The French and eco-renovation: between willingness to act and budgetary constraints
The latest Sofinscope survey conducted in March 2025 on eco-renovation reveals a contrasting reality: while the budget devoted to energy has continued to increase since 2021, the French are increasingly held back in their desire to undertake energy renovation work, due to lack of resources. While energy savings remain the main motivation, existing support is considered insufficient, and distrust of scams and the difficulty of identifying trusted professionals further hinder efforts. However, the French would be willing to invest on average 3,634 euros, a figure up 8% compared to last year. Multi-payment solutions could also serve as an incentive lever.
• A monthly energy budget of €272, up 97% since 2021• One in two French people regrets not being able to carry out the eco-renovation work they want due to lack of resources (47%)• The French are prepared to allocate an average of 3,634 euros to their eco-renovation work• 70% of them could give up eco-renovation work for fear of being scammed
Energy budget up 97% since 2021
The monthly budget for energy reaches €272 this year (+27 €), an increase of 8% since last year, and 97% since 2021. This increase weighs heavily on households, and this year, 4 out of 10 French people fear not being able to pay their energy bills with the end of the tariff shield (41%).
In this context, reducing energy bills is even more important and appears to be the first reason to undertake eco-renovation work (73%). Half of the French would also do this work to improve the comfort of their home for their family (51%), and three out of ten to avoid wear and tear on their home (35%) or for environmental reasons (28%).
Projects held back by a lack of resources
Despite this context, the French are undertaking or planning less eco-renovation work than in previous years: this proportion is decreasing on almost all of the proposed work, returning to similar levels in 2021.
Indeed, energy renovation works appear as a logical solution to reduce its energy bills, but they are still too often out of reach and their cost remains a major obstacle. One in two French people regrets not being able to carry out the eco-renovation work they want due to lack of resources (47%), a proportion that is nevertheless down 10 points compared to last year. This development can be explained by the need to make trade-offs in the face of purchasing power difficulties. Indeed, at the beginning of the year, the French still estimated a high rate of inflation (16%), and a deterioration in their purchasing power over the coming year (69% expect it)1. Under these conditions, they are forced to organize their budget on the short term and to make trade-offs placing eco-renovation works at the second level of their concerns.
The French would allocate 3,634 euros for eco-renovation work
Despite the cost drag, households are aware of the importance of eco-renovation and would be willing to spend more on this work, if they could afford it: €3,634 (+8%), up for the first time since 2022.
This budget is increasing, but a priori insufficient to cover all expenditure. While eco-renovation work in apartments for example would cost 10,000 euros2 on average, government aid remains particularly popular and would be requested by half of the respondents (50%, +8 points). But this aid is not enough. While the decrease in the budget of MaPrimeRénov’ was confirmed at the beginning of the year, 64% of the French say that the aid is not sufficient to allow them to consider eco-renovation work.
Multi-payment solutions could find their place in financial arrangements, and serve as an incentive lever. They continue to convince a greater number of French people (31%, +3 points), as well as credit options (42%, +8 points).
Essential aid, but a need for increased support
The French share their difficulty in finding trusted professionals in the field of eco-renovation. Seven out of ten admit to finding it difficult to identify a craftsman they trust (75%), and could give up eco-renovation work for fear of being scammed (70%).
These fears are reinforced by a persistent lack of information about eco-renovation. 65% say they are not sufficiently informed about the aid they could benefit from (+7 points). More than half also said they were poorly informed about the details of the work (60%), and the risks of fraud/the reflexes to adopt to avoid them (55%).
Finally, the French would be sensitive to facilitative offers. Thus, a “turnkey” solution (works and financing solutions) would convince more than half to accept a quote from a craftsman faster (55%).
This new Sofinscope survey confirms the real desire of the French to better control their energy consumption, but also their strong expectation of concrete and reassuring solutions, which allow them to reconcile budgetary and societal issues. Professionals and individuals alike need to be supported in order to find their way around this complex and moving subject. This is the whole point of the approach taken by Sofinco for several months to make energy renovation work more accessible and that we collectively reach our climate targets by 2030.
1 OpinionWay for Bonial – The French relationship with consumption Wave 12 – January 2025
2 Source : https://www.journaldelagence.com/1398828-quel-budget-pour-gagner-deux-lettres-sur-le-dpe
Sofinscope – OpinionWay Barometer for Sofinco
About SofinscopeSofinscope is the barometer of Sofinco, a Crédit Agricole Personal Finance & Mobility brand. Intended to survey the French on their consumption habits and to better understand them, this barometer which is part of the daily lives of the French is carried out by OpinionWay for Sofinco, with representative samples of the French population. This study was conducted on a sample of 1,032 people, representative of the French population aged 18 and over. The sample was selected according to the quota method, taking into account the criteria of sex, age, socio-occupational category, agglomeration category and region of residence. The interviews were conducted from 19 to 20 March 2025 by self-administered online questionnaire on a CAWI (Computer Assisted Web Interview) system. All the results are available online on the Sofinscope website: the barometer that gives you a head start on consumption
À propos de SofincoIn France, Sofinco is the trademark of Crédit Agricole Personal Finance & Mobility, which distributes a wide range of loans to individuals and associated services across all distribution channels: direct sales, point-of-sale financing (home equipment) and partnerships. Sofinco offers flexible, responsible solutions tailored to the needs of its customers and partners (major retail, specialized and institutional retailers). Google’s UX Finance 2023 Benchmark has awarded Sofinco.fr the title of “Best Mobile Customer Journey”. For more information: www.sofinco.fr www.sofinco.fr