Effy

Effy is a French energy-renovation company that helps homeowners plan, finance and carry out efficiency works on their homes. Its consumer site offers a free online estimate of project cost and available public aid, then connects households with contractors from a partner network of more than 5,000 RGE-certified (Reconnus Garants de l'Environnement) artisans across France. The catalogue of supported works spans more than 25 categories, including exterior wall, attic, floor and roof-terrace insulation, windows and glazing, mechanical ventilation (VMC), air-water, air-air and geothermal heat pumps, condensing, pellet and log boilers, pellet and log stoves, fireplace inserts, electric radiators, thermodynamic and solar water heaters, photovoltaic panels, combined solar systems, reversible air conditioning, thermostats, pergolas and awnings, as well as whole-home 'rénovation globale', energy assessments and energy audits.

A core part of the offer is subsidy intermediation. Effy acts as a delegatee (délégataire) under France's Certificats d'Économie d'Énergie (CEE) scheme, paying out the 'Prime Effy' — up to €7,522 per works item according to its professional pages — and handling the administrative process. Its editorial pages also guide users through MaPrimeRénov' (income brackets Bleu, Jaune, Violet, Rose), the interest-free éco-PTZ and reduced VAT, and state that combined aid can cover up to 80% of a renovation. A separate B2B arm, Effy Pro, gives installers free digital CEE prime management plus a paid pre-qualified lead service priced from €39 excl. tax per project, with each project sent to at most three partner artisans, along with regulatory briefings, webinars and a public directory listing.

Effy began in 2008 working on energy renovation of public, residential and industrial buildings on a self-financed, profitable basis, then assembled digital assets for the consumer market: it acquired Calculeo, a public-subsidy calculator, in 2011 and Quelle énergie, a VC-backed savings-simulation startup, in 2015. In 2019 it sold its B2B/communities activities to Engie and refocused exclusively on small residential projects, reinvesting in product, growth and brand marketing including TV, search and social advertising.

Founding story

Frédéric Utzmann founded the business in 2008 after his parents' boiler broke down and he researched replacement options and parts, tackling the energy renovation market early. The company initially operated as a non-tech, 'brick and mortar' business on public, residential and industrial buildings, which allowed it to grow self-financed and profitably.

Business model

Effy operates a marketplace and subsidy-intermediation model. Homeowners use free online simulators and are connected with up to three RGE-certified partner contractors; Effy charges contractors a per-project fee for qualified leads (from €39 excl. tax) and takes a cut on the administrative processing of energy-efficiency subsidies. Historically the business has been almost entirely third-party lead generation (about 90% of activity as of 2023), with the company stating an intention to move toward a first-party marketplace in which customers contract and negotiate quotes directly with Effy. Adjacent plans described in 2023 included financing options, from buy-now-pay-later for small amounts to credit lines negotiated with Sofinco and Cetelem for larger projects.

Revenue comes from fees charged to installer partners for pre-qualified projects (from €39 excl. tax per project, with CEE prime management offered free) and from margins on the administrative handling and valuation of energy-saving certificates and subsidies.

Traction

In 2022 Effy's websites attracted 18 million visitors; the company contacted 500,000 individuals, completed 100,000 energy renovation projects and handled €800 million of transactions on its platform, working with 3,800 contractors rated an average 4.8 stars across 16,000 reviews. By 2026 its sites report more than 100,000 families supported, more than 5,000 partner artisans, more than 45,000 qualified projects available monthly, a 4.4/5 Trustpilot rating based on 7,505 reviews as of 7 January 2026, and a 4.8/5 artisan rating from a 2024 study of 9,763 customers. Effy Pro states that 70% of Effy clients go on to complete their works.

Latest developments

Effy's 2026 sites promote a broadened product range including heat pumps, photovoltaics, reversible air conditioning, thermostats, pergolas and awnings, whole-home renovation and energy audits, alongside the Prime Effy CEE scheme with amounts stated up to €7,522 and express payment within 48 hours after works. The Effy Pro network is presented with more than 5,000 partner professionals, a per-project pricing model from €39 excl. tax, an installer app and regulatory content. The company promotes a 'Marque de l'Année 2026' distinction based on an independent treetz/Toluna consumer study conducted in late 2025.