Energy renovation scams: how to recognise them and protect yourself

Renovation grants have attracted unscrupulous companies: botched work, inflated quotes, fake public bodies. The law has been tightened, but a few simple reflexes remain the best protection.

What the law says

Cold calling has been banned in the field of energy renovation since the law of 24 July 2020, unless you already have a contract in progress with the company. The law of 30 June 2025 against all forms of fraud involving public grants strengthened checks on companies and advisers, and went further on unsolicited canvassing:

• since July 2025, the ban also covers text messages, messaging apps, e-mails and social media;
• since 11 August 2026, it also covers work to adapt a home for ageing or disability, and telephone canvassing in general now requires the prior consent of the person being called;
• a contract concluded following banned canvassing is void, and the company faces a fine of up to €75,000 for an individual and €375,000 for a company;
• companies' communication materials must mention France Rénov', and the contract must state the company's label and any use of subcontractors.

Warning signs

• An unsolicited call or message claiming to be “appointed by the State”, “a partner of the Anah” or “from your town hall”.
• A text message or e-mail announcing that “your grant application is about to expire”, with a link to follow.
• Pressure to sign quickly: “the grant ends tonight”, “last slot available”.
• A quote with no breakdown of items, quantities and materials.
• A request for your tax login details or for access to your account on the grants website.
• A deposit demanded on the very day a contract is signed at home.
• A rushed technical visit, or none at all, before the quote.

A typical scenario

By way of illustration, here is how these scams often unfold. A message announces a “State grant” to replace your heating free of charge. A salesperson calls round the next day, talks about bonuses they “handle themselves”, has you sign an order form and a credit agreement on a tablet, then asks for access to your online grants account. The work is done in a single day, without any serious assessment; the promised bonuses never arrive, but the loan repayments do. Every step should have raised the alarm: the unsolicited contact, the urgency, the promise of something free, the credit signed on the spot, the request for login details.

If you have already signed

• You have fourteen days to withdraw after a contract signed at home, by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt or using the form attached to the contract.
• No payment can be demanded during the seven days following the signing of a contract concluded at home.
• The loan linked to the work falls with the contract: a linked credit agreement is automatically terminated or cancelled if the works contract is.
• Keep the evidence: text messages, e-mails, calling numbers and signed documents, useful for having a contract resulting from banned canvassing declared void.
• Report what happened on SignalConso and, in the case of fraud, file a complaint with the police.

The right reflexes

1. Check the company's RGE qualification in the official directory on france-renov.gouv.fr.
2. Ask for several detailed quotes and take the time to compare them.
3. Talk to a France Rénov' adviser, free and independent, before signing: the national number is 0 808 800 700.
4. Never give out your login details for tax purposes or for your grants account.
5. Use the fourteen-day withdrawal period for a contract signed at home.
6. Report abuse on SignalConso.

Recognising a genuine Accompagnateur Rénov'

For a grant-funded major renovation, an Accompagnateur Rénov' is compulsory, and some fraudsters pass themselves off as one. A genuine adviser is approved by the State and listed in the directory on france-renov.gouv.fr; it is the France Rénov' adviser who gives you the list for your area, after a free first appointment. They help you analyse quotes, but do not impose a company on you. The law of 30 June 2025 strengthened checks and penalties for breaches of the approval rules.

How we work

“We do not cold call.”

We come to see the house, draw up a detailed, item-by-item quote and give you time to decide. You keep a single point of contact from the first meeting to the handover of the work.

Sources : Loi n° 2020-901 du 24 juillet 2020 (interdiction du démarchage téléphonique pour la rénovation énergétique) · Loi n° 2025-594 du 30 juin 2025 contre toutes les fraudes aux aides publiques, article 13 (démarchage par SMS, courriel et réseaux sociaux ; consentement préalable au 11 août 2026) · Code de la consommation, article L. 221-18 (délai de rétractation de quatorze jours) · Code de la consommation, article L. 221-10 (aucun paiement pendant sept jours après un contrat conclu hors établissement) · Code de la consommation, article L. 312-55 (crédit affecté résolu ou annulé avec le contrat principal) · anil.org, analyse de la loi du 30 juin 2025 · signal.conso.gouv.fr · france-renov.gouv.fr