A fairer calculation for small areas
Following its reform in July 2021, the DPE (Diagnostic de Performance Energétique - Energy Performance Diagnostic) is to be amended to make it more reliable for studios and small homes. In an interview with Le Parisien newspaper on 12 February, Christophe Béchu, the French Minister for Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion, pointed out that "the smaller the surface area of a dwelling, the greater the impact of domestic hot water (including the size of the hot water tank) on its classification (in the DPE), with no real link to the number of occupants". In his view, this is "a calculation bias" that "does not reflect reality". So, by applying a weighting coefficient to the production of domestic hot water, almost 140,000 homes of less than 40 m² should no longer fall into the category of heatwasters. This will be a boon for landlords, who will gradually be banned from letting properties rated F or G. From 1 July, it will be possible to download a corrected DPE certificate free of charge from the Ademe website, without having to contact a diagnostician. In the meantime, a simulator is available on the same site to find out if your property is affected.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
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