A heat pump, a few solar panels, insulated cavity walls, an electric car and also a break from gas. Making your home more sustainable is anything but free.
That is why people with a lower income often fail to make their homes more sustainable. While people with a lot of money can do anything and receive many subsidies to quickly recoup their investment. Not everyone has ‘just’ 25,000+ euros to invest in a green(er) house.
“Households that have difficulty making ends meet want to, but they are waiting for schemes (which are replaced by new schemes), subsidies (which people sometimes find complicated) and also a definitive answer: what is really effective? And won’t it get even cheaper? Borrowing money is often not preferred and you want to avoid running out of buffer,” says Karin Radstaak of Nibud.
But this has been thought about, says energy expert Puk van Meegeren. “For example, there is an energy saving loan with favorable conditions, where people with a low income can even borrow at 0%. And as of January 1, 2024, the worse the energy label of the house you buy, the more extra mortgage you can get for energy-saving measures.”