Heat Pump Subsidies in Europe 2026 — Complete Country Guide

Heat pumps are the single most impactful renovation measure for reducing a home’s carbon emissions. Replacing a gas boiler with an air-water heat pump typically cuts heating-related CO2 by 50–75%. Governments know this, and heat pump subsidies are the largest line item in most national renovation budgets. The EU’s REPowerEU plan aims to deploy 60 million heat pumps by 2030.

But the subsidy landscape is fragmented. Each country uses a different mechanism — direct grants, tax deductions, subsidized loans, or combinations. This guide breaks down what is available in each country, what it actually costs to install a heat pump, and how long it takes to earn back your investment.

Heat pump costs: what you are actually paying

Before subsidies, here are the typical installed costs in 2026 for a 100–120m² house:

Germany is the most expensive market due to higher labor costs and stricter installation requirements. Spain and Italy are the most affordable. These cost differences matter because percentage-based subsidies (like Germany’s 25–35%) yield different absolute amounts depending on the base price.

France: MaPrimeRenov + CEE stacking

France offers the most complex — and often the most generous — heat pump subsidies. The total depends heavily on income:

For Bleu and Jaune households, the grants can exceed the installation cost before the cap kicks in. The cap ensures total subsidies do not exceed 90% of the cost for Bleu, 75% for Jaune. On top of grants, the Eco-PTZ zero-interest loan covers up to €15,000 for a single measure, meaning many households pay zero euros upfront.

# French heat pump simulation — modest income household
curl -X POST https://greencalc.io/api/v1/eligibility/simulate \
  -H "X-Api-Key: gc_sandbox_000000000000000000000000000000000" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "country_code": "FR",
    "household": {
      "annual_income": 24000,
      "household_size": 3,
      "is_owner": true
    },
    "property": {
      "type": "HOUSE",
      "energy_rating": "E",
      "postal_code": "59000",
      "surface_m2": 110
    },
    "planned_works": [
      {"work_type": "HEAT_PUMP_AIR_WATER", "estimated_cost_eur": 14000}
    ]
  }'

Germany: flat 25–35% via BEG EM

Germany’s system is income-blind. Every homeowner gets the same percentage regardless of earnings. The base rate for an air-water heat pump is 25%. Bonuses stack:

• +10% oil/gas boiler replacement bonus — if the existing heater is an oil boiler or a gas boiler at least 20 years old
• +5% efficiency bonus — for heat pumps using natural refrigerants (R290 propane) or geothermal sources

Maximum combined rate: 40% for a geothermal heat pump replacing an oil boiler (30% base + 10% replacement). On a €22,000 geothermal installation, that is €8,800 in direct grant.

# German heat pump — replacing old oil boiler
curl -X POST https://greencalc.io/api/v1/eligibility/simulate \
  -H "X-Api-Key: gc_sandbox_000000000000000000000000000000000" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "country_code": "DE",
    "household": {
      "annual_income": 50000,
      "household_size": 4,
      "is_owner": true
    },
    "property": {
      "type": "HOUSE",
      "energy_rating": "F",
      "postal_code": "50667",
      "surface_m2": 130
    },
    "planned_works": [
      {"work_type": "HEAT_PUMP_GEOTHERMAL", "estimated_cost_eur": 25000}
    ]
  }'

For more on the German system, see our KfW and BEG EM guide.

Italy: 65% Superbonus (with conditions)

Italy’s Superbonus at 65% is the highest percentage-based subsidy for heat pumps, but there are conditions. A heat pump installation qualifies as a driving work (intervento trainante) under Superbonus only if it replaces the existing centralized heating system. For apartments in condominiums, the condominium assembly must approve the work.

The subsidy is structured as a tax deduction over 4 years. A €12,000 heat pump yields €7,800 in deductions (€1,950/year for 4 years). Alternatively, the homeowner can transfer the credit to the installer or a bank (cessione del credito), though at a 10–15% discount on the face value.

# Italian heat pump — Superbonus pathway
curl -X POST https://greencalc.io/api/v1/eligibility/simulate \
  -H "X-Api-Key: gc_sandbox_000000000000000000000000000000000" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "country_code": "IT",
    "household": {
      "annual_income": 40000,
      "household_size": 2,
      "is_owner": true
    },
    "property": {
      "type": "APARTMENT",
      "energy_rating": "F",
      "postal_code": "00185",
      "surface_m2": 80
    },
    "planned_works": [
      {"work_type": "HEAT_PUMP_AIR_WATER", "estimated_cost_eur": 12000}
    ]
  }'

Belgium: three regions, three rates

Belgium’s heat pump premiums vary by region:

Wallonia’s quadrupling for the lowest income category is remarkably generous — a €12,000 premium on a €14,000 installation. The postal code determines which region applies: 1000–1299 is Brussels, 1300–7999 is Wallonia, 8000–9999 is Flanders (simplified). The GreenCalc API handles this mapping automatically.

# Belgian heat pump — Brussels region
curl -X POST https://greencalc.io/api/v1/eligibility/simulate \
  -H "X-Api-Key: gc_sandbox_000000000000000000000000000000000" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "country_code": "BE",
    "household": {
      "annual_income": 30000,
      "household_size": 2,
      "is_owner": true
    },
    "property": {
      "type": "HOUSE",
      "energy_rating": "E",
      "postal_code": "1050",
      "surface_m2": 90
    },
    "planned_works": [
      {"work_type": "HEAT_PUMP_AIR_WATER", "estimated_cost_eur": 15000}
    ]
  }'

Spain: PREE + regional bonuses

Spain’s PREE program provides 30–40% of heat pump costs as a grant. The exact rate depends on whether it is an individual measure (30%) or part of a comprehensive renovation (40%). An additional 15% applies in municipalities under 5,000 inhabitants, and 25% for vulnerable households.

# Spanish heat pump — small municipality bonus
curl -X POST https://greencalc.io/api/v1/eligibility/simulate \
  -H "X-Api-Key: gc_sandbox_000000000000000000000000000000000" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "country_code": "ES",
    "household": {
      "annual_income": 22000,
      "household_size": 3,
      "is_owner": true
    },
    "property": {
      "type": "HOUSE",
      "energy_rating": "E",
      "postal_code": "28001",
      "surface_m2": 100
    },
    "planned_works": [
      {"work_type": "HEAT_PUMP_AIR_WATER", "estimated_cost_eur": 10000}
    ]
  }'

ROI calculation: when does a heat pump pay for itself?

The return on investment depends on three factors: the net cost after subsidies, the annual energy savings, and energy prices. Here is a simplified ROI for a typical air-water heat pump replacing a gas boiler in a 110m² house with current energy prices:

*Italy’s “subsidy” is a tax deduction recovered over 4 years. The net cost represents the upfront outlay minus the present value of the deduction.

France dominates ROI thanks to the combination of high grants and high gas prices. Spain has the longest payback because gas is cheaper and grants are lower in absolute terms (though the installation cost is also the lowest).

For the full country subsidy comparison across all work types, see our energy efficiency subsidy comparison. For building a user-facing calculator, check the renovation cost calculator tutorial.

GreenCalc is built by AZMORIS Group. Heat pump cost data based on market surveys and installer networks across 5 EU countries.