What is DPE?

The DPE was established to combat energy-intensive housing and since its creation in 2006, the energy performance diagnosis has evolved. In its early days, it was based solely on the energy consumption of the home and it was just informative. Since 1^er July 2021, it also takes into account the impact of housing on the climate and it has become enforceable with legal scope. There are seven successive grades in this diagnosis, from A, for extremely efficient housing to G, for very energy-intensive housing.

Among the eight million homes diagnosed since the entry into force of the new DPE, only 9% of French homes are classified in categories A and B. The worst, F and G, which we call the “thermal strainers”, represent 14% of housing. The vast majority remains grouped in classes C and D at around 30% each and 19% for E.

The specificity of small housing

Small housing, less than 40m², are over-represented in categories F and G at around 25% and it is for this reason that the government wants to relax the rules. In Paris, the situation is worse since almost half of the small areas are classified as thermal sieves.

Renting accommodation with poor classification has several consequences. First of all, since 2022, it is no longer possible to increase the rent of housing classified F and G. The next step will be at 1^er January 2025, since an owner will no longer be able to offer G housing for rental and it will be the same in 2028 for category F and 2034 for category E.