Reopening of MaPrimeRénov': the postponement of new applications to 2026 poses a risk of embolism for the system and discouragement for households

After a three-month hiatus, households can once again submit grant applications for projects involving multiple types of energy renovation work on their homes. At least, they will be able to do so once the platform bug is resolved.

But their applications will not be processed and funded until 2026, because for this year the total envelope of 3,6 billion euros for MaPrimeRénov' should certainly be consumed by applications already submitted before June.

As of September 12, 2025, 71.828 major renovations have been undertaken, according to the Ministry of Housing, for a budget calibrated for 62.000 renovations (excluding isolated works known as "gestures" and renovation of co-ownerships).

Housing Minister Valérie Létard warned in July that she expected to end 2025 with the equivalent of half a year's worth of excess MaPrimeRénov' applications, potentially 30.000 applications that will eat into the 2026 budget envelope, which has yet to be determined.

In addition, there are 13.000 applications that households can submit from September 30 until the end of the year, but which will not be funded before 2026.

Among professionals, there is a fear that "the entire 2026 budget will be spent on 2025 applications," as reported by Camille Thomas, president of the Rénomar association, which brings together "Renovation Supporters," advisors required to prepare a grant application.

Effy, an energy renovation consultancy for individuals, is asking the government for transparency "on the level of pre-consumption of the future 2026 MaPrimeRénov' budget through applications submitted in 2025."

This lack of visibility destabilizes "households and professionals, who do not have a clear vision of what the energy renovation policy will be in several months," believes Maxime Ledez, climate economics researcher at the I4CE institute.

No more "interest"

"The main risk is discouraging households," adds Maxime Ledez, while "the sector that recruited and trained staff" to keep up with the growth in energy renovation remains in the dark.

Putting money back into the pot to finance all the renovation projects could have avoided all these uncertainties, but "the current political context makes a corrective finance bill impossible," dismisses a government source, recalling "the principle of reality which is essential in the face of the success of this policy, which we must also congratulate ourselves on."

Camille Thomas sees grants arriving in dribs and drabs, and applications submitted in May or June are still pending.

Hugues Sartre, co-founder of the global renovation company Homyos, relates the case of one of his clients: "a landlord in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, she has a G apartment," with an energy performance certificate (DPE), which requires her to carry out work if she wants to rent her apartment.

After an estimate, she could receive €6.000 in aid, but given the processing time, "she concluded that there was no point in applying because it would take too long" and cause her to lose even more rental income, he says.

As for the climate targets of 700.000 housing renovations per year by 2030, "we are light years away," warns Bernard Coloos, a member of the housing group at the Terra Nova think tank.

Carryovers from one year to the next are regular for certain policies, including the heat fund (support for renewable heat production in local authorities and businesses) and social leasing, which were however subject to a quota from the start.

MaPrimeRénov' was supposed to be open to everyone, but the "open window" is no longer relevant. The government will set a quota each year.

"We cannot deny the difficult budgetary period, but it cannot be the budgetary issue that dictates public policy," believes Bernard Coloos.

The government is "deliberately seeking to slow down the scheme it launched" and this "for budgetary reasons," believes Manuel Domergue, director of studies at the Foundation for Housing the Disadvantaged.

Housing represented 23% of the French carbon footprint in 2023.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.