Significant Progress in Vrieheide & Eikenderveld

Heerlen helps residents save energy and is working hard to make the city more sustainable. We help thousands of residents lower their energy bills. We do this in two ways:

  • By tackling the issue neighborhood by neighborhood
  • Through the citywide initiative “Heerlen Goes Sustainable”
Aerial view of Vrieheide & Eikenderveld

What are we achieving?

Many residents participate in our projects. They are satisfied with the assistance we provide. More and more people believe that Heerlen can solve the problem of energy poverty. We are working toward energy justice for everyone.

Alderman Casper Gelderblom: 

"In Heerlen, everyone can play a part in making our city more sustainable. We provide personalized assistance to residents. This makes homes more comfortable and lowers energy bills. We’re doing this together with all residents."

Significant Progress in Vrieheide

In Vrieheide, we’re tackling the white homes. We’re doing this one block at a time. Residents are happy with the personalized assistance. In just three months, we’ve tackled 60% more homes.

Through June 2026, we have:

  • 63 homes fully prepared
  • Held 442 conversations with residents
  • 109 homes are ready for construction

From July through the end of 2026, we will complete another 110 homes. That will bring the total number of sustainable homes in Vrieheide to 172.

Eikenderveld: Sustainable and Historic

In Eikenderveld, we’re taking the history of the Spoorkolonie into account. More and more residents are getting involved. We’ve already had more than 30 kitchen-table discussions. The neighborhood association Trots op Eikenderveld (TOE) is helping us.

A new information center will open this summer at Eikenderweg 43. Residents can visit this location for advice on making their homes more sustainable. The municipality has purchased this building. It was previously a problem property. Now it is being put to good use.

With this purchase, we’re helping the neighborhood move forward. The area will become safer and more pleasant. The information center helps residents and shows that the neighborhood is making progress.

Promotion throughout Heerlen

We’re also running the “Heerlen Goes Sustainable” campaign. This is one of the largest door-to-door initiatives ever conducted in Heerlen. Energy coaches visited more than 43,000 homes. They provided 11,057 energy consultations. 724 homes have already been made more sustainable.
We’re well on track. In the coming years, we’ll be able to make thousands more homes more sustainable.