Since 2021, DPE has often been in the spotlight. This diagnosis, which assesses the energy performance of a home, is mandatory before a sale or rental. Problem is, it is frequently accused of a lack of reliability. From July 1, new rules will therefore be applied, in particular to better control them. Will they increase prices for individuals?
Are you planning to sell or rent out a property soon? You will definitely have to go through the diagnostics stage. Asbestos, lead, energy performance… Regulations require a series of parameters to be checked by professionals called diagnosticians.
Among these diagnostics, there is one that has been the subject of much discussion recently: the DPE. In 2021, this energy performance diagnostic was completely revised. Since then, the rating given, which ranges from A, for a very efficient home, to G, for the most energy-intensive homes, has had much more significant consequences.
Towards a 10% increase?
The problem is that the DPE is frequently criticized. Recently, an article in the Parisian shows for example that false diagnoses or convenience DPEs are carried out by unscrupulous professionals.
DPE: fraud is exploding, here is some advice on how to spot a false energy diagnosis
However, to make the diagnosis more reliable, regulations evolve regularly. From July 1, for example, a new regulatory text requires real estate diagnosticians to train for longer and plans to monitor them more. Without this, they will not be able to keep their DPE certification, which gives them the right to carry out these diagnoses.
These new rules will cost them more. Jean-Christophe Protais, president of Sidiane, one of the federations which represent these professionals, puts the additional cost at 35,000 euros over 7 years, for each diagnostician (1). An amount that they will pass on in their prices? “Surely it will take time, but prices should increase by around 10%,” he estimates.
A few dozen extra euros
This is precisely the choice that Marc Milesi, manager of the NiceDiagnostic company and administrator of the Interprofessional Federation of Real Estate Diagnosticians (Fidi), is going to make. “It’s certain that I’m going to have to increase my prices, it will surely be up to 10% by the end of the year. And even at this level, it will just be profitable.”
You should know that on average, a DPE costs 120 euros, even if the price varies depending on the surface area and complexity of the accommodation, or even its location. But the diagnosis is rarely requested alone, since the regulations also require checking the presence of asbestos, lead, the condition of the electrical installation and/or the gas installation, before a sale or rental. For a T2, Marc Milesi, for example, plans to increase the average cost of a diagnostic “pack” to 230 or 240 euros on average, whereas he offers it between 190 and 210 euros today.
No increase expected for all diagnosticians
But for the moment, not all professionals are considering the same option. Sébastien Lahaussee, diagnosticians in Paris, will remain on similar prices for his DPE. “I increased my prices after the 2021 reform, because it involved a lot more time on site, changing equipment more… These new rules add an extra layer, but it is less important. In any case, increasing my prices would not be possible when some are offering DPEs at 30 euros as well…”
Similar position for Alexandre Donzelle, who manages the Almidiag company, in Oise. “My company’s technicians carry out more than 400 missions per year. Ultimately, to integrate the additional cost, I will perhaps increase the price by 5 to 10 euros per mission, but no more. »
Low prices, not always good news?
The diagnostician still calls for remaining vigilant in the face of prices that are too tempting. “I’m already more expensive than some companies that tend to pull prices. Not long ago, a customer told me that she had found a diagnostician offering a price of 200 euros for a diagnostic pack in an average-sized house, while my price was 400 euros. She called me back, she had not had a mission order and she had been asked for payment in cash: she never received her diagnoses. Even if the diagnostician had ended up sending them, at that price, I don’t see how the job can be done well. »
(1) The estimate takes into account the cost of training days, but also the time during which professionals will not be making diagnoses and therefore will not be generating profits. It also takes into account the checks carried out in the field or on documents, which the diagnosticians must pay for. For example, a field check costs on average 1,200 euros and must be carried out every two years from 1 July.
