In the news of recent days, the government, through the voice of the Minister of Housing Emmanuelle Wargon, welcomed the success of the MaPrimeRénov 'device.
Since the beginning of the year as many cases have been filed as for the whole of 2020, and at this rate, the 800.000 cases should be reached, i.e. double the target set. The Minister has also committed to ensuring that this bonus, included in the recovery plan, is funded to meet needs. In concrete terms, all individuals who request it, and who are eligible, will have it. Perfect: an unlimited budget for an energy saving policy that works.
But if we look a little more in detail, there is a catch with regard to the objectives of improving the habitat and the fight against the 4,8 million “thermal strainers” in France. In fact, well over half: 55% of aid is consumed by heating systems, against only 34% in insulation. So MaPrimeRénov 'contributes to improving the production of heating, but this efficient heat escapes through a largely perfectible insulation. If the CEE system has greatly improved the insulation of attics and floors, as regards the walls, everyone can see that there is still a huge effort to be made! Remember: to save energy, the first step is to avoid wasting it. It is necessary to work on frames which ensure a homogeneous temperature in winter, as in summer. This is what is most effective in bringing comfort and lower bills to occupants of housing.
While MaPrimeRénov was already generalized to all households last January and will be in the summer for landlords, my purpose is not to oppose heating and insulation. The objective is to raise awareness of the consistency of the approach. Insulating walls from the outside, if they are very effective, take 5 to 10 times longer than insulating the attic or changing the heating mode. If we do not sanction a defined envelope for this type of project, the aids will all be consumed without giving the ITE time to be carried out.
Would it not be desirable to allocate aid envelopes by type of work? To favor pedagogy over the windfall effect?
Otherwise we will invent a new expression: throw money through the walls!
Tribune by Sylvain Bonnot, president of the Myral group (LinkedIn).