Sign a regulatory energy audit online, in 2 minutes
Regulatory energy audit — required before selling an energy-sieve home (DPE F/G since April 2023, DPE E from 2025), required before the MaPrimeRénov' Parcours accompagné, or co-ownership audit under the Climate Act — signed electronically by the RGE auditor and the owner / property manager. Compliant with article 158 of the French Climate and Resilience Act, Decree n° 2022-510 of 8 April 2022 and the eIDAS Regulation — advanced signature recommended, 10-year archiving.
- Legal framework
- Climate Act art. 158
- Signature level
- AES eIDAS recommended
- Legal archiving
- 10 years + audit relevance period
What is a French regulatory energy audit?
The French regulatory energy audit is a mandatory technical diagnosis in several cases created by the Climate and Resilience Act of 22 August 2021 (art. 158): (1) sale of an energy-sieve home rated F or G from 1 April 2023, class E from 2025 and class D from 2034; (2) MaPrimeRénov' Parcours accompagné application (deep renovation targeting ≥ 2 DPE class gain); (3) > 200-lot co-ownership audit for co-ownerships over 15 years old. Performed by an auditor holding the RGE Energy Audit qualification (OPQIBI 1905, Qualibat 8731 or equivalent), it presents an energy state of play, two costed works scenarios (reaching class B and class C) and the cost of mobilisable aid. Its relevance period is generally 5 years.
Why sign the energy audit electronically?
Identical legal force
Article 1366 of the French Civil Code recognises that electronic writing has the same probative force as paper writing. Nothing in the Climate Act or Decree n° 2022-510 requires a handwritten signature — eIDAS advanced signature is explicitly accepted by notaries since 2022 in sales of energy-sieve homes.
Multi-signer auditor + owner(s)
The audit must be signed by the RGE auditor (technical responsibility) and the owner (acceptance of findings). For co-ownerships, the property manager and council chair also sign. Our multi-signer flow handles these signers with individual SMS-OTP.
10-year archiving + reuse
The audit is valid for 5 years for sales (Climate Act) and must be kept 10 years for later disputes. Certyneo archives the signed audit + eIDAS audit trail for 10 years, allowing reuse for a later sale, MaPrimeRénov' file or éco-PTZ without redoing an audit.
eIDAS audit trail, court-admissible
Auditor + owner(s) identities, qualified timestamp, SHA-256 hash, SMS-OTP, IP geolocation. Admissible against a buyer's challenge (consent defect, error on energy bills) or ANAH (Parcours accompagné regularity).
Sign an energy audit in 4 steps
From the home visit to delivering the report to the owner, in under 5 minutes for signing.
1. Prepare the audit
The audit report (PDF, ~30 pages) must include: DPE state of play, costed works scenarios (class B + C), mobilisable aid, RGE auditor identity (OPQIBI or Qualibat 8731 number), date and signature.
2. Add signers
RGE auditor (technical responsibility) + owner(s). For co-ownership: property manager + council chair. For indivision: all co-owners. Each receives a secure personalised link.
3. Choose the eIDAS level
Advanced signature (AES) recommended: identity verification by SMS-OTP, unique certificate, qualified timestamp. Compatible with notarial requirements for energy-sieve sales.
4. Sign, attach, archive
The signed audit attaches to the sale file (notary), the MaPrimeRénov' Parcours accompagné application, or the co-ownership general meeting minutes. 10-year archiving with proof PDF.
Frequently asked questions
- Can an energy audit be signed electronically?
- Yes, without restriction. French notaries (Conseil supérieur du notariat) explicitly accept energy audits signed at advanced level (AES eIDAS) in energy-sieve home sale files since 2022. ANAH also accepts them for MaPrimeRénov' Parcours accompagné since 2024.
- When is an energy audit mandatory for a sale?
- Climate Act schedule: (1) since 1 April 2023, sale of F and G homes in single ownership; (2) from 1 January 2025, sale of class E homes; (3) from 1 January 2034, sale of class D homes. The audit must be attached to the technical diagnosis file given to the buyer at the promise of sale.
- What qualification must the auditor hold?
- For sales, the auditor must hold the OPQIBI 1905 "Energy Audit in Single-Family Home" qualification, Qualibat 8731 "Building Energy Audit" or the RGE Energy Audit mention from ICPC. For MaPrimeRénov' Parcours accompagné, the RGE Energy Audit qualification issued by an agreed body is sufficient.
- How long is an energy audit valid?
- 5 years for audits attached to a sale (art. R134-3 French Construction Code). For MaPrimeRénov' Parcours accompagné, the audit must be less than 5 years old at file submission. Beyond that, a new audit must be ordered. This relevance period allows reuse of the audit for several successive procedures.
- What happens with errors or false mentions in the audit?
- Three sanction levels: (1) auditor's civil liability towards the owner (reparation of damage); (2) civil liability towards the buyer in case of sale (sale annulment for consent defect, art. 1130+ French Civil Code); (3) disciplinary sanctions by the qualification body (suspension, revocation).
- Must the owner perform the recommended works?
- No — the energy audit is informational, not prescriptive. The owner can sell their property in class F/G by informing the buyer; however, since 1 January 2025, the progressive ban on letting energy sieves (Climate Act art. 160+) limits its use. Works can be performed before or after the sale, by the seller or the buyer.
- Is the audit cost covered by MaPrimeRénov'?
- Yes for MaPrimeRénov' Parcours accompagné: the regulatory energy audit (mandatory prerequisite) is funded at 50% by MaPrimeRénov' up to €500 for "intermediate" and "upper" income households, and 100% up to €800 for "modest" and "very modest" incomes. Outside Parcours accompagné, the audit is at the owner's charge (typically €500 to €1,200).
- Is an electronically signed audit admissible to the notary and the buyer?
- Yes — advanced signature benefits from the reliability presumption of article 1367 of the French Civil Code. The notary accepts the AES audit + eIDAS audit trail on the same footing as a paper audit; in post-sale disputes by the buyer (error on projected energy bills), the eIDAS proof PDF is admissible and recognised.
Related reads
Sign your first energy audit online
Permanent free plan (5 envelopes / month), no credit card. Climate Act and eIDAS compliant. Auditor + owner(s) traced, 10-year archiving included.