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Market & regulation · Viewing & property checks

DPE electricity changes: what buyers should check in 2026 and 2027

A better energy label can come from a calculation change. Before reducing your renovation budget, check which DPE and update certificate you have.

Sources checked · French Property Playbook

  • Residential property · Metropolitan France
  • 1.9 during 2026 · In force
  • 1.7 from 1 January 2027 · Enacted, not yet in effect
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An agent tells you an electrically heated home could receive a better DPE rating without renovation. That can happen. The useful question is what changed: the property, the calculation, or both?

The DPE, or diagnostic de performance énergétique, is France's energy-performance assessment. This article covers the electricity calculation changes for residential property in metropolitan France, with practical checks for buyers and existing owners.

Two dates to keep separate

Electricity’s DPE calculation factor

Residential property · Metropolitan France
Position checked on

  1. Previous factor

    Before

    Electricity factor: 2.3

    Under the 2021 DPE method. Check the report and any label-update certificate.

  2. In force during 2026

    From

    Electricity factor: 1.9

    The factor applicable now. Check which calculation the advertised label reflects.

  3. Enacted · future

    From

    Electricity factor: 1.7

    Takes effect on this date. Do not treat it as today’s factor.

A different calculation. Not proof of renovation. A factor change alone does not show that insulation has improved or actual bills will fall.

Sources: 2025 order · 2027 commencement · Official DPE FAQ

These dates concern the electricity factor. They are not a complete account of every DPE change taking effect in 2027.

What a better label tells you

Final energy is the energy delivered to the home. Primary energy accounts for energy used before delivery, including conversion and supply losses. The electricity factor connects the two in the DPE calculation.

A simplified illustration: assume the modelled energy for the relevant DPE uses is entirely electricity, at 100 kWh per square metre per year. Multiplying by 1.9 gives 190 kWh of primary energy per square metre per year; multiplying by 1.7 gives 170 kWh of primary energy per square metre per year. The modelled electricity use is unchanged.

This example does not predict a particular DPE letter. The overall classification also depends on greenhouse-gas emissions, so an improved energy score does not guarantee an improved overall letter. The ministry's DPE FAQ explains this distinction.

Our practical interpretation: a calculation change alone gives you no evidence of better insulation, lower actual bills or completed works. Check those separately before changing your budget.

Which documents should you request?

Start with the complete DPE report and its ADEME identification number, then ask for any attestation updating its label.

For a still-valid DPE issued before 2026, the official service allows a free label update reflecting the 2026 calculation, without another diagnostic visit, where the energy label improves. An expired DPE is not revived by this process. DPE issued since 1 July 2021 are generally valid for ten years; the older transitional reports are no longer valid. Service Public explains the validity and update rules.

For the 2027 change, the ministry says free updated certificates will be available from 1 January 2027 without a new visit. Do not treat that future service as available today. Official announcement.

A 2026 certificate does not automatically expire at the end of 2026. The new order preserves earlier certificates until the underlying DPE expires. An update changes the label without revising the original assessment inputs or recommended works, and does not extend its expiry date. Article 3 of the 2026 order.

Before you make an offer

  1. Request the complete document set. Ask for the DPE report, its number, its date and any label-update certificate. Compare them with the rating in the advert.
  2. Check the official record. Use the ADEME DPE Observatory with the DPE number. Ask the agent or diagnostician to explain any mismatch or uncertainty about validity.
  3. Separate the label from the work. Establish whether heating, insulation or ventilation has actually changed. Keep supporting documents and obtain property-specific advice or quotations where needed.
  4. Keep your intended use in view. If you plan to let the property, have the applicable letting requirements checked separately. This article does not determine whether a particular home can lawfully be let.

Bring the finding into your buying plan

Our planning recommendation: keep a separate allowance for works you have identified until evidence supports changing it. A more favourable label is a reason to ask better questions, not a renovation quote.

Use the free cash-plan calculator to see how your own works allowance affects the cash you need. It is a budgeting tool; it does not recalculate a DPE. The full buying-budget guide explains how works fit alongside acquisition costs, financing and reserves.

Status of each point

Each statement below carries its own status. Our interpretation is labelled separately from what the sources say.

PointStatusAppliesBasis
The electricity factor is 1.9 during 2026.CurrentLegal rule1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026Metropolitan France2026 electricity factor and label updates
2027 commencement: Article 6
The factor becomes 1.7 from 1 January 2027.Enacted — not yet in effectLegal ruleFrom 1 January 2027Metropolitan France2027 electricity factor: order of 19 August 2026
2027 commencement: Article 6
The overall DPE letter need not improve.The greenhouse-gas assessment also matters.CurrentOfficial guidanceNo effective date appliesMetropolitan FranceElectricity factor: official questions and answers
A current update certificate expires with its underlying DPE.Only a still-valid underlying DPE is eligible; an update does not extend its life.CurrentLegal ruleFrom 1 January 2026Metropolitan France2026 electricity factor and label updates
The 2027 update preserves the original expiry and earlier certificates.A 2026 certificate is not automatically cancelled at year-end.Enacted — not yet in effectLegal ruleFrom 1 January 2027Metropolitan FranceExisting DPE and certificate validity: Article 3
2027 commencement: Article 6
Free 2027 certificates are announced for 1 January 2027.No new diagnostic visit for this update; future availability has not been exercised.Enacted — not yet in effectOfficial guidanceFrom 1 January 2027Metropolitan France2027 change and free certificate availability
Check physical condition and works costs separately from the label.A calculation change alone establishes neither completed works nor lower actual bills.Our interpretationEditorial reasoningNo effective date appliesMetropolitan France2026 electricity factor and label updates
Existing DPE and certificate validity: Article 3

Scope and limits

This explainer applies to:

  • Buyers and owners reviewing the electricity factor in residential DPE.
  • Label-update certificates for an underlying DPE that is still valid.

It does not cover:

  • Overseas DPE frameworks and non-residential assessments.
  • An individual DPE calculation, certification or complete letting assessment.
  • A comprehensive guide to all DPE reforms in 2027.

Sources and review

These sources were checked on . A check date is not a publication date.

Limits of this check:

  • This explainer reflects sources checked on 13 October 2026. Check the current rules before relying on it for a transaction.
  • No individual property or DPE certificate has been assessed here. The 2027 certificate service is described from official guidance ahead of its opening.

Corrections

No corrections have been recorded for this article.

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