
Where can I apply for subsidies for a more efficient heating system?
If your heating system is more than 15 years old, it is often worth considering ways to optimize it. The Building Energy Act, which came into force on November 1, 2020, does not ban certain older oil heating systems until the long term. However, a national CO2 price will also be introduced for the first time in January 2021. In the future, therefore, heating oil, gas, and fossil fuels are expected to become more expensive. Those who invest in more efficient heating systems or switch to renewable energies right away can significantly reduce their utility costs and also help the environment. Fortunately, homeowners can apply for various government subsidies for such projects. To ensure planning security, applications for subsidies should always be submitted in good time before the measures are implemented.
Subsidies from the BAFA
The market incentive program of the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA) supports you in switching to renewable energies. Heating system replacement is also subsidized as an individual measure and not, as is the case with KfW, only as part of an energy-efficient renovation. Depending on the type of new heating system—in any case, it must be a heat generator based on renewable energies—the BAFA covers a varying percentage of the actual costs for a heating replacement or expansion. The subsidy is particularly high for replacing an old oil heating system with a climate-neutral heating system. The installation of solar thermal systems, gas hybrid heating systems, biomass systems, heat pumps, and hybrid systems based on renewable energies can be subsidized by up to 40 percent.
Funding from KfW
KfW's funding opportunities are primarily aimed at reducing energy consumption through better thermal insulation, i.e., energy-efficient renovation. The "KfW Efficiency House" is a kind of model for a renovation concept eligible for funding. In conjunction with other measures to increase energy efficiency, however, the replacement of outdated, inefficient boilers may also be eligible for funding, even if "only" the efficiency is increased and no switch to renewable energies is made.
An expert can advise you in detail on how to combine the BAFA and KfW subsidy programs in a smart way. In this way, for example, the modernization of a gas heating system in combination with renewable energies can be financed in addition to the BAFA subsidy program. If the subsidy offers from KfW or BAFA are not suitable for your current heating system, the federal states and local authorities also offer further subsidy programs.
Would you like to know whether it is worth optimizing your heating system before selling your house? Contact us! We will be happy to advise you!
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Legal notice: This article does not constitute tax or legal advice in individual cases. Please consult a lawyer and/or tax advisor to clarify the facts of your specific case.
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