Apply for funding for new windows and entrance doors now

Replacing your windows and doors are an excellent way to reduce heating costs. Modern windows with thermal insulation glazing prevent heat loss and significantly improve the energy balance of your home. The state is aware of this, and will therefore provide you with financial support for your project.

You have three options to choose from:

• A grant from the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (Bundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle - BAFA)
• A loan from the Reconstruction Loan Corporation (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau - KfW)
• A tax bonus on income taxes

Depending on where you live and/or where you want to replace your windows, certain cities offer additional funding programs.

The tax bonus is another alternative to the subsidy options mentioned above. When costs are incurred during a restoration, the income tax is reduced over three years. Depending on how high your income tax is, you can cover up to 20 percent of the costs with this income tax reduction.

• Years 1 and 2: 7 percent and maximum EUR 14,000
• Year 3: 6 percent and maximum EUR 12,000
• The overall cost of the restoration work must not exceed EUR 200,000.

A certificate from a specialist company is required for the manual work of the renovation. The use of an energy consultant is not mandatory. It is also possible to report the restoration at a later date. The taxpayer must live in the property themselves.

Window replacements in new builds as well as in old buildings are allowed. However, the window subsidy will only be approved if your new windows and doors include certain characteristics. These mainly involve the so-called U-value, the insulation value of the window. This is a value that describes how much heat the window allows to escape.

• For a window replacement including the frame: Windows with a U-value of 0.95 W/m²K (heat transfer coefficient) and skylights with a U-value of 1.0 W/m²K. This refers to the insulation value for the entire window (Uw-value) and not only to the value for the pane (Ug-value).
• For window pane replacement not including the frame: The U-value is 1.3 W/m²K

• The U-value of the house wall must be higher than that of the window. Why? Condensation will form on the wall, which often leads to damage. If the U-values are not met, the façade must first be insulated.
• The new window must be more airtight than the old design.

The subsidies mentioned above also apply to entrance doors. You can create an energy-efficient home with funding for a new entrance door or side entrance doors. The U-value must be 1.3 W/m²K in order to receive financial assistance.

An energy consultant will advise you and take care of the entire application process. An “energy efficiency expert” is required in order to receive funding for windows from the BAFA and KfW, and is recommended anyway. Any questions you may have will be clarified during the consultation, and all of the work will be done for you. It is possible to submit an application by yourself, but it is a lot of effort. Using a consultant makes things significantly simpler.