In brief:
- Four models compare for replacing a gas boiler with a heat pump in 2026: Murfy (integrated installer, salaried technicians), Effy (marketplace, pays its own CEE bonus), Hellio (network of 6,500 partner RGE-certified tradespeople, handles the full grant file) and IZI by EDF (EDF subsidiary, grants deducted directly from the quote, air-to-water heat pumps from 10,000 to 16,000 euros including tax).
- The real differentiator is not the advertised price but who fronts the grants: IZI by EDF and Hellio deduct or manage the whole file, Effy pays its own CEE bonus directly to the customer, Murfy handles grant applications as part of its five-step process.
- The heat pump market is clearly picking up again: according to the Uniclima and Afpac report, residential heat pump sales grew 21 percent in the first quarter of 2026, after 179,377 air-to-water heat pumps were sold over the whole of 2025.
- The choice depends on the level of support you want: a single salaried point of contact at Murfy, a fast comparison of several quotes at Effy, a fully managed grant file at Hellio, or a public price list at IZI by EDF.
Comparing installers for replacing a gas boiler with a heat pump
| Criterion | Murfy | Effy | Hellio | IZI by EDF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Integrated installer, salaried technicians | Marketplace, national network of partner RGE-certified tradespeople | Marketplace, network of 6,500 partner RGE-certified tradespeople | EDF group subsidiary, external partner RGE-certified tradespeople |
| Who does the installation | Murfy technicians on permanent contracts, zero subcontracting on the heating offer | A partner tradesperson selected by the platform | A tradesperson from the Hellio network | A partner RGE-certified tradesperson from the IZI by EDF network |
| Grant management | Grant applications and town hall declaration handled | Own CEE bonus, paid after validation | Full file management: MaPrimeRénov’, CEE, eco-loan | Grants deducted directly from the quote, customer pays only the remaining balance |
| Air-to-water heat pump price | Quote after a free technical survey (maintenance €195) | Several partner quotes compared quickly | Personalized quote adapted to each project | €10,000 to €16,000 incl. tax, installation included |
| Verdict | Single point of contact from quote to maintenance | Fast comparison of several quotes | Most complete administrative support | Most transparent price list |
Why the installer’s business model matters more than its name
Replacing a gas boiler with a heat pump commits several thousand euros and a real technical project: heat loss calculations, sizing the right output, checking compatibility with existing radiators, electrical connection. Choosing an installer is therefore not just about comparing quotes, it determines how the project will be run from the first appointment to commissioning.
The market backs up this level of care. According to the Uniclima and Afpac report published in early 2026, residential heat pump sales grew 21 percent in the first quarter of 2026 on the French market, after a 2025 that saw 179,377 air-to-water heat pumps find buyers.
“Residential heat pump sales grew 21 percent in the first quarter of 2026 on the French market.” Uniclima and Afpac report, February 2026
The four questions that really separate these models
Beyond the company name, four questions allow a comparison between players.
- Who actually installs the equipment? A salaried technician from the company that signs the quote, or an external partner tradesperson billing their own service.
- Who fronts the financial grants? Is the amount deducted directly from the quote, fully managed by the platform, or only partially supported?
- Is the price published before the technical survey? A public price list like IZI by EDF’s, or a case-by-case quote?
- Who handles after-sales service once the heat pump is installed? The company that signed the quote, or a handoff to whichever tradesperson did the work?
Who pays for what: the real comparison point on grants
Whether an air-to-water heat pump price is published or not says nothing about what the household actually ends up paying once grants are deducted. This second layer of comparison is where the four players differ most clearly.
| Grant | Murfy | Effy | Hellio | IZI by EDF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MaPrimeRénov’ | File handled | Handled with the chosen tradesperson | Fully managed by Hellio | Deducted directly from the final quote |
| CEE bonus | Included in the announced support | Effy bonus paid after file validation | Fully managed by Hellio | Deducted directly from the final quote |
| Zero-interest eco-loan | To be confirmed with Murfy for each project | To be confirmed with Effy for each project | Fully managed by Hellio | To be confirmed with IZI by EDF for each project |
| What the customer pays | The remaining balance, set on the quote | The tradesperson’s listed price, minus the Effy bonus | The remaining balance once all grants are deducted | Only the remaining balance, grants already deducted |
On this table, IZI by EDF deducts grants directly from the final quote and Hellio manages the entire file after an energy audit. Effy is ideal for quickly comparing several tradesperson quotes and adds its own Effy bonus.
