Increase in energy prices and reduction in aid for energy renovation: where is France headed?

While the Government seeks to limit the impact of the war in Ukraine on household wallets, the Minister of the Economy called on all French people on Monday to "make an effort" on their energy consumption to cope with the rise in gas prices.

Bruno Le Maire plans an envelope of 24 billion euros to freeze gas prices and cap electricity prices but, at the same time, a new plan is announced in the coming weeks on the Certificates of Economy d'Energie (or energy bonus), which represent by far the main aid mechanism for financing the energy renovation of housing with 4 billion euros donated to the French each year (compared to 2 billion for MaPrimeRenov').

In a context where requests for aid are more numerous than ever, the amounts that individuals can benefit from are already down: -20% for heat pumps, -50% for boilers or insulation... Faced with the climate challenge, faced with the crisis in Ukraine, what logic?

The energy renovation of buildings costs less than compensating for increases in energy prices!

For Nicolas Moulin, founder of PrimesEnergie.fr, “it is essential that the government revise upwards the ambitions set for the period 2022-2025 within the framework of the Energy Savings Certificates system, which today remains the sinews of war for this fundamental aspect of the energy transition, all the more so at the precise moment when a quarter of the population is having difficulty paying their gas or electricity bills, which will certainly not go down given the geopolitical situation... However, it is clear that today today the financing of energy renovation works is not up to the level of needs. Can we hope, in the face of climate and geopolitical challenges, for a commitment of the "whatever the cost" type for the transition of a sector which represents 40% of greenhouse gas emissions? Let us remember again and again that the least expensive energy on all levels is the one that we do not consume! ".

To cope with increases in energy prices, 88%* of French people believe that priority should be given in particular to the energy renovation of buildings. A major lever both for their wallets and for the country's energy transition, thermal renovation is now essential to achieve our environmental objectives, the building sector representing 44% of the energy consumed in France. It is also a major topic in the upcoming presidential election, with 71%* of French people wanting the country's energy strategy to be put to a referendum...

* OpinionWay study for PrimesEnergie.fr, January 2022