Grant for upgrading heaters for small residences, III round

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Purpose

The main purpose of the grant is to improve the air quality of densely populated areas. Upgrading old heating systems will also contribute to improved fire safety and energy efficiency.

In the context of the grant, small residential buildings are buildings whose main use is defined in the Building Register as a detached, terraced, semi-detached house or a two-apartment residential building. This includes sections of a terraced, two-apartment or semi-detached house if they have an autonomous heating system.

Information for applicants

The application round was opened on 2 June 2025 at 11:00.

Applications are prepared and submitted through the e-grant environment managed by the Estonian State Shared Service Centre.

The maximum grant amount is 10,000 euros. Grants awarded in previous application rounds for upgrading heaters are also taken into account.

This is an ongoing call for applications which is open until the budget is exhausted. Applications will be reviewed in the order in which they are submitted.

The budget for this application round is 6 million euros.

Works cannot be started before the application has been approved.

For who?

private and family

Important conditions

Main conditions

The grant can be applied for by the owner of the building.
The grant can be used to replace a working solid fuel heater used to heat a building.
To qualify for the grant, the small residential building must have been built on a legal basis and put into use. The year of first occupation of the building must be entered in the Building Register.
The small residential building must be located in the following cities or Tallinn districts.
In Tallinn: Pirita, Nõmme, Kesklinn, Kristiine, Põhja-Tallinn, Haabersti.
Tartu, Viljandi, Rakvere, Kuressaare, Keila, Võru, Türi, Saue, Paide, Tapa, Kärdla, Elva, Haapsalu, Karksi-Nuia, Kilingi-Nõmme, Pärnu, Jõhvi, Kiviõli, Sillamäe, Jõgeva, Põltsamaa, Valga, Otepää, Tõrva.
Areas are defined by city, not municipality, boundaries.
To qualify for the grant, a terraced or semi-detached house or a two-apartment residential building must have an autonomous heating system. If a terraced or semi-detached house or a two-apartment residential building shares a common heating system, the co-owners must apply for the grant together.
Costs are certified and reimbursed only on the basis of the prices fixed in the grant rate, either as a unit price or flat-rate payment.
Disbursements are not made on the basis of actual costs.
All costs must be justified, directly related to the project and properly documented.
Value added tax is an eligible cost.
The activities supported by the grant must be completed within 12 months after the decision on the application is made.
The project’s eligibility period, i.e. the deadline for completing the work, can be extended twice by up to 12 months in total. This is done in justified cases on the basis of a written statement by the applicant.
All activities eligible for a grant must conform to existing legislation. If the activities require a construction notice or permit, it must be obtained before they are started.
Beneficiaries are obliged to ensure that the building receiving the grant is used as a residential building for at least five years after the final payment of the project.
The grant recipient is obligated to avoid conflicts of interest in the implementation of supported activities. A conflict of interest is considered any situation where the grant recipient or a person acting on their behalf, who is involved in preparing or managing the procurement process for supported activities or who may otherwise influence the outcome of the procurement process, has financial, economic, or other personal interests that could compromise their impartiality and independence. Avoiding such situations is essential to ensure transparency, fairness and accountability in the use of the grant.
In case of restrictions relating to heritage protection, please contact the National Heritage Board.
The designer and constructor must be an undertaking that meets the requirements of Articles 21 to 25 of the Building Code.
If the grant is applied for the installation of an air-to-water or ground source heat pump or pellet or wood boiler, the existing solid fuel heater (e.g. stove) must be upgraded or permanently removed, unless otherwise prohibited by legislation. If a residential building has more than one solid fuel heater, this requirement applies to only one of the heaters. Rather than choosing removal, we advise considering whether it is feasible to reconstruct the stove to meet the standards.

Activities covered by the grant

Activities covered by the grant are as follows:

the purchase and installation of an air-to-water heat pump;
the purchase and installation of a ground source heat pump;
the purchase and installation of a pellet or wood boiler;
the purchase of a stove or range with installation and construction of a new one when upgrading a heater;
the purchase and installation of radiators, including pipework and fittings when installing a new heater or connecting to a district heating network;
the purchase and installation of underfloor heating when installing a new heater or connecting to a district heating network;
the purchase and installation of a modular chimney or the construction of a new chimney system or the renovation of an existing chimney system, including the installation of a chimney liner, in the case of constructing a solid fuel boiler, stove or range;
the construction of the pipeline and the excavation works necessary for connection to the district heating network as well as the construction of a substation, connection fees and costs regarding construction projects prepared from 14.08.2023;
in the case of connecting to district heating, the eligible cost is the connection fee paid after the grant approval decision. Payment for the design project is permitted for projects prepared on or after 14 August 2023. If the connection fee has been paid before the grant approval decision together with the cost of preparing the design project, then only the design project cost is eligible for support.
only stoves and cookstoves can be renovated. Support cannot be applied for the renovation of boilers or fireplaces.

