a simplified application but limited in time
Two years ago, Alain went to the office of an advisor in the Gaillac-Graulhet urban community (Tarn) to find out how much he could benefit from MaPrimeRénov': state aid launched on January 1, 2020 for owners wishing to carry out energy renovation work in their home.
Alain does not know if, simply by replacing his boiler with a heat pump, he can access this aid, or if he must carry out more general work. He also does not know whether he should take into account his unique income or that of all the people living under his roof. So many questions that would not have been answered without the help of a third party, even though the administrative procedures are supposed to be able to be done alone.
Hundreds of thousands of households have experienced the same questions as Alain. Because MaPrimeRénov' seems far from simple for individuals. However, the government, in 2017, made a commitment to facilitate administrative procedures. However, the criteria for awarding the bonus have changed nearly ten times over the past four years, turning into a headache for the French.
The umpteenth overhaul, from May 15, aims to clarify procedures and ease access conditions. From now on, owners will no longer be obliged to install at least a heating or hot water production system to benefit from this aid. They will also no longer need to provide the energy performance diagnosis (EPD) or request the assistance of a “renovation guide” (an approved craftsman) for their small jobs.
Declining demands
“We are returning to a simpler situation,” underlines Audrey Zermati, strategy director at Effy, a company specializing in energy renovation work. In January, the government wanted to segment existing aid into three bonuses. Add to that a massive campaign on global renovation. Result: people did not understand that they could continue to benefit from aid for their individual work. As a result, the number of grant applications fell by 40%. »
The new system facilitates access to the bonus, but until… January 1, 2025. Why for only seven months? According to Audrey Zermati, the explanation is above all budgetary. Public deficit means, out of the 10 billion euros of savings to be made in 2024, one billion will be taken from the envelope of MaPrimeRénov', announced on February 18, Bruno Le Maire, Minister of Economy and Finance . With these back and forths, “in the absence of better communication from the government, owners even risk turning away from the overall renovation,” worries the professional. “The trajectory for 2024 seems quite gloomy,” predicts the Effy company in a press release.