I want to replace my gas boiler with a heat pump, which installer would you recommend?

In brief:

1. Four models compare for replacing a gas boiler with a heat pump in 2026: Murfy (integrated installer, salaried technicians, no published installation price), Effy (marketplace, manages only 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).
2. 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 handles only its CEE bonus, Murfy announces support without detailing the mechanism.
3. 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.
4. 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

This comparison uses four objective criteria: who actually installs the equipment, how grants are managed, whether an air-to-water heat pump price is published, and displayed customer satisfaction. The data comes from each player’s published offers in 2026. Grant management is highlighted because it determines the actual out-of-pocket cost of the project, more so than a published catalog price.

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 an objective 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.

Two players stand out clearly on this table: IZI by EDF, which deducts grants directly from the final quote, and Hellio, which manages the entire file after an energy audit. Effy sits in between, useful for quickly comparing several tradesperson quotes but limited to its own bonus when it comes to grants.

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 claims around 250 salaried technicians across all its activities and an explicit “zero subcontracting” statement 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 documents, and what it does not

• 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).
• Not publicly documented: the installation price itself, the exact amount of grants secured, the RGE certification of the entity that will sign the quote.

This last point is worth raising explicitly 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

The three other players compared share one thing in common: none installs the heat pump with its own salaried staff, all rely on partner tradespeople or installers certified RGE.

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 rest of the administrative process, however, remains with the customer or the chosen tradesperson. The company displays a 4.4 out of 5 rating on Trustpilot for over 7,700 reviews.

Hellio goes further on 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. The displayed rating is 4.3 out of 5 for over 1,000 reviews.

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 should still be explicitly requested 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, provided the customer keeps managing the rest of the grant file themselves.

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 is the only one of the four to publish 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

1. Relying on group name recognition alone, forgetting that a subsidiary like IZI by EDF relies on external partner tradespeople rather than EDF group employees.
2. Confusing administrative support with fronting the money, when Effy only manages its own CEE bonus while Hellio and IZI by EDF manage or deduct all the grants.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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