For over a year, energy transition subsidies intended to promote energy efficiency have been misused in the horticultural sector, according to recent reports. Millions of euros have been diverted through fraudulent practices. The issue began with a sharp increase in phone calls from companies using eco-friendly names like "Energy this" or "Green that," or impersonating major brands such as EDF or Ademe, the French Agency for Ecological Transition. These companies offer advanced equipment—such as dehumidifiers for greenhouses, double-flow VMC systems, and water retention systems—at no cost to horticulturists, funded by subsidies from Energy Savings Certificates (CEE), paid by energy distributors like TotalEnergies, E.Leclerc, and Engie. These devices are supposed to help reduce gas consumption in heated greenhouses, but some scammers install them in non-heated greenhouses, which are naturally ventilated and don’t need such equipment. The lack of clear regulations allows these practices to continue, and oversight has been minimal. The scams have intensified since April 2025, when the financial reward for installing dehumidifiers doubled. At the same time, the government halted the MaPrimeRenov' program, a renovation subsidy, due to widespread fraud. Many former renovation contractors have turned to horticulture for new opportunities. Installers are aggressively contacting horticulturists, offering incentives like free tarps or even trips in exchange for signing contracts. One horticulturist, Luc, received over 100 calls, calling it "harassment." Some operations, like one at a large farm, involved equipment worth over 260,000 euros, fully funded by subsidies. The owner received 12,000 euros in installation fees, while the rest of the equipment ended up unused in a garage. Some horticulturists have reported that dehumidifiers were declared stolen shortly after installation, allowing the installers to take the equipment and repeat the process elsewhere. One horticulturist near Nantes said that 730 machines were stored in a hangar after installation. Some installers even manipulated the process by placing modules in multiple areas of a greenhouse and using extension cords without permission, taking photos to create the illusion of larger installations. In some cases, installers have recovered VAT refunds on these purchases, adding tens of thousands of euros to their profits. Fraudulent schemes can yield between 12,000 and 48,000 euros per hectare, depending on the scammers’ methods. The PNCEE, which monitors the CEE program, recorded an unprecedented number of operations, with over 100 to 130 million euros spent on dehumidifiers alone since April 2025. The actual amount of fraud is hard to estimate, but the number of greenhouses equipped with dehumidifiers—2,400 hectares—far exceeds the total area of heated greenhouses in France. Fraud was halted in early July by a government decree, but the problem persists, with similar abuses found in other areas, such as the installation of LED lights in open fields or the misuse of subsidies for connected thermostats and cargo bikes. The Energy Savings Certificates system, which allows energy companies to fund energy-saving projects, has become a complex and vulnerable mechanism, with intermediaries managing multiple programs. This has led to a situation where energy savings are monetized through certificates, often with little oversight or accountability.