What subsidies are there for a heat pump?Application, amounts, tax.

In Switzerland, subsidies for heat pumps run through the cantons. The Confederation supports them through the buildings programme (Gebäudeprogramm), but each canton sets amounts, conditions and deadlines itself. Two rules apply almost everywhere: you apply before building starts, and in most cantons you can deduct the investment from your taxes.

Who subsidises replacing your heating?

The buildings programme of the Confederation and the cantons is based on Article 34 of the CO2 Act. The cantons run it and pay the subsidies. The programme’s website says: “The support measures and amounts vary from canton to canton” (German original: «Die Fördermassnahmen und -beiträge variieren je nach Kanton»). To find out what applies at your address, contact the cantonal energy office or us.

In addition, some communes and energy suppliers contribute. This is voluntary and regulated differently. We ask about it during the site visit.

As a rule, the programme supports replacing an oil, gas or electric heating system with a heat pump in an existing building. The exact conditions are cantonal.

Apply before building starts

This is the most important rule. The buildings programme is clear: apply for the funds as soon as the concept is settled, and in any case before building starts. What counts as the start of building is decided by the canton.

In the Canton of Zurich, for example, the application must be submitted before installation, and for boreholes before drilling. Other cantons set the timing slightly differently. So for you:

• Do not sign a contract and do not have anything removed before the application is submitted.
• Keep the confirmation of your application.
• If the project changes, ask whether the application has to be adjusted.

We submit the application for you and know the deadlines of the cantons where we work.

What applies in your canton

The amounts change from year to year. That is why we give no figures here for the whole of Switzerland. On our canton pages you find the current details with sources, for example for Zurich, Schwyz, Aargau, St. Gallen, Lucerne, Zug or Bern. They also cover permits, grid operator and local features.

As an example, the 2026 funding programme of the Canton of Zurich: for an air-to-water heat pump there is CHF 2,900 up to 15 kW of thermal output, for a ground-source heat pump CHF 6,800. Above that, CHF 160 and CHF 420 respectively are added per further kW. The source is the 2026 energy funding programme of the Canton of Zurich on zh.ch. Other cantons have other amounts. For your house, the page of your canton counts.

Whether your property is eligible also depends on its location. In areas with a district heating network, the heat pump is in some cases not supported. We check this in advance.

Tax deduction

If you improve the energy performance of an existing building, you can deduct the costs from your taxable income in most cantons. This includes replacing a fossil heating system with a heat pump. Keep these points in mind:

• Existing building: The deduction applies to conversions, not to new buildings.
• Subsidies: They usually reduce the deductible costs.
• Timing: The year in which you pay is what counts. Some cantons allow you to spread costs over several tax years if they cannot be fully deducted in one year.
• Removal and ancillary work: Whether tank removal and electrical work are included is decided by the tax office.

We cannot give tax advice. Ask your tax office or tax adviser. Our invoice lists every item separately, so you have the documents you need.

Common stumbling blocks

Subsidies are lost again and again because formalities are not met. We clarify these points before the application:

• Ordered too early: If you order the unit before the application or remove the tank, you lose the entitlement in many cantons.
• Additional conditions: Some cantons require minimum standards for the unit or documentation. In the Canton of Zurich, up to 15 kW, it is the heat pump system module (Wärmepumpen-System-Modul), for example (source: Canton of Zurich, 2026 energy funding programme).
• District heating nearby: In areas with a district heating network, the heat pump can be excluded from subsidies.
• Processing time: The cantons’ application platforms take time. Plan early, before the old heating fails.
• Details of the previous heating: Cantons sometimes ask for them. We record them during the site visit.

Example: what the subsidy changes in the price

An air-to-water heat pump in a single-family home costs about CHF 30,000 to 50,000, a ground-source heat pump about CHF 45,000 to 70,000, both before subsidies. These are guide values, and our quote is binding.

Take the Zurich example with an air-to-water heat pump up to 15 kW. From an investment of CHF 40,000 the canton contributes CHF 2,900. On top comes the tax deduction, which depends on your income and tax rate. The calculation is an example, not a quote. The subsidy therefore covers a small part. The heat pump pays off mainly through lower running costs, as shown in the guide Heat pump cost.

Apartment buildings and condominium ownership

For larger buildings too, the cantons subsidise replacing the heating, often with amounts that depend on the heating output. In the Canton of Zurich, for example, an amount per further kW is added above 15 kW. In condominium ownership, the owners’ meeting must decide first, and the application is submitted by property management or the owners’ association (STWEG). We prepare the documents so that the meeting can decide with the quote and the subsidy in front of it. If you want to share the solar power, you find more on the ZEV (self-consumption community).

Subsidies for the solar system as well

If you want to run the heat pump on solar power, the system receives the one-off payment (Einmalvergütung) from Pronovo. Since 1 April 2025 there is no base amount any more. Add-on systems under 30 kWp receive CHF 360 per kWp, integrated ones CHF 400 per kWp (EnFV Annex 2.1). You find the details on the page about the heat pump with solar system and on solar systems.

How we proceed

1. During the free site visit we clarify which subsidy applies at your address.
2. With the quote we show how much subsidy we expect.
3. We submit the application before you place the order.
4. On request, we pre-finance the subsidy until the canton pays out.

We calculate it for your house

We clarify with you on site which subsidy applies to replacing your heating. We come for a free site visit and give you a binding quote within 72 hours with subsidies and running costs. We submit the application for you. More on the process under heat pump.