Energy poverty: a cross-party bill to combat thermal sieves

59%. That's the number of French people who suffered from the heat in their homes during the summer of 2022. In France, a third of homes can be described as " heat-suppressing ," according to the summer comfort indicator of energy performance diagnostics (DPE). This structural problem has motivated the Housing Foundation to work with MPs from different political parties (Ensemble, Ecologists, Socialists, and France Insoumise) on a bill aimed at accelerating the renovation of heat-suppressing homes.

" Until recently, energy poverty was only addressed from the perspective of cold. However, with global warming, many homes become uninhabitable for several months ," testifies Charles Merlin, alias Vivre Moins Con, creator of content on the Internet, Who is one of the hundreds of thousands of people who suffer the consequences of summer energy poverty.

" I live in a thermal colander. In winter, it's a cooler, while in summer, it's an oven ," explains the influencer, who has been a tenant since 2018. of a Parisian apartment. “ When I arrived, the apartment had been completely renovated. However, no insulation work had been done. I live in the attic. However, the roof is made of zinc and slate. These are materials that store a lot of heat. This choice is a result of the age of the building, built before 1949 ,” he explains. In the summer, his apartment far exceeds the temperatures recommended by the WHO, set at 28 degrees during the day and 26 degrees at night. “ Since I shoot my videos from my living room, it is very difficult for me to work when it is very hot. It is just as uncomfortable at night when I am unable to sleep .”

In 2020, Charles Merlin was refused by his landlord to install shutters. However, installing external solar protection helps limit overheating . Today, 40% of homes are not equipped with them. The Housing Foundation has estimated that an annual increase of €1 billion in public aid dedicated to simple summer comfort measures would make it possible to equip all homes with air fans and solar protection by 2040. However, adapting to current and future high temperatures is often an afterthought, even in the case of new constructions or comprehensive renovations.

" A well-insulated home does not necessarily protect against heat. Only 10% of homes with an A rating, the highest rating, have good summer comfort," says Christophe Rober. t, general delegate of the Housing Foundation. This is an anomaly that the cross-party bill seeks to correct, notably by proposing that comprehensive housing renovations systematically include summer comfort. Other measures, such as the systematic display of the "summer comfort" rating of the housing's energy performance certificate (DPE) on real estate advertisements, are also recommended. The law also envisages defining a timetable for the renovation of rental housing with boilers, starting in 2030.

" There is an emergency ," says Cyrielle Châtelain, MP and president of the Greens group in the National Assembly. " Experiencing energy poverty also means risking death. In a recent study, Santé Publique France estimated that 33,000 deaths could be attributed to heat between 2022 and 2024. " Social inequalities are exacerbating the health threat. " The risk of suffering from heat in a home decreases when wages increase ," emphasizes Christophe Robert. " We must mobilize now! Today, global warming has reached 1.5 degrees compared to the pre-industrial era . To combat the phenomenon, we must succeed in limiting every half-degree while also acting on the rental stock ," argues Cyrielle Châtelain.

The bill, tabled this Wednesday, June 25, is expected to be examined during the first cross-party week of the House, scheduled for the end of the year. Meanwhile, more heat is expected by next week , with peaks of up to 37 degrees Celsius next Monday. That's 12 degrees Celsius above the seasonal norm.