Same house, same heaters, different label: the energy rating changes its maths on 1 January.
An electrically heated house rated F may find itself rated E on 1 January 2027, without a single day of works. This is no sleight of hand: the calculation rule for the certificate is changing for the second year running. For a seller, the new label can weigh on the price and on buyers' choices.
What changes on 1 January 2027
The energy performance certificate (DPE) does not rate a home on the energy consumed at the meter, but on "primary" energy, the energy that had to be produced. For electricity, consumption is multiplied by a factor. This factor was 2.3 until the end of 2025, then 1.9 in 2026. An order of 19 August 2026, published in the Official Journal on 26 August, lowers it to 1.7 from 1 January 2027, for energy certificates as well as energy audits.
The effect is mechanical: about 10% less primary energy for the electricity share, according to the French Building Federation. The government estimates that nearly 300,000 homes will thus leave bands F and G, after about 850,000 with the change in January 2026. Homes heated by gas or oil are not affected.
In practice, only homes where electricity accounts for a large share of consumption can change band, and only if they are close to a threshold. An example shows the scale of the effect over three years:
Example with figures: the same house, three labels
A fictitious case. An all-electric house consumes 190 kWh per m² per year at the meter, all uses included.
| In 2025, factor 2.3: 437 kWh of primary energy | band G |
| In 2026, factor 1.9: 361 kWh | band F |
| From 2027, factor 1.7: 323 kWh | band E |
| Same house, no works | from G to E in two years |
Energy label thresholds: E up to 330 kWh, F up to 420. The final rating also takes greenhouse gas emissions into account, which are low for an electrically heated home.
How to obtain your new label
An energy certificate issued before 1 January 2027 remains valid: there is no obligation to redo it. According to Qualitel, a free certificate, downloadable from Ademe's DPE-Audit Observatory, shows the new label without a new visit from the assessor. A new survey is still advisable if works have been carried out since, if the old report seems incomplete, or if it is nearing the end of its validity: ten years for certificates issued since July 2021.
Moving from F to E makes the property lettable again for years.
Why it matters for selling
An energy sieve can still be sold: the ban concerns letting. But the label weighs on the price. According to notaries, in 2024 a house rated F sold on average 18% cheaper than a comparable house rated D, and a house rated G 25% cheaper. For flats rated G, the gap reaches 12%.
It also weighs on buyers. A home rated G can no longer be let under a new lease since 1 January 2025; this will be the case for homes rated F on 1 January 2028, and for E in 2034. Moving from F to E makes the property lettable again for years, and so attractive to investors once more.
The energy audit is still required. To sell a house or a building owned by a single owner and rated E, F or G, an energy audit must be given to the buyer, in addition to the energy certificate. A house that moves from F to E remains subject to it. Certificates and audits issued up to 31 December 2026 remain calculated with the old factor.
Sell now or after 1 January?
It all depends on how the home is heated and how far it is from the threshold of the next band:
The new label, available in early 2027, can enhance the listing and reassure buyers.
Electricity and gas, or electricity and wood: the effect depends on the electricity share. Ask the assessor for a simulation.
The change does not concern you: only works will change the band.
For an energy sieve that will stay one, a sale is still possible, provided the property is presented frankly, with quotes for works that allow the buyer to cost their project. The energy certificate is one of the real causes of an unsold house; if the home has stood empty for a long time, see also how to reopen a property closed up for years before selling it.
Our approach
We support sellers of properties the traditional market shuns: energy-hungry houses, properties to renovate, homes closed up for years, old buildings. Our role: assess what the property is really worth with its label, find the buyers for whom the works are a project rather than an obstacle, and set the right price. Tell us about your property.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to redo my energy certificate in 2027?
No. A certificate that is still valid remains so. For an electrically heated home, a free certificate can show the new label.
Will a gas-heated home change band?
No. Only the electricity factor changes; gas, oil and wood keep their calculation rules.
Can an energy sieve be sold?
Yes. No rule prohibits selling a home rated F or G. The energy certificate and, for a house, the energy audit must be given to the buyer.
Will a home rated F still be lettable in 2028?
No: from 1 January 2028, it can no longer be let under a new lease. If it moves to E thanks to the new calculation, it remains lettable until 2034.
Does the new calculation lower the electricity bill?
No. It changes how the label is calculated, not actual consumption or the price per kilowatt-hour.
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