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Energy audit in the event of the sale of a dwelling known as a “heat strainer”

Verified 01 August 2023 - Legal and Administrative Information Directorate (Prime Minister)

Want to know if you need to provide an energy audit when selling your property? We explain when you need to provide it and what it contains.

Since 1er april 2023, when you list a detached house or a building multiple dwellings classified as F or G (thermal colander) owned by you only, you must provide an energy audit to the future purchaser. This audit complements the energy performance diagnostics (EDP).

Energy auditing is a real estate diagnostic that consists of carrying out a energy and environmental performance stocktaking buildings.

It aims to to make the future purchaser aware the environmental and energy aspects of the housing it plans to purchase. Moreover, he directs it by making proposals of works to improve thermal comfort and air quality and achieve a high performance renovation of the building.

You are subject to the obligation to carry out an energy audit if you own a detached house offering for sale Metropolitan France.

You are also affected if you are the sole owner of a multi-unit building listed. Condominiums are therefore not affected.

The obligation to carry out an energy audit concerns in a 1er time buildings qualified as heat strainer, i.e Class F or G by the DPE.

This obligation will affect in a 2nd time the following accommodation units:

  • dwellings class E from 1er january 2025
  • dwellings D-class from 1er january 2034

It concerns housing units whose promise of sale or, failing that, the bill of sale, shall be signed from 1er April 2023.

You (or your representative) must submit the energy audit to the future purchaser during the 1re inspection of the building or part of the building which is the subject of this audit, in paper or electronic format.

FYI  

in the overseas departments and regions, the obligation to carry out an energy audit for housing Class F or G will apply from 1er july 2024 then from 1er january 2028 for housing class E.

The energy audit must be carried out by a professional (in particular, businesses of architects and architects registered to the order and having undergone training, recognized professional guarantor of the environment - RGE) complying with certain qualifications.

FYI  

the chosen professional may not subcontract the performance of the energy audit.

To carry out the energy audit, the trader must make at least 1 visit to your home, in the presence of the building owner or his representative.

To facilitate the completion of this audit, you must provide the following documents to the professional:

  • Summary of your DPE (this document must be sent in the same format as the one in which it was sent to you by the professional who made the DPE)
  • Your invoices for work already completed
  • And, if you have them, the different technical real estate diagnostics (e.g., diagnostics electricity, gas)

You can consult a directory:

Find a Certified Real Estate Diagnoser

You can also search for a professional on the website of France Rénov':

Search for a company with the quality "Recognized Guarantor of the Environment"

Information and proposals for work

The energy audit shall include the following information:

  • Estimation of the performance of the building before work, according to the conventional calculation method used for the establishment of EADs
  • A diagram that shows how heat loss is distributed in your home
  • Information on existing control devices in the building (measuring, regulating and controlling devices controlling the equipment of the building)
  • 2 proposals (minimum) of renovation works to achieve a successful renovation of your home. Each proposal provides for a work path in 1 or more stages and describes, for each type of work proposed, the minimum performance criteria to be met with regard to the laws and regulations and, where appropriate, to receive the associated financial aid

The energy audit shall include, in addition to the information specific to the dwelling studied, the following:

  • Ventilation or ventilation conditions of the building prior to work. The recommended work on the opaque or glazed walls overlooking the exterior of the buildings, as well as that on the ventilation and heating installations, must, if necessary, be accompanied by additional work. This work shall ensure adequate but controlled renewal of the air or recommendations on the management and maintenance of the existing ventilation system and ensure satisfactory air renewal conditions.
  • Satisfactory processing of interfaces at each stage of the work paths

Please note

the results of the energy audit don't force you to do work before you sell your home.

Work proposals must be compatible with:

  • The easements as provided for in the Heritage Code
  • And not disproportionately expensive in relation to the value of your home

In addition, the technical solutions defined in these proposals should be compatible with the state of the existing rack.

1st proposal for work

It provides for a work path multi-stage to enable a successful renovation of your home:

  • The 1re step provides for achieving a gain of at least 1 class and at least reaching class E
  • The intermediate stage provides for reaching at least class C
  • The final stage provides for attaining at least class B
2nd proposal for work

It provides for a work path in 1 step to allow a successful renovation of your home, that is to say a level of performance at least equal to that of class B.

Summary report of the energy audit

The professional must write a summary report which shall include in particular the following:

  • Vessel inventory
  • Summary of all audit content items
  • Annex explaining the different technical concepts
  • Reference to the structures responsible for providing information, advice and support for energy renovation
  • Where appropriate, justification of the technical, architectural, heritage or cost characteristics of the works to be planned
  • Name and version of audit software used

The report must also contain a summary which includes all the data supplied by the trader and that calculated for the performance of the audit, in particular the following:

  • General, including building administrative data
  • Characteristics of the building envelope (surfaces, orientation, thermal characteristics...)
  • Characteristics of technical systems (types of energy, generator, emitter, ventilation, presence of boiler-related ratio...)
  • Indicators of the performance of the building before work (primary and final energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, annual energy costs...)
  • Recommendations for improvement and indicators of the performance of the building after work (technical description of the work, primary and final energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, annual energy costs...)
  • Economic and financial analysis of the recommendations for improvement (estimation of the cost of the work to improve the energy performance of the dwelling and other necessary works, inextricably linked to the proper execution or the proper execution of this work, financial aid mobilizable, annual energy costs after work...)

In order to produce this report, the trader may take over the inventory of your accommodation as indicated in the EPD. For this purpose, he must have checked beforehand during his visit to the dwelling that the elements of the summary of this EAD are those implemented in the dwelling and have corrected them if necessary.

FYI  

where technical, architectural or heritage constraints or the cost of the works prevent your accommodation from reaching class B, the trader must justify this in his report.

The summary report should be transmitted within one month from the date of visit of your accommodation in paper and digital format.

The energy audit carried out shall be valid for 5 years.

The professional keeps track of all the audits it carries out in the form of standardized computer files.

The trader shall keep at the disposal of successive owners the energy audits he carries out, during their period of validity.

The trader shall provide the owner, upon request, with information on the work proposals submitted and, where appropriate, attest to the completion of the work scenarios presented in the audits, without the need for the owner concerned to undertake the conduct of a new audit.

The cost of the energy audit is not regulated, the the price may therefore vary from one professional to another.

FYI  

the cost of the energy audit may be supported by the prime Boost efficient renovation of a detached house or by financial assistance MaPrimeRenovate' under certain conditions.

Who can help me?

Find who can answer your questions in your region

  • Specialist advisors on housing renovation works (France Rénov')

    Allows you to be accompanied for free in its renovation work by specialized advisors of France Rénov'

    By telephone

    0 808 800 700

    Open from Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm. You must have your last tax notice.

    Free service + cost of a call