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New rules governing the sale of French homes came into effect on November 1, 2006, stipulating that a report on a property's eco-friendly rating has to be produced, in addition to the other obligatory reports covering lead, asbestos and ( in some regions, including the Languedoc) termites.
The new “green” French property rules measure the amount of energy used by a property, and the resulting impact on the environment. The report – known as a diagnostic de performance énergétique, or energy diagnosis - is paid for by the vendor in France and has to be carried out by a registered professional; the results are used to give each property a colour-coded badge, rather like those found on white goods such as washing machines and fridges.
The report looks specifically at the use of electricity involved in running the property in France, and the impact of this consumption in terms of greenhouse gas emissions; it also includes recommendations for reducing consumption. For French speakers, the official French government advisory site has more details:
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