The heating market in France

The heating market encompasses all the equipment and technologies used to produce and transmit heat, whether for residential comfort or for tertiary and industrial use. Historically, this market has relied on a variety of energy sources: wood, gas, fuel oil, pellets and electricity.

In French households, heating practices are heterogeneous. While cost remains an essential criterion in the choice of equipment, environmental awareness is gradually taking over. This transition is reflected in a growing demand for more efficient, less carbon-intensive solutions.

In 2024, heating still accounted for 62% of household energy consumption, confirming the strategic importance of this item in domestic energy expenditure. However, this share is slowly declining, in favor of lighting (20%) and domestic hot water (11%), reflecting a gradual shift in energy use.

The tertiary sector follows a similar dynamic: heating remains the main source of energy consumption, accounting for 42% of energy consumption in 2020, according to data from the French Ministry of Ecological Transition. However, a structural reduction in consumption has been observed, driven by energy optimization and the use of renewable energies.

The market structure also reveals a strong geographical concentration: Île-de-France and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes alone account for almost 45% of the thermal installation workforce, ahead of Hauts-de-France. This territorial network reflects the logic ofsetting up operations around major economic areas, where demand for renovation and new construction is strongest.

At the same time, the competitive landscape is changing rapidly under the combined effect of several factors:

The energy transition is pushing households and professionals towards less carbon-intensive solutions, such as heat pumps or hybrid systems.

Volatile energy prices are boosting the appeal of devices capable ofoptimizing consumption, such as intelligent hybrid heating systems.

Public subsidies (notably MaPrimeRénov') are boosting the renewal market: in the first half of 2024, air-to-water heat pumps (37,120 units) and pellet stoves (33,690 units) largely dominated the equipment financed.

French people's expectations are also changing significantly:in 2025, 41% said they had had to give up heating"often" or "from time to time" because of rising prices, reflecting economic pressure that could lead them to opt for more economical or less energy-intensive solutions.

Finally, manufacturers are innovating to support this transformation: the growing popularity of hybrid systems (heat pumps + gas/oil boilers) is a major area of development, with 10,000 installations completed by 2024 and growth expected to increase tenfold within five years, according to France Info. The solution's appeal lies in its ability to combine energy efficiency, installation flexibility and reduced emissions.

Against this shifting backdrop, the heating market in France has entered a phase of profound transformation, driven by the ecological transition, economic demands and technological developments.