Investing in more energy-efficient housing pays off now more than ever. "Green housing" is supported not only by the state, but also by banks and building societies, which offer better interest rates. So you can get green housing cheaper than you think. We'll tell you how.

Save on home purchase and monthly fees
Of course, not everyone has the funds to renovate or purchase such a property, but you don't have to pay for everything out of your own pocket. Green housing can be financed with special loans, mortgages and, last but not least, government support. The advantage of green loans is the discount on interest and the possibility of combining it with a subsidy. This will reduce your initial costs, allowing you to invest more in energy-saving measures.

So how do you finance the purchase of a green property or renovation to reduce the energy consumption of your home? There are several options:

1. Purchase or construction of an energy-efficient property, or renovation with substantial energy savings - if you buy a property with a PENB (building energy performance certificate) A or B, or if you plan to do extensive renovations that will make your energy label newly A or B, you will get a better mortgage rate. Banks usually give a discount of 1 to 2 tenths of a percent for energy-efficient housing.

2. Smaller investments in green technologies - you can get a lower rate even for smaller renovations leading to energy savings. This could be, for example, the purchase of photovoltaics, a heat pump, replacement of windows or efforts to manage water wisely (e.g. rainwater harvesting). The interest rate discount from the bank or building society will also be up to 0.2 percent.

3. Combination of a loan with a subsidy - selected building societies offer discounted loans that can be combined with a subsidy to repair your grandmother's house. The advantage lies in the low subsidised rate, which is set once every six months by the State Environmental Fund. Currently, it cannot exceed 3.5% APR (annual average cost rate).

4. Reduced requirement for proof of income - there is also an option where the building society reduces its requirement for proof of income by the amount of subsidy received. Thus, the building society checks the creditworthiness of the applicant only on the amount of the loan after deducting the extraordinary repayment from the subsidy. Thus, the client does not have to have such a high income to obtain the loan. For example: a client applies for a loan for 500 000 and receives a subsidy of 200 000. The savings bank therefore checks the client's ability to repay only 300 000, not the full amount of the investment.

Subsidies from chargers to green roofs
Environmentally friendly housing is now also supported by the state. Subsidies are available for virtually all technologies that lead to cleaner energy sources or reduce heating or water heating requirements. For example, subsidies can be used for optimal insulation, photovoltaic systems, controlled ventilation with heat recovery, green roofs, ecomobility (charging stations), boilers, stoves and heat pumps, hot water, solar heating, waste water heat recovery or rainwater harvesting.

The subsidies are available to almost everyone who is not in debt to the state and is not in foreclosure. The money for the investment can be paid in advance (i.e. in advance) for the programmes Repair your grandmother's house and New green savings light. In other cases, you will receive the funds only after the investment is made.

The amount of support under the New Green Savings subsidy programme can reach up to 50% of the acquisition costs. And there really is a lot to take from. There are billions of crowns available, which the Ministry of the Environment this year "poured" into the New Green Savings programme, which has been in great demand since its launch last year. We would like to highlight two subsidy titles in connection with this programme.

Repair your grandmother's house - the subsidy can be combined with the above-mentioned soft loan from building societies. The condition is the implementation of complete insulation, for which you can get up to CZK 1 million. Additional money can be used for the above-mentioned technologies and home improvements. The grant can be used by anyone from the ranks of employees and entrepreneurs who does not have debts to the tax office and is not in execution. The second condition is to have a property unencumbered by any restrictions on ownership (while a pledge from a bank or building society is not a barrier to obtaining the subsidy). However, individuals who own any other property cannot apply for the subsidy. Full details can be found at https://novazelenausporam.cz/rodinne-domy/oprav-dum/.

New Green Savings Light - this grant is aimed at older people, disabled pensioners and recipients of housing benefit or child benefit who want to reduce their energy bills. They can use the subsidy for facade or roof insulation, replacement of windows or entrance doors, solar water heating and floor or ceiling insulation. However, this subsidy cannot be combined with advantageous loans. All details can be found at https://novazelenausporam.cz/nzu-light/.

If you are planning to buy a green home, do not hesitate to contact us.

Everything about the subsidies is clearly described on the website https://novazelenausporam.cz/.