Ground-source heat pump: 2026 grants and out-of-pocket cost
Ground-source heating has the highest MaPrimeRénov’ flat rates and the best efficiency. Its price, though, is published by no open source: start from your quote.
A ground-source heat pump draws heat from the ground, through horizontal buried collectors or a drilled vertical borehole, or from groundwater. It feeds a central heating system like an air-to-water unit, but from a heat source that stays stable all year: ADEME measured an average yearly efficiency of 4.1, against 2.9 for air-to-water. In 2026 the per-item MaPrimeRénov’ pays €11,000 to a blue household, €9,000 to yellow and €6,000 to purple, on an eligible expense of at most €18,000. The CEE bonus comes under sheet BAR-TH-172, which covers houses only: 101,400 kWh cumac if seasonal efficiency is between 111% and 170%, 119,400 above that, before the area, zone and Coup de pouce factors. No open source publishes ground-source prices: the calculator starts from the expense ceiling, which is not a price, and waits for your quote.
Estimated out-of-pocket cost
€7,200
€18,000 − €10,800 in grants
| Estimated price (median quote) | €18,000 |
| MaPrimeRénov’ (purple) | €5,434 |
| of which cut by the cap | − €566 |
| CEE bonus (Coup de pouce) | €5,366 |
| Out of pocket | €7,200 |
| Heating per year today | €2,127 |
| Heating per year with heat pump | €658 |
| Saving per year | €1,470 |
| Payback | 4.9 years |
| Heating need | 13,583 kWh |
| Climate (St-Genis-Laval) | 2,058 DJU, H1 |
Outside Île-de-France ceilings for 3 people: blue ≤ €30,540, yellow ≤ €39,148, purple ≤ €55,196. Estimate only: the Anah alone sets the grant, and the CEE amount is the one the firm puts in writing before you sign.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
Grants for a given quote
As there is no public reference price, here are the grants worked out by the site’s engine on a hypothetical quote, to be replaced by yours in the calculator:
| Category | Flat rate | MaPrimeRénov’ paid | CEE bonus | Out of pocket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue | €11,000 | €7,293 | €8,907 | €7,800 |
| Yellow | €9,000 | €4,593 | €8,907 | €10,500 |
| Purple | €6,000 | €5,434 | €5,366 | €13,200 |
| Pink | €0 | €0 | €5,366 | €18,634 |
With a quote above the expense ceiling, the out-of-pocket cost climbs fast: the cap is calculated on €18,000 at most, and everything above is paid by the household. For a purple household, MaPrimeRénov’ can be cut by a high CEE bonus, as the grant cap page explains.
Lower, steadier consumption
The ground stays at a roughly constant temperature in winter. A ground-source heat pump therefore keeps its efficiency in hard frosts, unlike air-to-water, and never needs to defrost. For the same house, its electricity bill is about 30% lower than an air-to-water unit’s, based on ADEME’s measured efficiencies (4.1 against 2.9). The calculator works it out with your département’s climate.
What to check
The collection technique and its justification (plot size, borehole depth, ground survey); the installer’s and the driller’s certification; the seasonal efficiency, which sets the CEE bonus band; the Coup de pouce, which since 1 September 2026 requires an approved model and the replacement of a coal, oil or gas boiler. The ground-source CEE bonus, with a 20-year conventional lifetime, is higher than air-to-water’s: see the CEE bonus page.