Country · 6 min read · Updated 2026-05-08
Heat pumps in France 2026 — MaPrimeRénov' explained
MaPrimeRénov' bands a heat-pump grant from €5 000 to €11 000 by household income. Air-to-air units don't qualify; ground-source enjoys the highest amounts.
Market snapshot
France has one of Europe's lower heat-pump price-of-running ratios — electricity at about €0.25/kWh and gas at €0.12/kWh make a 2.1× ratio. A SCOP-4 heat pump beats gas comfortably on running cost before any subsidy. France is also where ground-source heat pumps get the friendliest treatment.
MaPrimeRénov' — income-banded grants
The headline scheme is run by ANAH (Agence nationale de l'habitat) and stratified into four income bands. The amounts apply to a single-family primary residence at least 15 years old.
| Band | Air-water | Geothermal | Pct cost cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bleu (very low) | €5 000 | €11 000 | 90% |
| Jaune (low) | €4 000 | €9 000 | 75% |
| Violet (medium) | €3 000 | €6 000 | 60% |
| Rose (higher) | not eligible | €5 000 | 40% |
Air-to-air heat pumps are excluded entirely from the heat-pump component of MaPrimeRénov'. Reversible AC qualifies under different schemes only.
The installer must hold RGE certification ("Reconnu Garant de l'Environnement") — without it the application is rejected.
Climate
Paris sits in the Average zone (~2 760 HDD₁₈, January mean +3 °C). The south (Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux) trends Warmer; mountainous areas (Alps, Massif Central) shift Colder. We default our country profile to the population-weighted average.
Recommended setup for a French retrofit
- Type: air-to-water for cost, ground-source if MaPrimeRénov' Bleu
band applies (the +€6 000 delta makes it cost-competitive with air-water).
- Heating distribution: France's housing stock leans toward
underfloor heating in newer builds; for older radiator-only homes consider high-temperature HPs to avoid rebuilding the loop.
- Combine with CEE certificates (Certificats d'Économies
d'Énergie) — French utilities are obligated to subsidise eco-works and offer top-up payments stackable with MaPrimeRénov'.
- Cumul interdiction: only one heat-pump aid per dwelling per
rolling five-year window.
Top brands in the French listings
Atlantic (French manufacturer) and Daikin France dominate the domestic-channel. Vaillant, Mitsubishi Electric and Panasonic round out the top six.
Sources
- France Rénov' — MaPrimeRénov' (verified 2026-05-07)
- Eurostat
nrg_pc_204band DC, semester 2024-S2 - NASA POWER 30-year normal at Paris (48.86 °N, 2.35 °E)
Use the subsidy calculator (country = France) to estimate your exact MaPrimeRénov' band.