The extent of the problem is not precisely known, but many people in France suffer from summer fuel poverty. The Abbé Pierre Foundation published a study on Monday, June 26, which states that living in too hot accommodation without being able to remedy it is still too neglected by the public authorities in France. This public health issue will worsen with climate change, which increases the frequency and intensity of heat waves.
In 2021, 37% of French people said they often or systematically suffered from heat in their homes, according to an OpinionWay survey, with precarious urban populations being more affected, as were young people and the elderly. “People of modest means are more concerned,” explains the foundation, citing recent polls revealing certain aspects of the phenomenon. Working-class neighborhoods, often poorly vegetated, are more vulnerable to the urban heat island phenomenon, caused among other things by the lack of vegetation. “In addition, the households that live there are more often faced with overcrowding, live in less well insulated, less ventilated housing,” notes the NGO.
The protection of housing against heat, or summer comfort, is not sufficiently taken into account in the law, she regrets. For new construction, this has only been the case since 2022. For the existing stock, the energy performance diagnostics, which are mandatory for new buildings or for sale or rental, must take this into account, but the summer comfort settings have no effect on the energy label.
The massive installation of air conditioning units displaces and aggravates the problem
Furthermore, renovation aid does not concern devices specifically aimed at improving summer comfort. “In some cases, heritage protection or condominium regulations even prevent the installation of shutters or solar protection on the facade,” observes the Abbé Pierre Foundation. While the law requires landlords to set a minimum temperature in their homes (19°C), there is no maximum temperature.
To remedy this, the foundation is issuing a series of nineteen recommendations, most of which aim to integrate protection against heat into energy renovation policy. It also suggests changing the rules of condominiums in order to encourage the installation of solar protection (shutters, green roofs, etc.).
Other, more general recommendations relate to urban planning and aim to combat heat islands by reducing artificial surfaces or automobile traffic, or by avoiding the massive installation of air conditioning devices, which displace and aggravate the issue.
