A €700-800 energy assessment may be required for anybody selling an older home in France starting in 2022.
They are part of the Climate and Resilience Act and will be in September 2022. A diagnostic de performance énergétique (DPE) is a document that provides an estimate of a property’s energy consumption before it can be sold or rented in France.
From A (the most energy-efficient) to G (the least efficient), your home will be rated according to its DPE results (the least energy efficient).
Passoires thermales – or heat sinks – are the French term for characteristics in the F and G categories. It is estimated that 4.8 million French homes fall into this category, with the majority being older homes needing repair.
A DPE might cost anything from €100 to €250, depending on the size and age of the building. A certified list of DPE service providers may be found here.
In light of this, what is the new normal?
Property owners planning to sell an F or G rated property (i.e. one expected to need 330 KWh/m2 of annual energy use or more) will be required to pay for an energy audit starting in September.
In a sense, it’s a more specific version of the DPE, and its purpose is to provide prospective purchasers with information on expected energy costs and the estimated cost of modifications necessary to get the home up to the B category.
There are concerns among real estate agents about a lack of qualified personnel to do energy audits. Originally scheduled for January 2022, the implementation of this new rule has already been delayed by eight months.
An audit of the energy efficiency of a property is projected to cost between €700 and €800, with the burden of paying for it falling on the seller.
To make it financially viable, the government provides zero percent interest loans and other measures. Read about these measures in detail here.
Another incentive is that starting in 2023. You will not be able to rent out your house if it is extremely energy inefficient (needs more than 450 KWh/m2 per year).
This is a wonderful opportunity to invest in energy-efficient renovations in a French house. To speed up the selling of your home, you should consider contacting a recognised agency like esalesinternational for your seamless France property sales.
