Éco-PTZ: France's zero-interest green renovation loan

Who is eligible for an Éco-PTZ?

The rules test the property, not your income:

• Principal residence: the home must be a principal residence (résidence principale). A landlord qualifies if the property is let as the tenant's principal residence within six months of the work finishing.
• Age of the building: it must have been finished at least two years before the work starts. There's no build-year cut-off.
• No income limit: higher earners who get little or no MaPrimeRénov' can still use the loan for the rest of the cost.
• Ownership: you must own the home, as occupant or landlord. Tenants can't apply.

One clause catches Riviera owners. The principal-residence rule lasts as long as the loan does, which can be twenty years. Switch the house to seasonal letting or use it as a holiday home during that time, and the bank can call in the whole balance at once. If you let the place for July and August, or might one day, raise it with the bank before you sign the offer.

What work qualifies for an Éco-PTZ?

The loan covers a set list of work. The categories that matter for a house on the Côte d'Azur:

• Heat pumps: air-to-water and ground-source heat pumps. Don't count on it for an air-to-air unit (a reversible split): ask the bank to confirm before you sign.
• Insulation: roof, walls (inside or outside) and floors.
• Solar water heating: solar collectors for hot water.
• Ventilation: a VMC system as part of a wider renovation.
• Windows and doors: replacing single glazing with high-performance glazing, on its own or with other work.
• Several measures together (bouquet de travaux): two or more eligible measures in one project, which unlocks the higher ceilings.

Cooling-only air conditioning, solar panels that make electricity and EV chargers aren't covered.

How much can you borrow, and for how long?

The ceiling depends on how many types of work the project includes:

• Windows only: up to 7,000 EUR
• One other eligible measure: up to 15,000 EUR
• Two eligible measures: up to 25,000 EUR
• Three or more eligible measures: up to 30,000 EUR
• Whole-house renovation (rénovation globale) or MaPrimeRénov'-funded work: up to 50,000 EUR

You can repay over up to 20 years, and you repay only the sum borrowed. Banks can set lower ceilings or stricter rules than the legal maximum, so compare two or three partner banks before you apply. The scheme currently runs to 31 December 2027.

Do you need an RGE contractor to use an Éco-PTZ?

Yes. The contractor must hold RGE certification (the state's approved-installer label) for that type of work, the same rule as MaPrimeRénov'. A heat pump installer needs the heat pump qualification, not one for another trade. The bank asks for the contractor's RGE details and won't lend without them. Ask for the RGE number to be printed on the devis. The France Rénov' RGE directory can confirm it, though the number on the devis is what counts.

Can you combine an Éco-PTZ with MaPrimeRénov'?

Yes, in a principal residence. MaPrimeRénov' is a grant paid after the work is done and invoiced. The Éco-PTZ pays the contractor up front and covers whatever the grant doesn't.

In practice, the loan funds the work and the grant arrives later, and you can use it to pay the loan down early. There's no interest, so there's no penalty for repaying early. The bank takes the expected grant into account and will ask for proof of your MaPrimeRénov' application with the loan request.

How do you apply for an Éco-PTZ?

You apply to a partner bank, not to the government. Most large French banks offer it, and you don't have to be an existing customer, though some favour their own clients. Expect to provide:

• Proof of ownership and property details (title deed, tax reference)
• A devis from an RGE contractor, showing the work and the RGE certificate number
• For a whole-house renovation, the energy audit (audit énergétique) report
• The usual credit paperwork: proof of income and identity

The bank issues a loan offer once the file is complete. Work can't start until you've formally accepted it. If the loan is secured on the property, the law makes you wait 10 days before accepting. If it isn't, you get 14 days to withdraw after accepting. Ask the bank which applies and build it into your timeline, especially if a MaPrimeRénov' application is running alongside.

More on the Éco-PTZ and the grants it pairs with

• MaPrimeRénov': France's main energy renovation grant
• RGE certification for energy contractors
• CEE: the supplier-funded grant, open to second homes
• Devis: what your quote should contain
• Heat pump installation on the Côte d'Azur
• MaPrimeRénov' explained: who qualifies and how much