simplification is still wet, and a new law (the Cazenave law) has complicated a 5-year-old system to the point of blocking the system! We hear talk of "fighting fraud." This is duly noted. But the necessary and legitimate control procedures should have been put in place well in advance! Today, all VSEs in the construction industry are penalized by the actions of a few professional fraudsters. In reality, this aid only serves to offset the excessively high costs incurred by our companies. If the public authorities are unable to anticipate fraudulent behavior through appropriate procedures, they should remove the aid and reduce our costs! Our companies, our employees, and consumers will only be better off for it."

UFME and SNFA express strong concern over the Minister of the Economy's confirmation of the suspension of MaPrimeRénov'

The Union of Joinery Manufacturers (UFME) and the SNFA, the two professional organizations representing the joinery industry, unanimously express their deep concern over the press reports announcing the suspension of MaPrimeRénov' funding. This was done without any prior consultation with the stakeholders concerned and with almost immediate implementation (with a lead time of less than one month).

In a context of extreme tension in the new housing market, renovation currently represents the main economic outlet for companies in the sector, even though this sector is also in decline (-5,3% compared to 2021). Companies in the French door and window sector contribute to France's economic dynamism. They represent 180.000 non-relocatable jobs spread across the country. These companies have always been partners of households in their energy renovation work. The sector was thus the first building trade to commit to the RGE label, an essential label to guarantee the quality of the renovation work carried out. The renovation market is therefore, for these companies, an essential outlet, all the more important given the new housing crisis.

Consider these financings as an investment

Beyond the positive impact on the environment, energy renovation support measures should be considered a financial investment and not a cost. They generate tax revenue for the state.

Renovating a window costs between €800 and €1000 (supply and installation):

• Amount of the MaPrimeRénov' grant between €50 and €100
• Tax revenue and social security contributions collected by the State for this single action reach €285

VAT alone represents between 310 and 365 million euros per year.

Create an energy renovation passport

It is also important to remember that window replacement very often triggers other renovation work, which themselves generate tax revenue. To address this issue in a concrete and constructive manner, the UFME reaffirms its proposal presented in its Manifesto in favor of a sustainable housing renovation policy: to implement an "energy renovation work passport" in place of the Supported Pathway. Dedicated to housing in energy classes D, E, F and G, this passport would allow households to carry out, over a period of up to three years, all the work recommended by My Renovation Support. They would plan their work in stages, allowing for progressive and better-controlled support over time by the State. Window replacement, a simple, effective action that can be carried out on an individual scale, would find its place in this.

For Laurent DEMASLES, President of UFME and member of the French Building Federation: "With the aim of mass-renovating French homes, comprehensive renovation, supported by MaPrimeRénov' Parcours Accompagné, has been strongly promoted. Today, while this program is finally bearing fruit and should allow France to meet its environmental commitments, the only mechanism recognized by households as effective and accessible will be suspended. I would like to remind you that 75% of window production is intended for renovation, or nearly 7 million pieces of window frames per year. This announcement will have a dramatic impact on an already tense market and our jobs. The UFME calls for dialogue with public authorities to maintain the current momentum, protect businesses and jobs, and avoid a sudden decline in energy renovation policy."

For Dominique THOMASSON, President of SNFA and member of the French Building Federation: "It is essential that these subsidies continue and stabilize, both for windows and for other solutions, which allow households to reduce their energy bills and improve the comfort of their homes. Furthermore, we must once again confirm the interest and importance of maintaining windows in energy renovation assistance schemes. For individuals as well as for businesses, these successive changes risk leading to a total and immediate disengagement from the virtuous scheme. We hope that the government will find solutions to maintain the momentum of energy renovation."

GERE calls for a rapid and concerted recovery

The Energy Renovation Engineers Association (GERE) acknowledges the announcement made by the Minister of Housing, Valérie Létard, regarding the temporary suspension of MaPrimeRénov' applications this summer. The GERE calls on Minister Valérie LÉTARD to take swift and decisive action.

For Hugues Sartre, spokesperson for GERE: "We welcome the Government's commitment to strengthening the fight against fraud and ensuring the quality of energy renovation work. However, we would like to emphasize that the stability of the entire sector now depends on strict compliance with the temporary nature of this closure."

For GERE, a suspension of several months could have irreversible consequences for businesses, artisans and structures engaged daily in the energy transition of French homes.

In this spirit, the GERE is fully at the Government's disposal to participate in the definition of the new instruction rules and in the development of a renewed, more robust and more readable framework, which will allow a calm and effective restart of the system from September 2025.

GERE members, who are heavily involved in the field, can contribute their operational expertise, their knowledge of local realities and their commitment to building a sustainable model of energy renovation, serving households and the ecological transition.

The GERE calls for rapid, constructive and structured consultation, so that this suspension does not mark a break, but rather a transition towards a strengthened, fair and sustainable system.

GERE will remain attentive to the Government's upcoming announcements and fully committed to contributing to the rapid revival of the energy renovation dynamic in France.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.