Heat pump in the Canton of Basel-CountryHeating in Basel-Country.

Permit: air-to-water and borehole

In the Canton of Basel-Country, the outdoor unit of an air-to-water heat pump must be notified up to a volume of 2 cubic metres, since 1 July 2022. A building permit is needed for larger units, in historic core, protected townscape and heritage protection zones, and for cultural and natural monuments. Units installed indoors need neither a notification nor a permit. The notification and the building application go to the building inspectorate in Liestal, or in Reinach to the Reinach building inspectorate. A noise protection assessment must be enclosed. A distance of 2 metres applies to the neighbouring plot boundary, otherwise the neighbour’s consent is required.

A borehole (ground probe) needs a water protection permit from the Office for Environmental Protection and Energy. The geothermal use map in the canton’s GeoView shows where drilling is possible. In groundwater protection zones and on contaminated sites it is ruled out.

Replacing your heating system: what the Energy Act requires

Since 1 January 2026, a system based on renewable energy must be installed when a boiler is replaced in existing buildings, as far as it is technically possible and economically viable over its lifetime. This also applies when only the burner is replaced, if the heating system is more than 15 years old. The basis is the Energy Act and the decree issued under it. If a renewable system is not possible, the Office for Environmental Protection and Energy can approve an exception on application. A heat pump meets the requirement.

Subsidies in the Canton of Basel-Country

The Baselbieter Energiepaket subsidises replacing oil, gas and electric heating. Air-to-water heat pumps receive CHF 5,000 plus CHF 200 per kW of thermal output. For ground-source (borehole) and water-to-water units, it is CHF 7,000 plus CHF 360 per kW. The subsidy is capped at 50 percent of the investment costs, and the minimum subsidy is CHF 500. An energy bonus (Energieprämie) is also possible, which we check for your project.

The application must be submitted through the online portal before work starts. Up to 15 kW, the heat pump system module (Wärmepumpen-System-Modul) is required. We submit permit and subsidy applications.

Grid operator and electricity price

In the canton, the communes are supplied mainly by EBL, Primeo Netz and BKW. At 32.0 ct. per kWh, the cantonal median is above the Swiss median of 27.7 ct. (excluding VAT, household category H4, ElCom 2026). We register the heat pump with the grid operator. Blocking times and tariffs differ by utility, and we clarify them in advance.