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France Lowers Electricity Conversion Factor in DPE to 1.7

The change reduces the penalty on electric heating and will mechanically reclassify many low-rated homes, changing which dwellings are subject to rental bans.

Overview

  • An arrêté published in the Journal officiel on 26 August sets the electricity conversion factor used in the Diagnostic de Performance Énergétique at 1.7, taking effect 1 January 2027.
  • The move is meant to narrow the long‑standing advantage given to gas in the DPE by lowering the multiplier that converts electricity use into primary energy.
  • Official impact estimates show a mechanical drop of about 14% in F/G labels in the private rental stock (≈125,000 homes) and about 10% in main residences (≈300,000 homes).
  • Industry group FIEEC welcomed the change as a correction of electricity's unequal treatment while critics warn the reclassification does not improve actual insulation or reduce household energy bills.
  • This is the second coefficient cut since 2025 after the shift from 2.3 to 1.9, and the government says the tweak is part of a broader plan to promote electrification of building heating.