High demand for energy advice: government lowers subsidy rate

This year, 80,000 applications for residential energy advice have been received. The BMWK is reducing funding to ensure more interested parties have a chance.

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Three people standing together, one is an energy consultant

(Image: Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt)

3 min. read
This article was originally published in German and has been automatically translated.

The Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWK) is lowering the funding rates for eligible energy consulting in residential buildings (EBW). As of August 7, 50 percent of the consultation fee will be subsidized instead of the previous 80 percent, the BMWK announced. The maximum subsidy amounts per subsidized consultation will be reduced by 50 percent compared to the previous maximum subsidy amounts.

The BMWK justifies the move with strong demand for energy consulting programs. The number of EBW applications had reached a new high of 80,000 by July 2024. The funding rates and subsidy amounts would also have to be adjusted due to the overall budgetary situation. This would allow many interested parties to continue to receive subsidized energy advice in the future and the programs "to be continued at a good level", the BMWK explained to heise online. The funding pot for 2024 and 2025 has not been reduced.

According to the ministry, demand for the EBW funding program has multiplied recently. In 2019, there were around 10,000 applications, rising to 130,600 in 2023. The EBN funding program had already received around 3,200 applications by the beginning of July, compared to around 6,000 in total last year.

The bonus for an individual renovation roadmap (iSFP bonus) and the higher eligible expenditure for efficiency measures in the federal funding for efficient individual building measures, for example for the building envelope and windows, remain unchanged. The subsidy for other individual efficiency measures will continue to increase from 15 percent to 20 percent if an iSFP was previously drawn up with the help of the energy consulting subsidy. The eligible expenditure for such individual efficiency measures has also continued to double to 60,000 if a subsidized iSFP is submitted.

Funded energy consultations are available through the Energy Consultancy for Residential Buildings (EBW) and Non-residential Buildings, Installations and Systems (EBN) funding programmes for private consumers, companies, local authorities and non-profit organizations. These programs provide specific information and guidance on the energy-efficient refurbishment of buildings. The advice thus lays the foundation for targeted steps towards greater energy efficiency, the use of renewables and a move away from fossil fuels.

Against the backdrop of the "overall budgetary situation", the federal government temporarily paused approvals in the EBW and EBN programs. Following a ruling on the federal budget by the Federal Constitutional Court on November 15, the Federal Ministry of Finance imposed an immediate budget freeze. The EBW funding program was resumed at the beginning of January.

(anw)