Freezing MaPrimeRénov': an incomprehensible obstacle to the decarbonization of buildings

The government's decision, presented as a "temporary adjustment" in response to an "influx of applications" and fraud, will apply from July to September, for individual aid only.

"The impact of the suspension is clearly negative," says Damien Demailly, director of the ecological transition program at the I4CE institute, while building use remains the fourth largest emitter of greenhouse gases in France.

In 2024, housing and offices produced 58 million tonnes of CO2 in France, representing 17% of national emissions. The year-on-year decline was limited to 1,1%, compared to 11,6% for the energy sector.

"In 2030, the average summer will be the summer of 2003, which left 1.000 dead in Paris. Not renovating housing is catastrophic in terms of public health, it's borderline criminal," laments Jacques Baudrier, PCF deputy for housing at Paris City Hall.

And nearly 4,2 million primary residences are still classified as thermal sieves, F or G in the energy performance diagnosis (DPE), according to the national observatory for energy renovation, or 13,9% of the main housing stock.

"Influx of files"

Insulation, ventilation or boiler replacement: MaPrimeRénov' allows you to finance these works within primary residences, based on the energy savings obtained.

"Just when housing renovation is taking off, the State is stopping it," laments Jacques Baudrier.

Since the end of 2024, the number of requests has exploded and overall renovations have tripled at the start of 2025 compared to the start of 2024, according to the National Housing Agency (ANAH), responsible for awarding the bonus.

"What we saw at the end of last year and even more so at the beginning of this year is an influx in the number of applications," which is "good news," according to Damien Demailly.

However, in 2024, 340.800 homes will have been renovated via MaPrimeRénov', including 91.374 fully renovated, far from the target of 700.000 complete renovations each year from 2030.

The requirement for an approved escort, which has helped combat fraud, has also slowed down the filing of applications, at the start of 2024, but some escorts are now being singled out and suspected of fraud.

The 2025 budget for the scheme is also down: €3,6 billion, compared to €5 billion in 2024. The state is now counting on energy saving certificates (CEE), financed by businesses, to compensate, at the risk of increasing energy bills.

Published on Saturday, a decree grants a bonus for CEEs for low-income households, which should encourage companies concerned by these certificates to finance them.

These figures and this suspension "reflect a delay in France's ecological planning," Mr. Demailly continued. This delay is also justified by the "bureaucratic burden and complexity" of MaPrimeRénov' aid applications, Clarisse Berger, energy and housing research officer at UFC-Que Choisir, reported to AFP.

"Stop and Go"

In Paris, the suspension does not affect co-ownerships, but professionals are concerned about the effects of the announcement and the consequences of this instability.

"Around 70% of buildings need to be renovated," and this scheme, combined with others such as "Éco-Rénovons Paris," are "essential," according to the Paris Climate Agency (APC).

In the capital, over the past two years, the number of comprehensive technical diagnostics has increased from 200 to 1.200 per year, a trend that must "continue" even if only a few hundred buildings have completed their work.

The government is "pushing for the overall energy renovation of buildings," which is more expensive than the case-by-case renovations, the APC further specifies, thus emphasizing the importance of MaPrimeRénov'.

"We're asking manufacturers to plan ahead, but we need more stability to do that, we need to stop the stop-and-go approach," warns Rafael Rodriguez, president of Rockwool France, a manufacturer of mineral wool insulation.

According to him, "the consumption of insulation will double by 2030" and the message sent by the Government "is not the right one".

"From the beginning, we've been changing the system, changing the conditions, and now we're suspending it. It's very demotivating," confirms Karine Sebi, an economist at Grenoble École de Management, in the context of the climate emergency.

While the national objective is 700.000 complete renovations per year, "the State is not even capable of financing more than 100.000" in 2024, the Parisian elected official finally denounces.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.