France’s first major heatwave of 2024 may now be (mostly) over, but with temperatures set to remain high throughout the summer months, you may be considering installing air conditioning (climatisation, or clim) to keep your property cool.
Many renovation projects in France are covered by government grants, particularly if they improve the ecological efficiency of a property.
In the case of air conditioning, however, there is relatively little aid, as the installation is not seen as reducing the energy usage – or improving the energy efficiency – of a property.
There have been pushes by various charities to include renovations which help cool homes that suffer from overheating in the summer, however schemes still mostly focus on heating homes in winter, or on renewable energy installations.
Reversible air conditioning units can be covered
One type of air conditioning that can potentially be covered by grants however is reversible air conditioning, or pompe à chaleur air-air.
Technically, these are classed as heating units, as they heat homes up using air from outside in the winter, however they also use the same method to cool homes during the summer.
They can cost between €2,000 and €5,000, although top-of-the-range units may cost more.
Check the system you want to install is eligible for grants with advisors and tradespeople before buying it (more on these below).
Before 2024, grants to install these were covered by the MaPrimeRénov’ Serenité scheme, an offshoot of the main government eco-renovation grant programme, aimed at lower-income households.
This scheme has since been subsumed into the wider MaPrimeRénov’ programme.
The installation of a pompe à chaleur air-air may still be covered under this if you opt to do several kinds of work, aimed at boosting the energy efficiency grading of your property by two letters or more (eg. G to E, or E to C).
This is called MaPrimeRénov' Rénovation d'ampleur. The expression means ‘wide-ranging’, as opposed to the version of the grant for one-off works.
This requires energy audits of the property both before and after the work. The tradespeople who carry out the work must also hold an RGE (reconnu garant de l'environnement) certificate, although, depending on where you live, they may not be easy to find.
Read more: Why it is hard to find people to do French eco-renovation grant work
The amount of aid available is based on household income levels, and whether your property is within the Île-de-France capital region or the rest of the country.
Up to 80% of the total cost of the renovation works may be covered, for households with the lowest income, or 30% for households with a higher level of household income.
You can find a full list of 2024’s income level caps, and corresponding maximum aid amounts, on the official website here.
Look under the Quelles sont les conditions pour bénéficier de MaPrimeRénov' Rénovation d'ampleur and Quel est le montant de MaPrimeRénov' Rénovation d'ampleur sections.
The grants can be confusing, but as part of the application process, you benefit from a dedicated advisor to help you work out how you can maximise the funding of your project, called Mon Accompagnateur Rénov.
You must have an appointment with this advisor at the beginning of your project, and they will also let you know how much funding you are eligible for – you can choose to not go ahead with the project after this, if you do not think it is worth it.
Full information on the application process can be found on the MaPrimeRénov’ website.
Other bonuses are available
You can combine the installation of a reversible air conditioning with a Certificats d’économies d’énergie (CEE) bonus, which could pay up to around €1,000 towards the installation of a unit.
To benefit, the unit you are planning to install must meet certain technical specifications (you can find out more about this information when purchasing the unit).
When applying for a CEE bonus to install reversible air conditioning, the amount can change depending on where your house is located (France is divided into three ‘thermic zones’) and your income level.
These bonuses are typically provided via the large energy companies, but you can obtain advice on them, and other eco-friendly aid, from the free France Rénov network of advisers.
The work must also be carried out by an RGE-certificated tradesperson to benefit from this payment.
VAT reductions on the purchase may also be possible, again if the unit is being installed by an RGE-certified specialist.
You can also use the zero-interest eco loan (éco-prêt à taux zéro) to purchase and install one of the systems (high street banks offer these).
You can also use a chèque énergie voucher to pay for part of the unit’s installation if you have received one of these.
Read more: How can I use my French chèque énergie gas or electricity vouchers?
Finally, your local departmental council may offer aids towards home improvements, including a reversible heat pump. Contact the council, or speak to your mairie.
Note that other pompe à chaleur units (including geothermal heat pumps and air to water units) are covered by the general MaPrimeRénov’ scheme.
However these are more focused on heating homes in winter and are considerably more expensive to install. You can find out more about aids to install them in our article below.
Read more: Are grants for heat pumps in France also open to second-home owners?
