Heat pump installation in Grasse and the arrière-pays

Grasse sits at around 350m above sea level, about 20km inland from Cannes. Winters here are noticeably cooler than on the coast, with short cold spells below zero. Higher up the arrière-pays it gets colder again, in villages such as Saint-Vallier-de-Thiey, Gourdon and Cabris. On the coast, heating is almost a side use of a system bought for cooling. Here it's the main job, and that changes how you choose a heat pump.

Why does the inland climate change the heat pump decision?

A reversible split on the coast is mostly an air conditioner that also heats through a mild winter. Around Grasse, heating is a large share of the year's energy use. A well-sized heat pump copes with that, but it has to be chosen for inland winters, not coastal ones.

A heat pump's headline efficiency and output are measured in mild weather. Both drop as the air gets colder. Most modern units keep running well below freezing, but they give out much less heat on a frosty night. In the higher villages, ask the installer to show the maker's figures for output in cold weather, not just the headline rating. Sizing a little above the calculated minimum is sensible insurance at altitude.

What system type works best for properties in the Grasse area?

It depends on how the house is heated now:

• No radiators or underfloor heating: a reversible multi-split, with wall-mounted indoor units, heats and cools. This is the most common installation in the area.
• An oil or gas boiler with radiators: an air-to-water heat pump (PAC air-eau) replaces the boiler and feeds the existing radiators. No refrigerant pipes need running to each room.
• Larger houses that want both: some owners combine the two. An air-to-water system heats the radiators in winter, and a separate reversible split cools the living areas in summer.

Air-to-water is more common around Grasse than on the coast. Many older houses here were built with central heating and radiators, while newer coastal apartments tend to have wall-mounted splits.

Does switching from oil heating to a heat pump make sense here?

Many homes in Grasse and the arrière-pays heat with fuel oil (fioul domestique), because much of this inland area has no mains gas. Oil prices swing a lot and have risen sharply in recent years. With a real heating load at altitude, a heat pump saves more here than it would on the coast.

Since July 2022 a new oil boiler can't legally replace an old one, except in rare cases. So when the boiler dies, a heat pump is usually the way forward.

In a principal residence, MaPrimeRénov' (the state renovation grant) pays toward replacing an oil boiler with an air-to-water or ground-source heat pump. The Coup de pouce Chauffage bonus (a bigger CEE bonus for replacing a fossil-fuel boiler) then multiplies the CEE (energy-supplier grants) credits the installer arranges. A second home gets neither, only the standard CEE and reduced TVA (French VAT). Amounts depend on your income band and change from time to time, so run the simulator at france-renov.gouv.fr before collecting quotes.

What should a Grasse quote for replacing an oil boiler with a heat pump include?

A devis (written quote) for replacing an oil boiler with an air-to-water heat pump should list:

• The heat pump itself: brand, model, output and seasonal efficiency rating
• Any changes to the radiators (older ones built for a hot boiler may need replacing to work well with a heat pump)
• A hot water cylinder, if the oil boiler also heated your water
• All pipework, electrical connections and commissioning
• The installer's RGE (the state's approved-installer label) qualification number
• The TVA rate: 5.5% for an air-to-water heat pump in a home over 2 years old
• The installer's warranty on the fitting and the manufacturer's warranty on the unit, both in writing (an added heat pump isn't covered by the ten-year décennale insurance)

A single lump sum makes quotes hard to compare and usually means nobody has pinned down the scope. Ask for an itemised devis before signing.

How do you choose a heat pump installer for a house in the Grasse hills?

Not every coastal installer covers Grasse and the villages beyond. When you collect quotes, ask each installer whether they know inland conditions: the altitude, the colder winters and your existing heating.

An installer who mostly fits cooling splits in coastal flats may not be right for replacing a boiler at 350m. Ask which inland boiler replacements they've done. Contact us for referrals to installers who work regularly around Grasse.

More on heat pumps and grants for inland homes

• Heat pump installation: service page
• Hybrid heating systems
• Heat pump costs on the Côte d'Azur
• PAC (Pompe a chaleur): what the term covers
• MaPrimeRenov': the main grant scheme
• RGE certification: the label to ask for on the devis