Prisoners of property? Exploring the French MaPrimeRénov’ home energy retrofit initiative through an energy justice lens in Occitanie

Decarbonisation plays a crucial role in reshaping household energy consumption and enabling EU member states to achieve climate-neutrality targets by 2050. In France, heat transition policies combine decarbonisation and deep retrofit measures. However, the high cost of these processes raises questions about accessibility. This article explores the effectiveness of the MaPrimeRénov' subsidy programme in facilitating a just heat transition among homeowners in the French region of Occitanie. Data are drawn from 15 semi-structured interviews with professionals working in the sector. The Energy Justice framework was applied as it can reveal barriers. The analysis highlighted three categories of barriers: economic, administrative, and information-related. Our results indicate that subsidies are insufficient to make the transition accessible to everyone. They also suggest that barriers related to information access are a major challenge. Interviewees reported that cases of fraud have undermined trust and led to inefficient retrofit installations, with severe consequences for affected households. While the French government is addressing certain barriers, concerns persist regarding lobbying from the heat pump industry and the privatisation of the advisory programme connected to the scheme. Our Energy Justice analysis highlights the barriers that make it difficult for low-income homeowners living in energy-inefficient houses to participate effectively in the heat transition. Our study highlights not only that high heating costs persist, but also that the heat transition can bring with it considerable risks. Retrofit policies and programs must take greater account of the capacities of homeowners with respect to financing and accessing trustworthy advice.