Home renovation: how is BNP Paribas helping its individual customers in Europe?

Housing’s energy footprint is a major challenge in the energy transition. BNP Paribas has picked up the pace on a European scale with solutions dedicated to its individual customers. These new ‘beyond banking’ offers are helping to decarbonise its portfolio of residential mortgage loans. They are being handled by banking advisors trained in the energy renovation and who are truly "trusted companions". Here is a 360° view in 5 countries: France, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg and Poland.

According to the European Commission, buildings in the European Union are responsible for 40% of its energy consumption and 36% of its greenhouse gases. The European Parliament has passed a directive aiming to renovate 35 million buildings by 2030.

700 000 renovations annually, according to ADEME, the French Agency for Environmental Transition

44 % of the French Commercial Banking outstandings are labelled ‘E’, ‘F’ or ‘G’

17 more GHG emissions for F and G properties than an A property

To address the challenge of home renovation, French Commercial Banking (BCEF) offers its customers a comprehensive programme:

• Financing renovation: this is the purpose of the Energibio loan. Until 31 July, it is being offered at a preferential rate of 2.5% for a maximum amount of 30,000 euros, over a maximum term of 108 months! These terms will no longer apply after 31 July.
• Identifying, diagnosing and estimating renovation costs – this is the purpose of the monprojetrenovation.com initiative.

All French Commercial Banking staff is trained in sustainable finance at the "Académie BCEF". To understand the challenges of energy renovation in particular, almost 10,000 employees have been trained in 2023 in supporting their customers’ energy renovation projects.

They are trained to engage in dialogue with customers and offer them concrete solutions in both the choice of contractors and financing. All types of advisors – whether for companies, individuals, or private banking – are trained in these areas on an ongoing basis.

300 billion euros – this is how much will have to be invested by 2050 to renovate all Belgian buildings. In a survey on sustainable housing conducted with Profacts, an independent market research firm, BNP Paribas Fortis found that 34% of Belgians plan to renovate their home in the next 5 years. 7 out of 10 Belgians want the banking sector to become a major player in financing and supporting the sustainability of housing. 

To address this demand, BNP Paribas Fortis offers:

• energy loans and renovation loans to finance insulation work, transform individual rooms...
• 30-year mortgage loans to assist low-income customers in their sustainable homeownership plans.
• renewing existing loans to undertake renovation works.
• ‘beyond banking’ offers, such as ‘So Simply’, a pilot programme in partnership with AG Insurance. This is a platform that brings individual customers together with trusted craftsmen who handle their renovation work.

According to the Profacts survey, 14% of Belgians refrain from undertaking renovations due to lack of information or know-how. This is where advisors at BNP Paribas Fortis branches step in. Advisors are trained to advise on bonuses for energy-efficient homes, and explain the financial benefits of a sustainable home and the new energy standards.

To combine accessibility and sustainability, BNP Paribas Fortis and Matexi launched the HappyNest partnership in May 2023. This makes new sustainable and energy-efficient buildings more affordable and accessible in Belgium and allows candidate buyers to rent a new, low-energy building and, a few years later, to buy it outright, while deducting some of the rent paid from the purchase price.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP

BNL BNP Paribas relies on its BNL Abito ecosystem, which is dedicated to housing needs. Thanks to a comprehensive scheme, the Bank also acts as a facilitator in energy renovation projects, with a 360° view of housing needs.

Mutuo Green is a green mortgage solution offered by BNL BNP Paribas to those who want to buy buildings classified ‘A’ and ‘B’. A "0.4%" reduction is offered on the standard rate. Through this loan, the Bank addresses consumers’ growing interest in sustainable products, as well as increasingly stringent energy transition regulations.

LEARN MORE ABOUT BNL ABITO

With a high percentage of houses built in the 1950s, an estimated 80% of Luxembourg homes need energy renovation, according to the European initiative "LuxBuild2020".

From advisory to financing, BGL BNP Paribas assists its customers in their energy renovation projects:

• The climate loan to finance insulation and roofing works, window replacements, etc.
• The energy retrofitting loan to install higher-performance heating systems, thermal solar panels, etc.
• An energy advisory offering for guidance in all stages of renovation by a certified energy advisor, including energy-performance certificates, planning, financial assistance, follow-up and finalisation. The Bank has also enriched this offering with the recommendations of Actif, an external partner and trusted companion that assists customers in their projects.miques…

PROGRAMMES AVAILABLE IN LUXEMBOURG

Better to renovate an existing building or build a new one? What is the European taxonomy? What government financing is available? To provide personalised service to its customers, BGL BNP Paribas employees keep abreast daily of areas that are fundamental to energy renovation. Its partner Actif, which is a certified energy advisor, provides additional extra-banking services, such as energy passports, thermography, thermal bridge calculations, and measuring of a home’s airtightness.

According to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Poland has one of the highest number of housing units in Europe (almost 13.9 million), but about 72% of them were built using "pre-1989 technologies". Almost 70% of single-family homes use coal for heating. By 2035, fossil-fuel heating systems will be banned in the European Union in new buildings and buildings undergoing renovation.

• The EBRD has identified enhancement of energy efficiency of homes as a major component of its action in Poland. For this purpose, it has signed a green financing of almost 150 million euros with BNP Paribas Bank Polska, allowing customers to borrow money for renovation projects. From replacing coal furnaces with heat pumps to installing thermal insulation, this initiative makes a joint contribution to the government’s green transition goals.
• The European Investment Bank (EIB) recently signed a 100 million euros agreement with BNP Paribas Bank Polska to support energy efficiency projects in Poland. The initiative aims to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions in the housing sector.
• BNP Paribas Bank Polska contributes to the Private Finance for Energy Efficiency (PF4EE) initiative of the European Commission and EIB, in providing responsible financial solutions to support clients in their sustainable development journey. The Bank has already supported almost 24,000 homeowners, farmers and housing associations in installing renewable energy equipment, such as photovoltaic energy panels in single-family homes and micro-farms, as well as in financing building renovation and upgrades.

PROGRAMMES AVAILABLE IN POLAND