Some owners thought their accommodation had become impossible to rent. However, a change in the calculation of energy performance diagnosis (DPE) could be enough to remove thousands of goods from classes F And G. This Thursday, May 21, the government brought together the first foundations of the real estate diagnosis, while the executive plans to continue the revision of the coefficient applied to housing heated with electricity. The conversion coefficient of electricity into primary energy is currently set at 1.9against 2.58 before 2021.
These developments have already improved the energy label of certain housing, sometimes without work. According to Bercy, approximately 850,000 housing units have left the status of thermal sieve. “I have already seen housing go from G to F only thanks to the change in coefficient”explain Xavier Taquetindependent real estate assessor. Several players in the sector are now anticipating a possible lowering of the CEP towards 1.7.
Why certain electric homes were particularly penalized
The DPE does not only measure the actual consumption of a home: it is also based on technical energy conversion coefficients. However, this mechanism particularly penalized certain small homes heated with electricity, notably Parisian maid’s rooms or studios located on the top floor. “Dwellings on the ground floor and top floor are often the most penalized”explains Xavier Taquet.
“In many old buildings, there is no insulation under the roof, which leads to significant heat loss. » Result: certain accommodations could switch to F or in G despite relatively moderate consumption. For the government, this development aims in particular to correct unequal treatment which until now penalized certain homes heated with electricity.
Reclassified housing… without real improvement?
This prospect is far from being viewed negatively by the entire sector. Several organizations of owners and real estate professionals see this recalculation as a way to relieve pressure on an already tense rental market. With the gradual ban on housing G Then Fmany landlords find themselves faced with costly work. There Fnaim also welcomed the previous developments in the calculation of the DPE, considered more favorable to homes heated with electricity.
However, this recalculation is not unanimous. Some experts believe that it above all makes it possible to artificially reduce the number of thermal strainers. “A home can exit thermal sieve status without the tenant’s bill really changing”warns Xavier Taquet. The diagnostician nevertheless believes that the executive seeks above all to loosen the pressure on an already saturated rental market. “We have removed between 850,000 and 870,000 homes from the rental market in an already extremely tight market”he emphasizes.
Behind this reform there is also a major economic issue: faced with these numerous changes, some owners have suspended their energy work while waiting for the new calculations, while others preferred to sell their property without knowing, before the possible entry into force of the new restrictions. “This was the case with the 2021 reform, some people had sold at a discount before the change to 1.9”he says.
The DPE has become a real estate negotiation weapon
The energy classification now directly influences the value of goods. “Between a DPE D and a DPE F or G, the negotiation can reach between 15% and 25%”believes Xavier Taquet. The diagnostician mentions in particular the recent case of an apartment purchased 1.7 million euros in Paris with a DPE displayed in Dfinally recalculated into E after verification. A single letter can now cost an owner several hundred thousand euros.
These developments are fueling strong anxiety among small landlords. “The majority of small owners are afraid”observes the diagnostician, who claims to have not “never worked so hard” since the successive developments of the DPE. According to a study published in May 2026 by the specialized start-up Krnoan even further lowering of the coefficient could reclassify up to 2.28 million housing unitsor more than half of the thermal strainers recorded in France.
Behind this technical revision, a question remains: are we really improving the energy quality of housing… Or are we mainly trying to avoid a further contraction of the rental market?
