Is the €1 roof and attic insulation offer still available in France?
This legitimate subsidy was a favourite of sales companies to entice homeowners into renovation jobs before they were hit with extra costs
Nagy-Bagoly Arpad / Shutterstock
Reader question: I was wondering if the 1€ roof insulation offer was still up for grabs in France?
There used to be an official subsidy called coup de pouce isolation that allowed homeowners to get grants to insulate attics, roofs and foundation-level flooring.
Up until July 2021, these grants, which are part of the Certificat d'économie d'énergie (CEE) home renovation scheme, meant that some low-income households could install insulation for just €1.
Most homeowners did not fall into this income bracket and had to pay more.
Read more: CEE: France’s home renovation grant for main and second homes
However, several sales companies in France jumped on this €1 offer and began a telemarketing drive that led to thousands (if not millions) of people being phoned about this possibility.
If clients opted for the offer, often low-quality workers were hired and bills for supplementary work, such as redecorating after the insulation was put in, came back inflated.
Read more: Abused €1 insulation scheme in France to end early
In part due to this telemarketing drive the government scrapped the €1 insulation scheme and replaced it with less eye-catching grants that nonetheless offered good subsidies on insulating roofs, attics and foundational-level flooring.
However, these subsidies also ended on July 1 this year and have not been replaced.
The government is trying to encourage more wholescale renovations of properties, rather than just subsidising insulation for specific areas of the home.
Insulation projects can still be subsidised by government grants but it will depend on the job.
To find out more about these grants, read our explainer article here: How to apply for a renovation grant for your French home.
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