Thermal regulations in France (RT 2012)

In France, the building sector is the biggest energy consumer of all economic sectors (42.5% of total final energy), and generates 23% of greenhouse gas emissions.

The average annual heating bill is €900 per household, with wide disparities (from €250 for a "low-energy" home to over €1,800 for a poorly insulated house). It weighs heavily on the purchasing power of households, particularly the most modest among them, and these expenses tend to increase with the rise in energy prices.

In order to reduce energy costs in the long term, the Grenelle de l'Environnement (French environment round table) calls for the implementation of a program to reduce the energy consumption of buildings (articles 3 to 6 of the "Grenelle 1" law of August 3, 2009).

Since the introduction of thermal regulations in 1974, the energy consumption...