While all public subsidies now point to the electric heat pump (PAC), and the government promises an action plan to produce a million of these devices by 2027, this solution is not always miraculous. In fact, with financing systems sometimes complex and electricity prices soaring in relation to those of gas, the industry is currently experiencing a number of difficulties. Not to mention the fact that this equipment does not necessarily benefit from a ten-year warranty when installed during a renovation..

For their part, Barbara and Philip Wrigley, an octogenarian couple who have lived in La Manche for over 20 years, are also among those disappointed by heat pumps. Or more precisely the 1 euro heat pump. This means-tested scheme, launched in 2019, still exists, although a whole series of parameters must be combined to add up the MaPrimeRénov aid and the Certificats d’économie d’énergie to cancel the bill. Referred to this scheme by friends, the couple living in Cretteville thought they had made a good deal when they replaced their 19-year-old but still functional gas boiler with a brand-new heat pump in December 2022.

Months without heating

For over a year, everything worked just as it should. Barbara told Presse de la Manche while lamenting that “the bills were larger than expected”.. But things took a turn for the worse on January 19, 2024, when the heating stopped working. “We went through a company in the Paris region called Isoprobat, explains Barbara to Figaro. But after a few exchanges, she never responded to our requests. I don’t understand how this is possible, as the unit was still under warranty. We took out a local maintenance contract, but the company told us that the manufacturer didn’t have the parts. No one wants to intervene, telling us it’s up to the installer to take care of it.” After months without heating, the couple could no longer afford to wait. “We finally saw with a company in Cherbourg for new equipment without any help for a quote of 12,381 euros.”

“The responsibility does fall on the installer, explains Audrey Zermati, Director of Strategy at Effy, a company specializing in energy renovation. And it just so happens that there are several unscrupulous companies, often based north of Paris and specializing in these 1 euro heat pump set-ups.” Unlike 1 euro insulation, where excellent results were very rare, the specialist stresses that the formula is not intrinsically bad, but you have to be very careful.

Checking quotes

“The first point is to avoid cold calling, reminds Audrey Zermati. Next, don’t hesitate to ask for several quotes. Even if it only costs one euro in the end, it’s important to know what you’re being offered. After that, it’s always a good idea to find out more about the company offering the service and assess its reliability. Last but not least, it’s best to find a company that provides installation and maintenance services, and is therefore committed to the long term.” This was indeed the choice made by Barbara and Philip, who turned to a local service provider providing installation and maintenance. A lesson paid for at around 12,400 euros.