The National Union of Owners and Co-owners (SNPC) has come out against a decision by the Walloon government to review the region's renovation allowance system, calling it a “brutal reform” that represents a “brake” for property owners.
The renovation allowance reform, presented on Thursday by regional authorities, introduces a temporary scheme to curb “budgetary slippage” by reducing the base amounts of the grants by an average of 60% from Friday onwards.
The intervention ceiling will drop from 90% to 70% of the total investment amount for income categories up to €38,300 per household.
For income categories between €38,300.01 and €114,400, the ceiling will be lowered from 90% to 50%. Beyond this amount, access to grants will be eliminated, except for households with dependent children.
The SNPC believes this reform is “a brutal brake on energy renovation, precisely when Wallonia needs to accelerate the climate transition.”
The union argues that the reductions are likely to hinder necessary investments in energy renovation and discourage owners from undertaking often costly but essential work to meet European climate objectives.
With a new temporary system in place until October 2026, ahead of a comprehensive reform, the SNPCregrets that this “hasty transition” creates a “climate of uncertainty” for property owners, who will have to navigate “three different regimes in less than two years.”
The union has urged the Walloon government to reassess this reform and engage in consultations with the concerned parties. “Regulatory stability is essential to reduce uncertainties and encourage property owners to undertake energy renovation work,” it feels.
