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Government Grants
There are a wealth of French Government Grants available but what are they for, are you eligible and how do you access them?
Up until January of this year (2022), French Government grants and tax credits for renovation work were handled by a variety of different government agencies. Now, it is covered under the MaPrimeRenov umbrella and is much easier and more straightforward, with projects being tracked online, direct payments, and around 450 information desks for one-to-one meetings.
What’s Available?
There are different levels of grants for different income levels, with an additional subsidy to reflect the energy benefits (CEE: Certificats d’économies d’énergie). Taking an average salary into account and based on the MaPrimeRenov’Violet level with full CEE, for instance, you could be entitled to the following grants (and this is only a small selection of the 30+ options that are covered):
Solar heating (chauffage solaire): €6727
Pellet heating system (chaudières à granulés): €6727
Pellet woodburner (poêles à granulés): €2045
Thermodynamic water heater (chauffe-eau thermodynamique): €484
Heat exchanger (pompes à chaleur air/eau) €4727 or air-air €450
Removing a fuel tank (dépose d’une cave à fioul): €400
Exterior wall insulation (isolation des murs par l’extérieur) : €58/m²
Interior wall insulation (isolation des murs par l’intérieur): €33/m²
Loft/underfloor insulation (isolation des combles perdus/d’un plancher bas) : €11/m²
Are You Eligible?
In a nutshell, the grants are available to French households to improve their energy efficiency, whether that be for improvements, upgrades or new installations of insulation, heating and insulating systems.
Up to EUR 20,000 in grants is available, depending on income, the property and the project in relation to the ecological gain that will be achieved. Different levels of grants are offered depending on how many there are in the household and what the total household income is.
Homeowners, landlords and, in some cases, second home owners, can apply as long as the property is more than two years old. However, at the first stage of the application you are asked for your numero fiscal (from your tax form) and, later, will be asked to include your last French tax return.
Only those works carried out by a certified RGE (Reconnu Garant de l’Environnement) supplier are covered.
The Process
1. Create an account on the MaPrimeRenov site. You will then receive an email confirming your suitability and the level of your grant(s).
Here’s a useful tip: you can also arrange to meet a representative of France Rénov’ or l’ANAH (l’Agence Nationale pour l’Amélioration de l’Habitat) to confirm what is available to you in your own particular circumstances. We took our building plans along to ANAH and were pleasantly surprised at how helpful they were, even telling us about grants that we thought were not relevant to our project.
2. Obtain quotes from RGE suppliers and submit them for approval online. Once approved:
3. Carry out the works and add the invoice(s) to your online account at MaPrimeReno, together with certificates of conformity if applicable.
4. Request payment online and then, once received, pay the supplier.
First Steps:
You can simulate your grant suitability and the financial support available at www.maprimerenov.gouv.fr, or arrange a meeting or find out about RGE suppliers at France Rénov’ at www.france-renov.gouv.fr and/or l’ANAH at www.anah2.aides-en-ligne.com
All figures quoted are based on the last rates obtained and may be subject to change.
First published in the July/August 2022 issue of The Local Buzz
Images: Shutterstock
