Dorémi aims to make efficient renovation accessible to at least 10% of the French population in 2021, by training 250 groups of craftsmen.
How to make sure that the energy renovation of buildings is a sustainable solution that meets social and environmental challenges? How can we renovate the 8 million housing units that represents under-insulated buildings in France and get 5.6 million French people out of the energy precarious situation1 in which they are?
Dorémi – a state-approved social utility company – is a company of the group negaWatt which specialises in the ecological transition. As an expert in energy renovation, Dorémi implements a replicable system, which has proved its worth and is based on three pillars to combine social and environmental impact.
1. The “complete” and efficient renovation (in a single stage of work)
Contrary to a majority of practices, the complete and efficient renovation of a house remains the only solution that really allows for the reduction of its heating consumption (decreased by a ratio between 4 to 8). Such practice consists in carrying out all the necessary work in a holistic manner: installation of joinery, efficient ventilation and heating, insulation of the walls, floor and roof, all at the same time. When the renovation is complete, the house is healthier, more comfortable and economical. In contrast, renovations in several stages generate pathologies (mould, intoxication, cold, thermal bridge…) and only allow a temporary reduction in the heating bill, which generally comes back to its pre-renovation level in less than 10 years: starting new work is then much less profitable.
2. The way out of fuel poverty
Dorémi makes efficient renovation accessible to as many people as possible. Today, between 45% and 65% of the households supported by the company are considered as «modest» to «very modest» as defined by the National Housing Agency. In order to reach these groups and meet their needs as well as possible, Dorémi has chosen to work hand in hand with local authorities, partners and local actors of renovation, who supports all households in the construction of their financing plan. The objective is to transform the heating bill into a monthly loan payment of an equivalent amount (see graph below). This requires controlling the cost of the renovation work – made possible by a global approach to renovation -, mobilising all available financial aid, and monitoring performance.
3. Boosting the local economy
Only local craftsmen are numerous enough to massively renovate the 8 million single-family houses in need. The craftsmen, trained on site by expert trainers, use simple, tried and tested tools to work together methodically on the essential points of energy performance. They offer quality renovation at controlled costs. Enabling households to consume less energy is an opportunity for a region to reduce its imports of gas, oil and electricity and provide local employment.
Thanks to the efficient renovation and numerous supports2, Dorémi reconciles today the fight against global warming, the fight against precariousness and the needs of the local economy, by transforming heating bills into local investments, without loss of purchasing power of households. And this is just the beginning: via the Facilaréno, an energy saving certificate programme, supported by the Ministry of Ecological Transition, Dorémi aims to make efficient renovation accessible to at least 10% of the French population in 2021, by training 250 groups of craftsmen.
Vincent Legrand
Chief Executive Officer
&
Julie Lambert
Communication Manager
Dorémi
Footnotes
1. «To quantify fuel poverty more precisely, it is customary to count households that spend more than 10% of their income on energy in the home.» Source Ademe, Observatoire de la précarité énergétique.
2. In particular: Ashoka, MAIF Investissement Social et Solidaire, Schneider Electric Energy Access, France Active Investissement, and 500 citizen investors via Wiseed.