For several months, heat pump installations have suddenly collapsed in France. While the government recently announced high development objectives for the sector, professionals lacking orders now find themselves in difficulty. Testimonials in Franche-Comté.
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“We went from everything to almost nothing“. This sentence, Bernard Cuenot would never have thought of saying it a few months ago. Heating engineer in Levier (Doubs), the professional has been faced for several weeks with a situation that he had not anticipated: disenchantment French for heat pumps.
A heat pump must undergo intervention by a professional at least once a year.
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© FRANCOIS DESTOC / MAXPPP
A real surprise, given that this method of heating, presented as economical and ecological, had been favored by the government in recent years. Precisely through announcements with great fanfare, such as that of President Emmanuel Macron who, in September 2023, wanted France to achieve annual production of 1 million heat pumps by 2027. An objective boosted by financial aid for individuals such as MaPrimeRénov' or the Coup de Pouce Chauffage.
“The drop is significant. And brutal” continues Bernard Cuenot. “For my part, calls and installations started to drop during the summer, in July-August 2024. From 30 to 40 requests per month, we went to 6.7. It's hard“. Fortunately for him, his company offers other heating solutions and is “for the moment not in economic difficulty. Even if we are gloomy, we get there. But some salespeople and pump producers are really upset“.
This is the case of the company Vivre Eco, which produces its own heat pumps in the Vosges and installs its products throughout the east of the country, including in Franche-Comté. “It’s simple, we lost between 40 and 50% of requests” assures Aurélien Vautravers, manager of the Vivre Eco agency in Baume-les-Dames (Doubs). “For the moment, we are still working on installing the pumps ordered last year, when we had a lot of orders. But we're starting to get worried“.
After the government announcements, we invested a lot in the production system. Hiring, a complete new workshop that we are currently unable to make profitable because we are not manufacturing enough.
Aurélien Vautravers,employee of the Vivre Eco company in Baume-les-Dames
“If sales remain at current levels, it will really put us in difficulty.“regrets the technician.”
-The price of a heat pump can vary between 6,000 and 16,000 euros.
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© FRANCOIS DESTOC / MAXPPP
“Our company has existed for 25 years, we have solid backing, because we offer other thermal heating systems. But in the heat pump sector, we could have employees laid off if it continues like this” he adds.
How can we explain this collapse in the heat pump market? Professionals offer several explanations. Firstly, the unstable political situation in the country. “People question themselves, think more and are reluctant to invest ten thousand euros” explains Aurélien Vautravers. “We have unstable governments, so the French say that energy costs can change overnight. And then we also suffer from the multiple heat pump scams which discredit us.”
This is also the observation of Bernard Cuenot, heating engineer in Doubs. “Customers have less trust. When I present my arguments, I am interrupted by saying “it doesn't heat enough”, “it costs too much electricity”. Flavien Daval, director of a heating and air conditioning company based in Froideconche (Haute-Saône) also points the finger at aid “too complicated to have. There is potential, but people don't understand it. Files take too long to put together and take too long to be processed“.
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Same opinion at the company Midot Plombier-Chauffagiste, in Baume-les-Dames, where “the phone hardly rings anymore for heat pumps“. “We went from four installations per month at the start of 2024 to two, or even zero, since the summer. saddens Sébastien Midot. “For me, we are also paying for the bad situation in real estate. People are no longer buying, therefore no longer doing work, and even less for heat pumps“.
Before, we were worried because we didn't have time to install everything. Now, we are worried and we are waiting for each quote to be validated.
Sébastien Midot,manager of the company Midot Plumber-Heating Engineer
Among all those interviewed, it is therefore disappointment and surprise regarding this rapid collapse which predominates. Against the backdrop of annoyance at the state's lack of vision, “which nevertheless encouraged investment“.
“The government's objectives are dead. We realize today that they are unrealizable” says Aurélien Vautravers, from Vivre Eco. “The president spoke of a million pumps made in France installed each year. We're not even going to produce half“. The hope of the profession: “that this situation does not last“. At the risk of seeing a sector already in difficulty sink into crisis.
