2026 Budget: MaPrimeRénov' credits reduced by 500 million euros

"The MaPrimeRénov' scheme is being refocused on priority housing with regard to major renovations, while aid paid for so-called 'gesture' renovations will primarily target decarbonization," it is stated in the draft finance bill (PLF) unveiled Tuesday.

The refocusing of the system and the greater use of energy saving certificates (CEE) are intended to allow the State to pay less money to the Anah, which will have 1,5 billion euros in payment credits in 2026, compared to 2 billion in 2025, according to an annex to the Finance Bill, consulted by AFP.

The other Anah housing improvement schemes have not been modified by the government and the reduction in funding would therefore mainly concern MaPrimeRénov'.

For Maxime Ledez, a researcher at the Institute for Climate Economics (I4CE), "this is a significant budget cut." "It's hard to see how it would be possible to reduce the financial allocation while increasing the number of energy renovations," to achieve the government's target of 700.000 renovated homes per year by 2030.

"The question is, 'Will the CEEs be enough to offset this drop in credits?'" asks Maxime Ledez. The CEEs are financed by energy companies in a volume set by the State, but which has not yet been defined for 2026 and beyond.

The text does not specify the budget specifically allocated to MaPrimeRénov'. It was €3,6 billion in 2025, including €2,5 billion dedicated to major renovations and supporting households in these projects.

MaPrimeRénov', "large-scale renovation," refers to projects that combine several types of work to improve a home's energy performance. This program was suspended this summer by the former government due to an excessive number of applications.

The counter reopened on September 30 under more restricted and less generous conditions than before: only housing classified E, F or G in the performance diagnosis are eligible, low-income and very low-income households have priority and a maximum quota of applications has been set.

The work ceilings have also been lowered to avoid windfall effects.

As for aid for "one-off" renovations, which refers to renovation work carried out in isolation (changing a boiler, insulating walls, etc.), it is planned to exclude wall insulation and the installation of biomass boilers (wood and pellets) from the list of eligible work.

There is no further clarification at this stage on the priority given to decarbonization by the 2026 Finance Bill.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.