Requirements for works

It is required to remove the existing solid fuel heater or renovate the existing stove in accordance with requirements when installing a heat pump or boiler.
An eligible stove or range with a chimney system must comply with standards EVS 812-3 and EVS-EN-15544 or EVS-EN 15250 or an equivalent standard.
The energy efficiency class of the heat pump to be installed must be at least A++.
The energy efficiency class for a factory-made boiler, stove or range must be at least A+ and the device must meet ecodesign requirements.
In the case of installing radiators or underfloor heating, living rooms and bedrooms must be equipped with thermostats.
A heating system based on solid fuel along with the chimney system must be installed in a way that ensures fire safety.

Grant rate and maximum grant amount

The maximum grant amount is 10,000 euros per small residential building. Grants awarded in previous application rounds for upgrading heaters are also taken into account.

The grant rate is 70% in the following cities:
Ida-Viru County: Jõhvi, Kiviõli, Sillamäe;
Jõgeva County: Jõgeva, Põltsamaa;
Valga County: Valga, Otepää, Tõrva.
The grant rate is 50% in the following cities and districts of Tallinn:
Tartu, Viljandi, Rakvere, Kuressaare, Keila, Võru, Türi, Saue, Paide, Tapa, Kärdla, Elva, Haapsalu, Karksi-Nuia, Kilingi-Nõmme, Pärnu.
In Tallinn: Pirita, Nõmme, Kesklinn, Kristiine, Põhja-Tallinn, Haabersti.

Unit prices

The total unit price is:

9600 euros per residential building for the purchase and installation of an air-to-water heat pump;
14,100 euros per residential building for the purchase and installation of a ground source heat pump;
8900 euros per residential building for the purchase and installation of a pellet or wood boiler;
6400 euros per residential building for the purchase, installation or construction of a stove;
640 euros per radiator for the purchase and installation of a radiator;
30 euros per square metre of underfloor heating for the construction and installation of underfloor heating;
250 euros per metre for the purchase and installation of a modular chimney and 100 euros per metre for the purchase and installation of a chimney liner when renovating a chimney.

Flat-rate payments

The amount of the grant as a flat-rate payment for connection to district heating shall be determined per residential building on the basis of the budget for the total cost of connecting to district heating and related costs, piping and the construction of the substation, taking into account the proportion of the grant rate as the maximum rate. Costs regarding the construction project are supported if the project is prepared starting from 14.08.2023.
The amount of the grant as a lump sum for the construction or installation of a stove is determined per dwelling based on the total estimated construction costs in the grant award decision, taking into account both the grant rate and the maximum grant amount.
Disbursements are not made on the basis of actual costs.

Non-reimbursable costs

Costs related to electricity and low-voltage systems, excluding the cost of electricity and low-voltage systems directly linked to the supporting activities.
Costs related to water and sewerage systems, including the installation of hot water pipes inside the house.
Costs related to property fences, parking spaces, outdoor lighting and landscaping, excluding soil restoration associated with the installation of a heat pump ground collector and a district heating network.
Costs related to interior finishes due to the installation of underfloor heating, radiators and chimneys.
Unjustified costs not directly related to the project.
Costs related to the demolition of an existing heating device.

Application and submission

Application

Applications are prepared and submitted through the e-grant environment managed by the Estonian State Shared Service Centre.

The grant can be applied for by the owner of the building. Registration in the population register is not required.

Additional documents required for activities related to a stove, boiler, heat pump, radiators, underfloor heating and chimney are:

power of attorney, if the person authorised to represent the applicant acts under a power of attorney (e.g. in the case of joint ownership or co-ownership);
construction project, if required under the Building Code (e.g. in the case of installing a heat pump);
photo of the existing heating device.

Additional documents required for activities related to district heating:

power of attorney, if the person authorised to represent the applicant acts under a power of attorney (e.g. in the case of joint ownership or co-ownership);
construction project, if required under the Building Code (e.g. in the case of connecting to district heating);
connection offer issued by the district heating company;
draft budget in the form of the implementing body;
photo of the existing heating device;
comparable price quotations for the construction of the in-building heat substation. If you are applying for support for the design of the in-building heat substation, then comparable quotations for the design must also be provided. There is no obligation to choose the lowest-priced offer;
enquiries for price quotes (e-mails, screenshot of the website where the enquiry was made, etc.).