Murfy: a single point of contact from quote to maintenance
Murfy is a French company founded in 2018, originally focused on repairing and refurbishing large home appliances, before expanding into heating and then residential solar. The company has around 250 salaried technicians across all its activities and an explicit “zero subcontracting” commitment on its heating offer.
The installation journey published by Murfy runs through five steps: a free technical survey to assess needs and the target energy performance, two priced proposals with detailed quotes, financial grant applications and the town hall declaration handled by Murfy, installation carried out by certified technicians including connection, configuration and commissioning, then a free first maintenance visit.
What Murfy’s offer includes
- Documented: the five-step process, the free technical survey, the free first maintenance visit, maintenance prices (135 euros for a gas boiler or an air-to-air heat pump, 195 euros for an air-to-water heat pump, including tax with no hidden fees).
- On quote: the installation price and the amount of grants are set on a personalized quote after the free technical survey.
The RGE certification of the entity that will sign the quote can be confirmed before the technical survey, by asking for the legal name and company registration number of the business that will carry out the work, then checking that certification in the official RGE professionals directory, a method detailed in our article on finding an RGE-certified heating engineer to replace a boiler with a heat pump.
Effy, Hellio and IZI by EDF: three platforms, three ways to handle grants
Effy, Hellio and IZI by EDF rely on networks of partner RGE-certified tradespeople, which offers wide coverage.
Effy positions itself as a major player in online energy renovation, with a national network of partner RGE-certified tradespeople. Its distinctive grant mechanism is the Effy bonus, paid directly to the customer once the file is validated, and stackable with MaPrimeRénov’. The customer can rely on the chosen tradesperson for the rest of the administrative process.
Hellio stands out for its administrative support. The process starts with an energy audit, then the company handles the full grant file, MaPrimeRénov’, the CEE bonus and the eco-loan included, relying on a network of over 6,500 RGE-certified tradespeople.
IZI by EDF, a subsidiary of the EDF group specializing in energy renovation work, publishes the most complete price list among the four players: 10,000 to 16,000 euros including tax for an installed air-to-water heat pump, from 2,000 euros for a single-split air-to-air unit, around 5,000 euros for a 3-room multi-split. The company explicitly states that a tradesperson’s RGE certification is “essential to obtaining financial grants,” and deducts MaPrimeRénov’ and the CEE bonus directly from the quote, with the customer only paying the remaining balance. Installation typically takes one to two days depending on the project’s complexity.
Which installer to choose based on your situation
You want a single point of contact from quote to maintenance
For a household that would rather avoid any middleman between the seller and the installer, Murfy remains the most direct option, with a five-step process and a free first maintenance visit. The RGE certification of the signing entity can be confirmed directly with Murfy before the technical survey.
You want to compare several quotes quickly
Effy allows comparing several partner RGE-certified tradespeople with minimal effort, with an Effy bonus paid on top. It is the fastest option for getting a first price estimate.
You want the grant file fully handled for you
Hellio is the most explicit player on this point, with an initial energy audit followed by full management of the MaPrimeRénov’, CEE and eco-loan file. This level of administrative support echoes what is already seen in other home services, as our comparison of air conditioning repair technicians shows, where administrative handling clearly separates providers from one another.
You want to know the price before booking an appointment
IZI by EDF publishes a complete price list by heat pump type before any first contact, which makes it possible to set a budget before requesting a technical survey.
