DPE 2026: a boost for electric heating… but pressure on co-ownerships

The news has just broken: starting in 2026, the calculation of the DPE (energy performance diagnosis) will change to better take into account the specific characteristics of electrically heated homes. The expected result? Around 850.000 homes will automatically be removed from the "thermal sieve" status without a single cent having been invested in renovations. Magic?

Not quite. And for condominiums, this is definitely not the time to let up the pressure.

A necessary reform… but not sufficient

Let's be clear: this development is a step in the right direction. The current DPE unfairly penalizes homes heated by electricity, particularly in older or poorly insulated buildings. Better integration of "carbon content" and the evolution of the French energy mix makes sense.

But changing the rules of the game doesn't make the problem go away. An F rating that becomes an E rating remains a poorly insulated, energy-intensive, and uncomfortable home. And the climate emergency, however, cannot be decreed in a downward direction.

Beware of the anesthetic effect

For co-owners, this announcement might sound like good news: "No more work needed, our label will go back up by itself!" False hope.

This change does not excuse action. At best, it delays. At worst, it deludes.

Because the obligations remain: energy audit, multi-year work plan (PPT), collective DPE, ban on renting certain energy classes... And above all, energy prices will not be reformed downwards.

Action is now (and together)

I've been supporting co-ownerships since the beginning of this energy revolution. We see it every day: those who anticipate regain power. The power to choose the right work. The power to negotiate the right quotes. The power to enhance the value of their property. The others? They suffer.

The DPE reform is not an excuse to wait. It's an opportunity to accelerate, with a fairer, more refined vision, better adapted to reality.

By 2026, it will be too late to be ahead

The right question to ask is not: "Will I move out of class F or G thanks to the reform?" The right question is: "Will my building be ready for the upcoming deadlines?"

Because while some housing will be "whitewashed" by the reform, co-ownerships that have not yet launched anything, collective DPE, PPT, work vote, will be caught up by the texts... and by time.

The real winners are not those who wait

When it comes to the energy transition, waiting for easing often means wasting time, money, and property value. The DPE reform must be embraced with pragmatism, not naiveté.

We must continue to act alongside co-ownerships, with one conviction:
The future belongs to those who renovate early.

Tribune by Eric Houdet, Founder of Homapi (LinkedIn).