Heat pumps in PACA: from the coast to the mountains

The table is filtered on Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur: change the floor area, energy or insulation, or pick another region.

Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur is the only mainland region whose départements cover all three climate zones: H3 on the coast (Alpes-Maritimes, Bouches-du-Rhône, Var), H2 in the hinterland (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Vaucluse), H1 in the Hautes-Alpes. The Toulon station records 1,100 degree-days a year, Gap 2,465, more than double, according to Météo-France for 2015-2024. For an averagely insulated 100 m² house replacing a gas boiler with an air-to-water heat pump, the saving therefore ranges from about €640 a year in the Var to €1,435 in the Hautes-Alpes. The CEE bonus follows the same slope: its zone factor is 0.7 in H3 against 1.2 in H1. On the coast, where little heating is needed and homes are cooled in summer, many households weigh an air-to-air heat pump, with no MaPrimeRénov’, against a subsidised air-to-water one. The table works out both cases.

DépartementDJUZoneBefore / yrHeat pump / yrSavingCEE
83 Var1,100H3€1,137€497€640€2,806
06 Alpes-Maritimes1,370H3€1,416€619€797€2,806
13 Bouches-du-Rhône1,370H3€1,416€619€797€2,806
84 Vaucluse1,645H2€1,701€743€957€4,009
04 Alpes-de-Haute-Provence2,278H2€2,355€1,029€1,326€4,009
05 Hautes-Alpes2,465H1€2,548€1,114€1,435€4,810

HDD: 2015-2024 average at the reference Météo-France station (18 °C base). CEE bonus for a middle-income household, Coup de pouce included. 6 départements shown. Method

Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources

The six départements, from mildest to coldest

100 m² averagely insulated house, gas boiler replaced by an air-to-water heat pump; HDD 2015-2024 Météo-France; CEE bonus with Coup de pouce at the September 2026 Emmy standard price; * station in a neighbouring département
DépartementStationHDDZoneHeat pump electricitySaving / yrCEE bonus
Var (83)Toulon1,100H32,503 kWh€640€2,806
Alpes-Maritimes (06)Nice-Rimiez1,370H33,118 kWh€797€2,806
Bouches-du-Rhône (13)Marseille1,370H33,118 kWh€797€2,806
Vaucluse (84)Avignon1,645H23,744 kWh€957€4,009
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (04)Digne Les Bains2,278H25,184 kWh€1,326€4,009
Hautes-Alpes (05)Gap2,465H15,610 kWh€1,435€4,810

The main town does not tell the whole story in such a mountainous region: the Alpes-Maritimes run from Menton to over 2,000 m. The calculator on the home page includes every Météo-France station in each département; pick the one nearest you and at a similar altitude.

Three zones, three CEE bonuses

CEE bonus BAR-TH-171 with Coup de pouce for an air-to-water heat pump in a 100 m² house, at Emmy average prices for September 2026
ZoneDépartementsFactorBlue or yellow bonusPurple or pink bonus
H1Hautes-Alpes1.2€7,985€4,810
H2Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Vaucluse1.0€6,654€4,009
H3Alpes-Maritimes, Bouches-du-Rhône, Var0.7€4,658€2,806

For the same project, a household in the Hautes-Alpes gets a bonus 1.7 times as high as one in the Var. The calculation is detailed on the CEE bonus page, and the Coup de pouce chauffage rules apply everywhere.

On the coast: air-to-air or air-to-water?

Var, averagely insulated 100 m² house heated by electric radiators, household of 3 with €40,000 income; the site’s median prices
Heat pumpPrice incl. VATMaPrimeRénov’CEE bonusLeft to paySaving / yrPayback
Air-to-air€7,618€0not estimated€7,618€1,0048 yrs
Air-to-water€15,788€3,000€561€12,227€94413 yrs

Air-to-air costs less but gets no MaPrimeRénov’; air-to-water, which is subsidised, needs water radiators or underfloor heating, which often rules out a house heated by convectors. The site uses the same seasonal efficiency for both for lack of a public measurement for air-to-air; the air-to-air heat pump page explains this choice and the one on replacing electric radiators the work involved.

Frequently asked questions

Does a heat pump pay off on the Côte d’Azur?

Less than elsewhere, because little heating is needed: the Nice-Rimiez station records 1,370 degree-days a year. With a small yearly saving, payback takes longer, especially with a high quote. It becomes more worthwhile if you are leaving electric radiators or heating oil, or if the heat pump also cools the house in summer.

Does reversible air conditioning count as a heat pump?

Yes: reversible air conditioning is an air-to-air heat pump. It heats and cools, but it does not qualify for MaPrimeRénov’, and its CEE bonus falls under another sheet, BAR-TH-129, which the site does not estimate for lack of a published price. In cooling mode it also adds to the summer electricity bill.

Do you need a special heat pump in the mountains?

Above 1,000 m, the design temperature often falls below −10 °C: you need a heat pump whose output is guaranteed at that temperature, or a backup. In Gap, the typical cold is -2.4 °C; at high-altitude stations in the Hautes-Alpes it is much lower. Ground-source, less sensitive to cold air, keeps its efficiency there.

Related pages and calculations

Heat pump by département

All 96 départements: climate, consumption, saving, CEE bonus.

Air-to-air heat pump

Price per kW from 148 quotes, no MaPrimeRénov’, reduced VAT possible.

CEE bonus for a heat pump

Official kWh cumac, Coup de pouce ×5, value at the registry price.

Replacing electric heaters

Air-to-air or air-to-water after panel heaters: real saving and grants.

Degree-days by département

Météo-France 2015-2024 HDD for all 96 départements, zones H1, H2, H3.

Sources

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Data 2026, reread on