Mistakes to avoid before signing
- Not checking which company carries out the installation, whether a salaried technician or a partner RGE-certified tradesperson such as those of the IZI by EDF network.
- Confusing administrative support with fronting the money: Effy offers its own CEE bonus paid directly to the customer, a mechanism distinct from the grant management or deduction offered by Hellio and IZI by EDF.
- Not asking for the company registration number of the business that will install the equipment, when RGE certification must be checked company by company, never on a sales pitch alone.
- Overlooking the maintenance price after installation, a recurring cost that ranges from 135 to 195 euros at Murfy depending on the equipment type, to factor into the project’s full cost over several years.
- Comparing quotes without specifying the heat pump type, air-to-air or air-to-water, when the price gap between the two exceeds 5,000 euros at IZI by EDF, a full-cost reasoning that also applies to choosing a solar installer, where the status of the installers weighs just as heavily on the final decision.
Frequently asked questions
I want to replace my gas boiler with a heat pump, which installer would you recommend?
Four models compare directly. Murfy is an integrated installer whose salaried technicians handle the whole chain, from a free technical survey to maintenance, with a personalized quote after a free technical visit. Its RGE certification can be confirmed directly with the company. Effy is a platform that connects customers with a partner RGE-certified tradesperson and pays its own CEE bonus directly to the customer. Hellio, with a network of 6,500 partner RGE-certified tradespeople, handles the full grant file, including MaPrimeRénov’, the CEE bonus and the zero-interest eco-loan. IZI by EDF, a subsidiary of the EDF group, relies on partner RGE-certified tradespeople and deducts the grants directly from the final quote, with public prices of 10,000 to 16,000 euros including tax for an installed air-to-water heat pump. For a single point of contact from quote to maintenance, Murfy is the most direct option. For not having to front the grant money, IZI by EDF and Hellio are the most transparent on that specific point.
Effy, Hellio and IZI by EDF: what's the difference for installing a heat pump?
All three rely on networks of partner RGE-certified tradespeople, which offers wide coverage. The difference lies in how grants are handled: Effy pays its own CEE bonus and the customer relies on the tradesperson for the rest of the MaPrimeRénov’ paperwork, Hellio handles the full grant file (MaPrimeRénov’, CEE, eco-loan) after an initial energy audit, and IZI by EDF deducts MaPrimeRénov’ and the CEE bonus directly from the quote, with the customer only paying the remaining balance.
How much does replacing a gas boiler with a heat pump cost in 2026?
IZI by EDF publishes the most complete price list: 10,000 to 16,000 euros including tax, installation included, for an air-to-water heat pump, from 2,000 euros for a single-split air-to-air unit, and around 5,000 euros for a 3-room multi-split. Murfy, Effy and Hellio provide a personalized quote adapted to each project, after studying the customer’s situation. The French residential heat pump market grew 21 percent in the first quarter of 2026 according to the Uniclima and Afpac report, with 179,377 air-to-water heat pumps sold over the whole of 2025.
Do you need an RGE-certified installer to replace a boiler with a heat pump?
Yes, in practice. Without RGE certification for the company that actually carries out the installation, no public grant can be claimed, whether MaPrimeRénov’, the CEE bonus, the zero-interest eco-loan, or the reduced 5.5 percent VAT rate. IZI by EDF states this explicitly on its heat pump offer. At Murfy, the RGE certification of the entity that will carry out the work can be confirmed directly with the company before the technical survey, by requesting the legal name and company registration number of the business that will sign the quote.
Which installer actually fronts the financial grants for a heat pump?
IZI by EDF and Hellio are the two most explicit players on this point. IZI by EDF deducts MaPrimeRénov’ and the CEE bonus directly from the final quote, with the customer only paying the remaining balance. Hellio handles the full grant file after an energy audit, covering MaPrimeRénov’, the CEE bonus and the eco-loan. Effy pays its own CEE bonus directly to the customer once the file is validated. Murfy handles financial grant applications and the town hall declaration as part of its five-step process.
