The new revision of the DPE calculation method will be revealed this week. The modifications will allow nearly 140,000 homes to no longer be considered thermal sieves.
New flexibility on the DPE. Properties of less than 40m² will have a modulation coefficient applied from July 1 which will enable them to improve their label under the energy performance diagnosis.
“We realized that the smaller the surface area of a home, the more the share of domestic hot water (size of the tank among other things) weighs on its classification, without any real link with the number of occupants. This results in more than 27% of very small goods, those of less than 40 m2, being considered as sieves, which does not reflect reality”, explained this Monday in The Parisian the Minister of Ecological Transition Christophe Béchu.
Concretely, the method of calculating the DPE will therefore be less difficult for certain small areas. “We are correcting this calculation bias and removing 140,000 housing units of less than 40 m2 from the energy sieve category (labeled F or G). This represents more than 15% of these surfaces (911,430 identified),” explains Christophe Béchu. .
A free and automatic update
These accommodations will therefore no longer be affected by the deadline of January 1, 2025 (ban on rental of all G-rated accommodation) or by that of 2028 (ban on the rental of all housing classified F). On the other hand, they will potentially be prohibited from renting from January 1, 2034 if they are classified E. In any case, they obtain a reprieve of several years.
This change in calculation method will have several effects. Last week, a diagnostician at the center of the discussions explained to BFM Business that 11% of housing classified G will, for example, move to the letter F. Which represented around 100,000 housing units, analyzed this expert. Other accommodations will go from the letter F to E, while some G accommodations will gain at least 2 DPE classes to move out of what are called thermal strainers (grades F and G).
The owners of these small homes will not have to finance the carrying out of a new energy performance diagnosis. All they have to do is go to the web platform for Ademe’s DPE (the Environment and Energy Management Agency). From this week, they will then be able to enter their DPE reference number on the site and will be able to obtain “a certificate worth a new label in the event of a switch” to another rating. The update will be automatic and free.
No ban if the tenant refuses to move
If the executive does not wish to change the timetable for banning the rental of accommodation based on their DPE rating, Christophe Béchu will propose several amendments within the framework of the bill on co-ownership. Already, it will be made clear that the ban will only apply “at the time of renewal of the lease, either by tacit renewal, or at the change of tenant”. Furthermore, “no tenant will be forcibly removed from their accommodation because they are a sieve”.
In the event of tacit renewal of the lease, “the landlord cannot be held responsible for renting a colander if his tenant refuses leave for work”.
The minister specifies that the refusal to move from a G dwelling during its renovation will be “a clause exempting the owner from work”. This should drastically limit the ban on rental in practice, as renovation work can last several months and most of the time requires removing at least part of the furniture.
Another important announcement at the co-ownership level this time: if a co-ownership votes in a general meeting on renovation work on the common areas (such as for example the insulation of the attic or insulation of the facade from the outside), ” the ban on renting will be suspended for two years from the date of the vote, the time for it to carry out the work. Here again, some owners will be able to obtain a reprieve.
Finally, another measure would be in the pipeline but has not been confirmed at this stage by Christophe Béchu. Owners, whatever the size of their accommodation, could substitute their individual DPE for that carried out for the entire building. In other words, a home labeled G will be able to improve its rating dramatically if the building is rated E. This measure should allow significant rating gains, particularly for attic housing.