TotalEnergies accused of fraud by the French state, the French oil company responds

The Minister for Energy, Olga Givernet, announced in recent hours that several groups including TotalEnergies have been accused of CEE fraud and will have to pay several million euros in fines.

The famous “CEE” (Energy Saving Certificates) had already gained media attention at the previous school year since TotalEnergies' financing of Blablacar was based, according to the Le Monde survey, on largely overestimated figures. But it is not on the Blablacar case that TotalEnergies and four other companies in the energy sector are being sued. The oil giant is in fact accused by the State of having defrauded the CEE, which allows the company's polluting emissions to be offset by a “good deed” in home renovation, transport or any other area. of the ecological transition. Olga Givernet, Minister Delegate for Energy, confirmed to our colleagues from Le Parisien the amount of the fine : “All will have to pay a fine, of 2.4 million euros in total. It comes in addition to the cancellation of operations in which irregularities were observed for an equivalent of 6 million euros in certificates energy saving”. The minister affirms that TotalEnergies and other companies are being blamed “for requesting CEEs for energy renovation work in private homes, when they had not been carried out, or when the results did not meet the energy reduction objectives announced”.

TotalEnergies responds to the minister

The French group was quick to reveal its long response in a press release which completely denies the accusations of fraud and which intends to defend itself before the Council of State to contest the announced measures.

• The measure pronounced in July 2024 only cancels 32 total renovation operations by TotalEnergies, representing a volume of 0.4 TWhc (or 2.8 million euros).
• These cancellations are linked to initial consumption deemed too high by the National Center for Energy Savings Certificates (PNCEE) although these consumption levels have been established and validated by design offices certified by organizations accredited by the 'State.
• The only criticism made by the PNCEE to TotalEnergies is an overestimation of the initial consumption of certain global renovation operations. However, TotalEnergies contests any failure on its part and recalls that the initial consumption was determined by independent design offices and certified by organizations accredited by the State.
• It is ultimately on the basis of data certified by state-accredited organizations that TotalEnergies is accused.

TotalEnergies claims that if there is fraud, this would not come from the tanker but rather from intermediaries who were used to prepare the files and carry out the renovation work : “the entire value chain (intermediaries, craftsmen and control offices) should be made responsible and not just energy suppliers and fuel distributors as is the case today.”