Hi Folks,
I read a short article today about house renovation and came across the mention of ‘France-Renov’, which is apparently a French Government organisation which can award grants for house renovation. I intend to do some more research over the coming weekend but I was wondering if anyone on here had any experience dealing with them?
Hi Mike
We are currently going throught the process (commenced in late August last year).
The objective is to raise the thermal perfomance of the building minimum 2 levels from E to C.
The stages are exactly as described on the Web Site.
The first thing you will need to do is engage an accompagnateur rénov (AR) from the list of certified people local to you. They will send a devis.
Our devis is divided into 2 stages:
First: The AR carries out the energy audit: (should cost you around €1000)
Second: The AR supports the works phase (analysis of quotes, submission of grant application files, end-of-works visit and payment of aid): €1000 (about)
In our case, to be eligible for the aid from the Ma Prime Renov’ Parcours Accompagné system, we will have to carry out at least 2 insulation works (é.g. insulation of the walls, the roof, the lower floor/crawl space, heat pump, and installing sealed double glazing) and obtain a jump of at least 2 energy classes that only the energy audit can determine. (in our case, just windows and roof insulaiton becuase we already have a Heat Pump).
The wokers chosen must be RGE certified or the works will not be eligible for subsidies.
If these conditions are met, and in our case (they will need to see your tax returns) the aid that can be gained taking into account :
If there is a jump of 2 energy classes: 45% on a maximum amount of €40,000 excluding tax of subsidized work
If there is a jump of 3 energy classes: 50% on a maximum amount of €55,000 excluding tax of subsidized work
If there is a jump of 4 energy classes: 50% on a maximum amount of €70,000 excluding tax of subsidized work
With the possibility of a subsidy, for housing classified as energy level (label F or G before work) an additional bonus of 10% (calculated on the total expenditure excluding tax of the work concerned within the limit of the ceiling).
The costs for the AH are also eligible for a subsidy at 40%
You wil have to do most of the leg work and obtain the devis’from the RGE certified contractors for the works. Also, you will need to send to the AR your Tax returns.
It takes an age to get the Devis’and then up to 6 months to get the approvals. If it is appoved, they can also partially fund the startup of the works too.
Hope that helps and if you need a less cluttered answer, send me a private message and glad to help if I can.
Hi Mikey,
Thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed response. Much appreciated. 
I’m at the stage where the inspector came to check The Plywood Shack for eligibility from the practical p.o.v. about 10 days ago. Originally an RdV was mooted mid-May - ie a lead time of about 2 months from initial phone call to the local France-Renov co-ordinating office - but f/fwd due to a cancellation. I’d already had confirmation of grant aid from the financial p.o.v.
Being brassic lint I can get 80% on works to go up 2,3 or 4 ‘classes energetique’ and 100% on 'Ecrétement.[TTC]. I’ve looked this word up but ‘clipping’ doesn’t mean anything to me. It’s obviously context-specific … I suspect it may be 100% against the balance of a grant amount.*
I have Scenario 1] a gain of 3 classes energetique for €43 500,00 with a balance to pay of €3 975,00 and Scenario 2] a gain of 4 classes energetique for €63, 300,00 with a balance to pay of €7 385,00.
I suggested to the inspector that it would be better to spend the money pulling the place down and starting again. She was inclined to agree!
Understanding this document is going to need someone with native FR and ENG. And that’s just the language. There’s then the technical meanings of the words as they relate to the subject - the context.
Lots of brilliant people here on SF so hopefully all good. Have they mentioned how they will get you up a few grades on the insulation?
Yes.
Scenario 1 - up 3 grades
Insulation of exterior walls ITE [ITE ?] - insulation of underside of ground floor/ceiling of cave - front door [secondary glazed a.t.mo] - chassis fixe salon. I don’t know what that is. It’s a good example of the context giving a meaning a long way from Google translate’s word-for-word version.
Scenario 2 - up 4 grades
As above plus - insulation attic floor - ballon thermodynamique + pompe a chaleur air/air [heat pump]
’ insulation attic floor’ If I was to do it myself - and I have done this, from adding a 200mm x 60mm joist for every weedy 60mm x 60mm joist [x 25], laying 200mm rock wool between joists and then boarding over with T & G bathroom grade chip - it would be far easier and quicker to insulate the rafters.
They’re unobstructed. The floor is floorboards, each one to be lifted and replaced and there’s already some areas of insulation - old and tired - on the floor beneath the boards.
But the contractors will decide.
Hope you can go for the max as I bet life will be more. Pleasant as the insulation done properly will reject some of the summer heat and more importantly get you far more comfortable in autumn and winter. I have learnt a hell of a lot regarding heat pump installs and the real calculations that need to be done. Even a 7kw heat pump is unlikely to output 7kw when its minus 3c its about 5.1 kw. Not all heat pumps can modulate low enough to allow them to run slowly, continuously rather than switching on and off. Nibe look ahead of the game now, others will catch up probably.
[quote=“Corona, post:7, topic:51582”]
summer heat [/quote]
Normandy! 
[quote=“Corona, post:7, topic:51582”]
minus 3c [/quote]
Not a lot of that round here. 
It’s the humidity that does it. At the bottom of what is very nearly a cliff with houses along a lane half way up this steep valley there’s the river Vire. Most times it’s tumbling white water, throwing moisture into the airAnd most of that moisture seems to be in my T-shirts drawer. 
Aha, now I understand.
Hopefully with all the insulation work it will make the building more air tight to keep the humidity outside. If they include a VMC double flux (heat recovery ventilation ) which they should to keep the air quality and your health good then it could be a step change in terms of improvement and comfort.
Just in today …
Concrètement, il ne sera plus possible de faire de demande MaPrimeRenov’ cet été. « Les dépôts des dossiers pour la rénovation globale individuelle et pour les travaux individuels d’isolation ou de changement de système de chauffage (lire plus bas) seront fermés temporairement, indique Valérie Létard dans un communiqué. Ils pourront être de nouveau déposés d’ici la fin du mois de septembre 2025. »
Les dossiers déposés avant cette pause seront « instruits et payés dans les meilleurs délais », précise aussi le ministère. Les dossiers de rénovation des copropriétés ne sont quant à eux pas concernés par cette pause estivale.
Apparently there’s massive fraud - millions of €€€s. Which?-alike site, '60millions’, is calling for accounts to support the assessment that the admin of this scheme is, across all the various departments involved, ‘Not fit for purpose’.
Shades of the early days of ANTS.
All over last night’s national news. Wouldn’t get involved if anyone is thinking about it, you might end up paying off the debt yourself!!
The inspector’s report has it that I’m entitled to max out on the grant, inc the 20% balance after the main bung. AFAIK the funds would be advanced to me. I wouldn’t have to pay, myself. Well … I couldn’t.
I will plod on with it. The Plywood Shack, aka une passoire thermique, badly needs it.