Energy Audit 2026: Requirement and Opportunity for Savings
The energy audit is a regulatory requirement for many companies in France. Beyond the constraint, it's a unique opportunity to identify 15 to 30% energy savings. Wattnow doesn't conduct audits, but digitizes and optimizes the entire process to maximize your gains.
Companies concerned: Large companies (>250 employees or revenue > €50M) must conduct an energy audit every 4 years. The next deadline is December 5, 2026 for companies whose last audit was in 2022.
Penalties: Non-compliance can result in fines of up to 2% of annual revenue (4% in case of repeat offense).
Wattnow is not a certified engineering firm for conducting energy audits. However, our platform digitizes and optimizes the entire audit process:
- Preparation: Automatic centralization of all your energy data
- Diagnosis: Precise identification of savings opportunities
- Monitoring: Continuous tracking to validate audit hypotheses
- Reporting: Generation of reports needed for external auditors
Result: Up to 50% reduction in audit cost and time, and more accurate recommendations thanks to reliable, historical data.
1. Energy audit: legal framework and obligations
The energy audit is governed by several regulatory texts that define obligations and implementation methods.
Articles L.233-1 to L.233-4 of the Energy Code
These articles establish the obligation for large companies to conduct energy audits and define the general framework.
Consult the Energy Code articlesDecree of December 27, 2023
This decree specifies the implementation methods for energy audits, required auditor qualifications, and audit report content.
Consult regulatory audit modelsLarge companies
All companies with more than 250 employees or with revenue > €50M and balance sheet > €43M. Mandatory audit every 4 years.
Commercial buildings
Commercial buildings larger than 1,000 m² can use the energy audit as an alternative to the tertiary decree.
Energy-intensive industry
Industrial sector companies consuming more than 10 GWh/year of final energy. Specific audit with process analysis.
Prepare your 2026 audit with Wattnow
Centralize your energy data, identify savings opportunities, and prepare all documents needed for your external auditor.
30 minutes • Savings simulation • Energy expert
2. The 5 key steps of a successful energy audit
A regulatory energy audit follows a structured process defined by the NF EN 16247 standard. Wattnow optimizes each step.
Data collection and analysis
Regulatory requirement: Consumption history for at least 3 years, breakdown by usage, invoice analysis.
With Wattnow: Complete automation via meter connections, supplier APIs, file imports. Reliable, historical data.
Installation diagnosis
Regulatory requirement: Equipment inspection, process analysis, identification of malfunctions.
With Wattnow: Continuous monitoring with alerts for deviations. Interactive energy mapping to prioritize inspections.
Identification of savings opportunities
Regulatory requirement: Savings potential calculation for each action, investment estimates.
With Wattnow: AI algorithms that automatically identify anomalies and propose ROI-prioritized actions.
Action plan development
Regulatory requirement: Detailed action program with schedule, responsible parties, budgets and ROI.
With Wattnow: Automatic generator of regulatory-compliant action plans. Simulation of different scenarios.
Audit report drafting
Regulatory requirement: Report compliant with NF EN 16247 standard with all regulatory annexes.
With Wattnow: Structured data export ready for integration into the final report by external auditor.
3. How Wattnow transforms energy auditing
Digitalization radically changes the traditional approach to energy auditing. Discover the concrete benefits.
Reliable, historical data
No more manual extraction and data entry errors. Wattnow automatically collects all your consumption data from meters, invoices, and existing systems.
Continuous monitoring
The audit is no longer a snapshot but a continuous process. Track the impact of your actions in real time and adjust your strategy accordingly.
AI and predictive analytics
Our artificial intelligence automatically detects anomalies, identifies savings opportunities, and proposes optimized actions.
Automated reporting
Automatically generate reports, dashboards, and documents needed for your audit. Formatting compliant with regulatory requirements.
Simplified collaboration
Easily share data with your external auditor. Dedicated interface for effective collaboration throughout the process.
Cost optimization
Significant reduction in total audit cost through automation of repetitive tasks and increased diagnostic accuracy.
4. Regulatory content of an energy audit
The NF EN 16247 standard and the December 27, 2023 decree precisely define the mandatory content of an energy audit.
| Mandatory section | Required content | How Wattnow helps |
|---|---|---|
| Energy analysis | Consumption balance for at least 3 years, breakdown by usage, performance indicators | Automatic generation of balances with complete history and calculated indicators |
| Installation diagnosis | Equipment inventory, performance analysis, identification of malfunctions | Continuous monitoring with alerts on performance deviations and preventive maintenance |
| Savings potential | Identification of opportunities, savings estimates, investment calculations | AI algorithms for automatic opportunity identification and ROI simulation |
| Action plan | Detailed program with schedule, responsible parties, budgets and deadlines | Action plan generator with regulatory templates and integrated tracking |
| Regulatory annexes | Technical sheets, photos, diagrams, measurement records, certificates | Secure document portal to store and organize all annexes |
Ready to revolutionize your energy audit approach?
Wattnow transforms energy auditing from a regulatory constraint to a strategic savings opportunity.
Customer testimonials • Personalized roadmap • Expert support
FAQ Energy Audit 2026
- Data preparation for external auditors
- Preliminary identification of savings opportunities
- Continuous monitoring to validate hypotheses
- Generation of intermediate reports
- In 2022: Deadline by December 5, 2026
- In 2023: Deadline by December 5, 2027
- In 2024: Deadline by December 5, 2028
Free tool: Use our deadline calculator to check your due date.
- Administrative fine: Up to 2% of annual revenue (excluding taxes) from the previous fiscal year
- In case of repeat offense: Up to 4% of annual revenue
- Publication: The penalty may be made public
Source: Article L.233-4 of the Energy Code
- Dedicated portal: Secure access for auditors to all your energy data
- Structured export: Data in the format required by NF EN 16247 standard
- Real-time collaboration: Comments, hypothesis validation, document sharing
- Process tracking: Audit progress dashboard
Time savings: 30 to 50% reduction in collaboration time.
- Industry: 10 to 25% average savings
- Commercial: 15 to 30% average savings
- No-investment actions: 5 to 10% immediate savings
- Investment actions: Typical ROI of 2 to 4 years
Concrete case: An industrial site identified €120,000 in annual savings with an investment of €180,000 (ROI: 1.5 years). View the case study.
Transform your energy audit into operational success
Wattnow helps you prepare, optimize, and maximize the value of your 2026 energy audit. Move from regulatory constraint to economic opportunity.
30-minute demo • No commitment • Energy audit expert