The supporting documents for the application in the case of stove-related activities are:

power of attorney, if the authorized representative is acting on the basis of authorization (e.g., in cases of joint or co-ownership);
budget project using the form prescribed by the implementing agency;
photo of the existing heating appliance;
comparable price quotations for stove construction. There is no obligation to select the lowest-priced offer;
inquiries made to obtain price quotations (emails, screenshots from the website showing the inquiry, etc.).

Information and supporting material for submitting the application

Applications are prepared and submitted through the e-grant environment managed by the Estonian State Shared Service Centre.
After logging into the e-grant environment, select “Grant for upgrading heaters for small residences, III round”.
You can find helpful materials for submitting the application here.
You can find a video introduction to using the e-grant environment here.
We strongly recommend reading the answers to frequently asked questions.
You can ask questions at [email protected].

Disclosure requirements

If a grant is awarded from the funds of the European Union, you must also inform the public. This is an important requirement and non-compliance may lead to partial withdrawal of the grant.

What do I have to do?
All owners of a small residential building must display a poster on the property (e.g. on the facade of the building, fence or window) indicating that the project received funding from the European Regional Development Fund.

The poster must be visible from the date of the approval of the application until the completion of work.

The minimum size of the poster is A5 and it must follow these design requirements:

the “Co-funded by the European Union” logo must take up at least 25% of the poster;
the name of the project must take up at least 30% of the poster’s height; the name can be found in the e-grant environment under general details of your application in the cell “projekti nimi” (project name);
the sample is fillable, i.e. you can add the name of your project into the field, save/print it and get your poster.

Plakati näidis.

The grant recipient covers the costs of the poster.

If you have any questions, please e-mail [email protected].

Processing applications

This is an ongoing call for applications and all applications received in the application round will be processed.

The processing deadline for applications is up to 60 working days from the date of submission.

The round is open until the budget is exhausted.

Grant disbursement

Disbursement documents must be submitted after the work has been completed.

Grant disbursement is done through the e-grant environment.

When constructing or installing a stove or range, submit:

a document (or copy of it) proving the delivery and acceptance of work that shows the starting and completion date of the work;
document proving compliance of the heater to standards EVS-EN-15544, EVS-EN 15250, EVS 812-3 or other equivalent standard (the information can be in the work report, certificate of the heater, etc.);
photos of completed activities.

When purchasing a pellet or firewood boiler, submit:

a document (or copy of it) proving the delivery and acceptance of work that shows the starting and completion date of the work;
a document proving that the installed boiler complies with the Ecodesign Directive 2009/125/EC and A+ energy class requirements, in accordance with Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/1185 and/or Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/1189 and standard EN 303-5 (A+ energy efficiency class requirements). The information can be in the work report, certificate of the heater, etc.;
if dismantling an existing heating appliance, provide photos, a work report, or a document confirming that the heating appliance has been dismantled;
photos of completed activities.

When purchasing a modular chimney or renovating a chimney system with a chimney liner, submit:

a document (or copy of it) proving the delivery and acceptance of work that shows the starting and completion date of the work;
a document proving that the installed modular chimney or reconstructed heating system complies with fire safety standard EVS 812-3 (information can be in the work report, for example);
photos of completed activities.

When purchasing an air-to-water or ground source heat pump, submit:

a document (or copy of it) proving the delivery and acceptance of work that shows the starting and completion date of the work;
a document proving that the installed heat pump has an energy efficiency class of at least A++;
if dismantling an existing heating appliance, provide photos, a work report, or a document confirming that the heating appliance has been dismantled;
photos of completed activities.

When connecting to district heating, submit:

a document (or copy of it) proving the delivery and acceptance of work that shows the starting and completion date of the work;
purchase and sale agreement confirming the connection to district heating;
photos of completed activities.

When installing underfloor or radiator heating, submit:

a document (or copy of it) proving the delivery and acceptance of work that shows the starting and completion date of the work;
photos of completed activities.

Final reporting

The grant recipient submits a final report on the implementation of the project through the e-grant environment based on the accepted application decision along with disbursement documents.

The final report of the project reflects:

the project’s reporting period;
data on the implementation of the project (work completed, achievement of results and goals);
assessment by the grant-receiver of the implementation of the project;
photos to verify compliance with the application decision requirements;
when upgrading a heater, confirmation about the removal of the previous appliance (e.g. photo).