The regulatory energy audit has been mandatory since the beginning of April 2023. If you own a property, you must first carry out an energy balance sheet before you can rent it. This concerns housing classified F or G, which will have to carry out this energy examination. Owners of co-owned lots are exempt. Following the obligation made to owners during the sale to provide future buyers with the energy performance diagnosis (DPE), the “Climate and Resilience” law of August 22, 2021, wishes to strengthen its data thanks to this energy audit.
To put an end to these energy-intensive homes, the government, within the framework of the Climate and Resilience law, has decided that, from 1 January 2023, homes whose energy consumption exceeds the maximum energy consumption threshold (set at 450 kWh/m²), will be prohibited for rental. “The energy performance criterion (DPE), which establishes whether housing is decent, was modified in this sense by a decree published in the Official Journal on January 13, 2021”, as can be read on the Public Service website.
With this in mind, the energy audit has been established. It provides a detailed inventory of the housing’s energy and environmental performance. This document mainly aims to raise the awareness of the future buyer to the questions of ecological and energy transition but above all to guide him by proposing scenarios for work to improve the performance of the housing concerned.
The range of an energy audit is between 800 and 1,500 euros even if it is only an average. Prices are not subject to state regulation and may therefore vary, as noted by Engie.
Please note that the price is calculated according to certain criteria which can raise or lower the cost of your energy audit. Among these conditions, we can find the size of the accommodation, the complexity of the existing building, the region in which the property is located (in Île-de-France the prices are higher) or even in the choice of your consulting firm. (prices vary depending on your selection).
The energy audit must be carried out by an approved professional, whether via a qualified design office, a company of architects registered with the order and having undergone training or by a certified company RGE (Recognized guarantor of the environment). This professional must not have any connection likely to affect his impartiality and his independence vis-à-vis the owner or the agent who calls on him.
Only the sole owner of a building with several dwellings or of an individual house is obliged to carry out this energy audit of the property or part of a building for residential use offered for sale. The property must have been classified D, E, F or G by the energy performance diagnosis.
The owner-seller or his representative must submit the energy audit to the future buyer during the first visit to the building or part of the building subject to the audit. Like taxes, the document can be in paper or electronic format.