The government has presented a proposal to introduce a new grant for energy efficiency improvements in small houses. The purpose of the grant is to promote energy efficiency in small houses heated with direct electricity or gas in order to reduce vulnerability to high energy prices and contribute to increased security of supply.
Draft regulation for consultation
The memorandum on the draft regulation on grants for energy efficiency improvements in small houses was sent on 8 March 2023 for consultation to relevant organisations and authorities, see link in related information below. The public also has the right to submit comments. The deadline for responding to the consultation is 8 May 2023. Changes to the draft regulation may therefore occur until the government makes a decision on the regulation. The National Board of Housing, Building and Planning has no information on when the government will decide on the regulation.
The draft regulation states, in summary, that:
- According to the proposal, grants should be given for material costs for energy efficiency measures in small houses for permanent residence where the heating needs are mainly supplied by electricity or gas. The support is proposed to be given retroactively for materials ordered as early as 8 November 2022.
- The eligible measures in the draft regulation are divided into two categories. The first category contains measures to reduce the small house’s need for electricity or gas through conversion from direct electricity or gas to heat pumps, installation of waterborne or airborne heat distribution systems or connection to a district heating network. The second category covers improvement measures in the building envelope.
- Grants may be given for material costs for a conversion to a controllable air/water heat pump or a controllable geothermal, lake or ground source heat pump. Grants may also be given for a conversion to one or more controllable air/air heat pumps in combination with a water heater with a built-in heat pump or in combination with a device for biofuel. Grants may also be given for a conversion to a device for heating with biofuel. Biofuel here refers to both solid and gaseous biofuel. In order for grants to be given for conversion measures, the annual energy requirement for space heating and domestic hot water after the conversion must be mainly supplied by sources other than electricity or gas. If the conversion is made to a device for biofuel, this must be power-controlled and allow a continuous and automatic fuel supply.
- Grants may be given for a connection to a district heating network in small houses where the heating needs are mainly supplied by electricity or gas. In order for grants to be given for a connection to a district heating network, the district heating must account for the main estimated annual heating requirement for space heating and the entire annual heating requirement for heating domestic hot water after the connection.
- Examples of material costs for a conversion are costs for heat pumps, biofuel boilers, heat distribution systems such as radiators, district heating substations, heat exchangers, chimneys, control equipment for heat pumps and equipment for heat accumulation or other material that is necessary for the implementation of the measures.
- Grants may also be given for the implementation of building envelope measures in small houses where the heating needs are mainly supplied by electricity or gas. Examples of eligible material costs for building envelope measures are costs for additional insulation, wind insulation, facade insulation, replacement of doors and windows with a better U-value and other material that is necessary for the implementation of the measures.
- Grants are proposed to be given with a maximum of 50 percent of the eligible costs, but no more than SEK 60,000 per small house, divided into a maximum of SEK 30,000 for a conversion and a maximum of SEK 30,000 for building envelope measures. Grants under SEK 10,000 will not be paid out.
- The person who performs a grant-eligible measure must be approved for F-tax.
- The County Administrative Board in the county where the small house is located is proposed to process and decide on the applications. The grant will be possible to apply for via an e-service on the National Board of Housing, Building and Planning’s website.
For more information, see the government’s draft regulation, see link under related information below.
For 2023, the appropriation for the new grant is SEK 304 million. For 2024 and 2025, the appropriation is estimated at SEK 400 million annually.
The National Board of Housing, Building and Planning has no further information to give at this time. This text will be updated as soon as new information about the grant is available.
Source: https://www.boverket.se/sv/bidrag–garantier/bidrag-for-energieffektivisering-i-smahus
