Fuel poverty: ineffective complex aids and a lack of support

An observation shared by Régis Largillier, former executive of Schneider Electric and animator of the HOPE chair, at the forefront of the search for solutions to counter this scourge which affects nearly one in five French people: according to him, real "accompaniment" is needed. of the most seriously affected families.

"To achieve a real change of scale in terms of renovation and the fight against energy poverty, information and support for households are also essential", underlines the Abbé-Pierre foundation, which notes that the FAIRE network, created in September 2018 to guide individuals, is still experiencing "many failures".

According to a survey conducted by the foundation in the first half of 2021, unanswered calls, extended response times, errors in the advice given are commonplace.

An observation that is all the more damaging since, as Mr Largillier points out, the "complexity" of the various aids is such, "whether at national, European or even regional level, that people no longer understand anything, do not know more".

"What is needed, beyond aid, is that there is support. Support, with trained people, who know the different types of aid, is essential", explains Mr. Largillier.

It is based in particular on a study carried out in 2020 by researchers from the University of Grenoble-Alpes on energy poverty in the agglomeration of Roanne (Loire), during which 78% of the people surveyed indicated that they did not know about the financial aid for thermal renovation.

This ignorance often leads to a "non-use of rights" on the part of users, "because the rights are little known, little known to users, of course, but also little known in all institutions, social workers, local authorities who should support people who are in fuel poverty", underlines Mr. Largillier.

The Abbé-Pierre Foundation also points to the development of aid schemes "which inflate the figures for the number of works initiated by targeting simple renovation "gestures", ineffective if they remain isolated (changing the boiler, insulating the attic, changing the windows, etc., to the detriment of the long-term performance of an overall renovation".

The "shame" of being precarious

According to an evaluation of the France Relance plan carried out by France Stratégie, an organization attached to Matignon, "86% of the work financed with MaPrimeRenov' would only concern a renovation gesture (change of boiler, insulation, etc.), the overall renovations would not represent only 0,1% of the files and the exits of sieves 0,2%...", underlines the report of the foundation.

In this study, France Strategy estimated however that "certain single actions can be efficient, allowing significant energy savings to be made", taking the example of the installation of air/water heat pumps.

While waiting to be able to really change the situation through work, the payment of aid to households for the payment of bills remains crucial.

On this side, the account is not there either, according to the Abbé-Pierre foundation, even if it welcomes an extension of the "energy check" to "two million additional beneficiary households and a revaluation of the check by 50 euros in 2019 following the crisis of the yellow vests movement".

"In 2020, the average amount of the energy check was still 148 euros, while the energy bill for housing was on average 1.602 euros per year in 2019. In December 2021, a second check for 100 euros was exceptionally sent for compensate for the rise in gas and electricity prices", recalls the foundation.

In addition, she notes, "the rate of non-use still concerns a fifth of beneficiaries".

“Those who really need it do not use it”, confirms Mr. Largillier, according to whom the households most concerned do not wish “to be indebted to the State” or that it is known in their entourage: “there are plenty reasons linked to the shame of being precarious", even the fear of receiving a letter from the State, heralding bad news, such as an eviction notice.

An aspect which justifies all the more the need for "accompaniment", according to Mr. Largillier.