Sustainability loan for homeowners

Do you own your home and want to make it more sustainable? In some cases, you can take out a loan to make your home more energy-efficient. Is the assessed value of your home less than €305,000? And if you can’t get a loan from your own bank and have been rejected by the National Heat Fund? Then you may be eligible for one of the municipality’s Energy Equity Loans. 
The municipality will assess whether you meet the Requirements . If so, you will receive a grant decision. With this, you can submit an application to the Dutch Municipal Housing Incentive Fund (SVn). It is SVn, not the municipality, that determines whether you receive a loan.

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Call: 045-5605040

Approach

Do you have any questions or would you like to receive the application form for the test? Please send an email to procesondersteuners@heerlen.nl or call 045-5605040.

Costs

Assessment by the municipality is free of charge. 

Description

What can you use the loan for?

The loan is intended to make your home more sustainable. For example, by:

  • insulating the home
  • installation of solar panels
  • purchase of a heat pump
  • connect to the district heating network
  • and/or by having preparatory work carried out in order to be able to implement the sustainability measures. Such as:
    • relocation of the gutter
    • asbestos removal 
    • new window frames

You can use the loan for one or more measures or large-scale natural gas-free renovations to label A.

The Municipality of Heerlen offers four types of loans 

  1. A personal loan of between €2,500 and €10,000. The loan must be repaid within 15 years.
  2. A mortgage loan of between €10,001 and €50,000. The loan must be repaid within 30 years.
  3. A cash loan of between €10,001 and €50,000, specifically for older homeowners. The equity in the home serves as collateral for the loan.
  4. A customized loan of between €2,500 and €50,000, specifically for low-income homeowners who currently have nowhere else to turn. This loan is only available as part of an integrated area-based approach (block, street, or neighborhood). We will assess your repayment capacity on a periodic basis.

Silver plating

Would you like to continue living comfortably and energy-efficiently? Then you can use the Verzilverlening loan to adapt your home to your wishes. This loan makes it possible for homeowners aged 57 and older with a home with a WOZ value of less than €305,000 to improve and make their home more sustainable at low cost. You pay from the equity in your home and without any additional monthly costs.

A cash-out loan is essentially a reverse mortgage. Many older people have (partially) paid off the mortgage on their home, thereby building up equity. You can use this equity to modify your home. The loan (existing mortgage plus cash-out loan) can be up to 80% of the assessed value of the home.

You pay no interest or repayments on the Verzilverlening loan each month. The interest is added to the outstanding debt each year. You repay the loan at the end of the term, when you sell your home, or upon the death of the longest-living debtor.The loan is taken out as a mortgage loan and supplements your existing mortgage. You apply for the loan from SVn. SVn assesses the application, sends you a quote, and ensures that the money is made available in a building deposit account.

Customized loan

Is there a collective approach for your apartment block, street, or neighborhood, but you cannot afford it or are not eligible for a loan? Then the municipality of Heerlen offers the option of participating in making your home comfortable and energy efficient through a customized loan from the municipality. It must be your own home that you live in yourself, with a maximum WOZ value of €305,000.

The Customized Loan always consists of two parts. One part that you repay on an annuity basis and one part that accrues as long as you are unable to pay the costs. We call this part a Combination Loan. You will have no monthly costs for the first 3 years. You 'pay' the repayment of your SVn Customized Loan for the first 3 years with the Combination Loan. As a result, the Combination Loan always accrues during the first three years. After this three-year period, you pay interest and repayments. If you think your household income is insufficient, you can request a reassessment. If your income is indeed insufficient at that time, you will pay a monthly payment that is in line with your household income. After the 3rd, 6th, 10th, and 15th year of the term, you can request a reassessment and we will reassess your financial capacity. Once you are paying the full interest and/or repayment, you will be repaying both loans.

You take out the loan as a mortgage loan and it supplements your existing mortgage. You apply for the loan from SVn. SVn assesses the application, sends you a quote, and ensures that the money is deposited into a building fund.

Requirements

What does the municipality assess?

  • The property must be located in Heerlen, be your property, and you must live there yourself.
  • The WOZ value of your home is a maximum of €305,000.
  • You have submitted an application to the National Heat Fund. You are not eligible. The fund has sent you a rejection letter.

What does SVn assess?

  • Your financial situation.

More information

more information about sustainability loansSVn