Heat pump in the Canton of SchwyzHeating system, Schwyz.

Permit: notification procedure, simplified procedure and boreholes

The Canton of Schwyz distinguishes by installation location. Air-to-water heat pumps installed indoors are approved under the notification procedure (Meldeverfahren). An outdoor unit inside the building zone goes through the simplified building permit procedure. For this, the written consent of the direct neighbours is needed, otherwise they have 20 days to lodge an objection. Outside the building zone, an ordinary building application is required. In every procedure, a noise protection assessment is part of the application.

Boreholes (ground probes) need a water protection permit from the Office for Environment and Energy. The application is submitted through the commune.

Replacing your heating system: what the Energy Act requires

When the heat generator is replaced in buildings with residential use, the non-renewable share may be at most 90 percent of the demand. Proof is provided through a standard solution, a Minergie certificate or GEAK class D (cantonal energy certificate for buildings). Fixed electric resistance heating may not be newly installed. A heat pump meets the requirement.

Subsidies in the Canton of Schwyz

The 2026 energy subsidy programme applies to existing buildings in which an oil, gas or electric heating system is replaced:

• Air-to-water up to 70 kW: CHF 3,200 plus CHF 120 per kW
• Boreholes up to 70 kW: CHF 4,800 plus CHF 360 per kW

The output is counted at no more than 50 watts per square metre of energy reference area. Up to 15 kW, the heat pump system module (Wärmepumpen-System-Modul) is mandatory. The application must be submitted in full before installation starts. For air-to-water units, even dismantling the old heating system counts as the start. We time the process accordingly. You can find more about the systems under air-to-water heat pump and ground-source heat pump.

Grid operator and electricity price

Several utilities supply the Canton of Schwyz, including EWS, ebs and EW Höfe. The cantonal median is 28.2 ct./kWh excluding VAT, and the Swiss median is 27.7 ct. The utilities’ prices vary widely, from 25.1 to 36.9 ct. We register the connection with your grid operator and calculate with its tariff.

A special feature: noise is measured inside the building

Under a ruling of the Schwyz Administrative Court, the nearest noise-sensitive room counts, even in your own building. We therefore plan the installation location and unit with sound calculations. Around 35 percent of residential buildings still heat with oil.