There are numerous options for energy-efficient refurbishment of a residential building. With government financing subsidies and loans, owners can modernize their homes and thereby make a significant contribution to environmental protection. As part of the "Deutschland macht's effizient" campaign, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) published the guidebook "Energy-efficient renovation made easy" in March 2020. Here, consumers can find all the important information on the subject of energy-efficient refurbishment, as well as a compilation of contact addresses and sources of experts to guide them through the refurbishment process.
The first step in energy-efficient refurbishment is to find a suitable energy consultant. The BMWi's online renovation configurator provides an initial overview of possible renovation measures and funding programs. An initial consultation at a consumer center is subsidized by the state and costs just 30 euros. Free advice is available for low-income households. Interested parties can find the right energy consultant in the compiled list of experts. He or she will conduct an analysis of the existing situation in an on-site consultation and draw up a customized renovation concept. The cost subsidy from the BMWi for the consulting service and inventory is up to 1,300 euros for single-family and two-family houses and up to 1,700 euros for residential buildings with three or more units.
As a general rule, the more energy-efficient a residential building is renovated, the more attractive the subsidy. The Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) provides both low-interest loans and investment grants of up to 40 percent or a maximum of 48,000 euros per dwelling. If a residential building is converted into a KfW Efficiency House, owners can retain part of the loan and benefit from a repayment subsidy of up to 40 percent. The guide also refers to subsidy programs for energy-saving heating with heat pumps, gas hybrid heating systems, biomass systems or solar thermal systems and provides information on the replacement premium for oil heating systems.
Source: BMWi
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