Frequently Asked Questions, III round

Applications can be submitted through the e-grant environment.

Ongoing applications is an open call where applications can be submitted from the beginning of the receipt of applications until it is suspended (budget is exhausted). Processing and financing decisions are done on an ongoing basis according to the order of submission of applications until the budget is exhausted. The processing deadline for applications is 60 working days from the date of submission.

One of the additional documents required to submit along with the grant application is a construction project issued for the heating device or system. Find out from your local government whether a construction project is necessary for the intended works. If it is required, you can commission a construction project. If a construction project is not required, you can submit the application with the written confirmation received from your local government. If you are applying for support to connect to district heating or to build or install a range, you must request at least two price quotes for the construction of the in-house heating substation or the building of the range and keep records of the quote requests. When connecting to district heating, ask for a connection offer from a district heating company.

Generally, a heating system project is necessary when connecting to district heating or replacing an existing heating type, e.g. when switching from stove heating to ground heating. When replacing an existing stove or boiler with a new one, a heating system project is not required. The local government can provide specific confirmation.

If, in addition to district heating-related activities (such as connection and pipeline construction), an in-house heating substation is also built, then two comparable price quotes are required for the construction of the in-house heating substation. If the construction of the in-house heating substation also requires a design project and you wish to apply for support for the design as well, then two comparable quotes must also be submitted for the design work.
In addition to the quotes, the application must include the requests for quotations—i.e., emails regarding the quote requests. Quotes must be requested from different service providers and must reflect the same scope of work and conditions. There is no obligation to choose the cheapest quote.

1. Purchasing and installation of a new stove (masonry or wood-burning) or reconstruction of an existing stove in accordance with the requirements set out in the regulation, following the removal of the existing heating appliance.

2. Purchasing and installation of a cookstove (range) or construction of a new cookstove, or reconstruction of an existing cookstove, in accordance with the requirements set out in the regulation, following the removal of the existing heating appliance.

3. Purchasing and installing a modular chimney if it is necessary for installing a new stove, range or solid fuel boiler.
4. Building a new chimney system or renovating an existing one with installing a chimney liner if it is necessary for installing a new stove, range or solid fuel boiler.
5. Connecting to a district heating network, incl. excavation and pipeline works, construction of a heat node, connection fees and costs regarding a construction project prepared from 14.08.2023.
6. Installing an air-to-water heat pump when combined with the removal of an existing heater (e.g. range, boiler or stove) or the renovation of an existing stove in accordance with requirements. If you have already reconstructed your stove or boiler in the first or second round, you can now apply for a grant to install a heat pump.
7. Installing a ground source heat pump when combined with the removal of an existing heater (e.g. range, boiler or stove) or the renovation of an existing stove in accordance with requirements. If you have already reconstructed your stove or boiler in the first or second round, you can now apply for a grant to install a heat pump.
8. Installation of a pellet or wood boiler, if you also remove the existing heater or renovate an existing stove in accordance with requirements. If the heating equipment has already been upgraded with the help of the grant, you can apply for a grant to install a boiler.
9. Installation of underfloor heating, provided that an air-to-water heat pump, ground source heat pump, boiler or central heating range is installed or a connection to district heating is made. In the case of installing underfloor heating, living rooms and bedrooms must be equipped with thermostats.
10. Installation of radiators, provided that an air-to-water heat pump, ground source heat pump, boiler or central heating range is installed or a connection to district heating is made. In the case of installing radiators, living rooms and bedrooms must be equipped with thermostats.

You can apply for the grant for 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. It is not possible to apply for the grant for dwellings under construction or new dwellings to be constructed.

Residential buildings with three or more apartments are classified as apartment buildings and cannot apply for the grant.

No, you cannot apply for the grant to upgrade the heating system of a holiday home. The Building Register must list the main use of the building as a detached, terraced, semi-detached house or a two-apartment residential building or a section of a terraced, two-apartment or semi-detached house if they have an autonomous heating system.

The year of first occupation of the building must be entered in the Building Register.

You can check the details of your building in the Building Register.

To correct the information, contact your local government.

The Building Register must list the year of first occupation of the building. A use and occupancy permit is not required, but the building must have been built on a legal basis and put into use. The building’s status should be marked as “olemas” (existing) in the register to indicate that it has been put into use.

Densely populated areas include cities, towns and small towns. The choice of eligible areas is based on a study carried out by the Estonian Environmental Research Centre (OÜ Eesti Keskkonnauuringute Keskus), which looked at the concentration of fine particles in the air during the heating period and population density. On the basis of the study, cities and regions where the replacement of the heater is expected to have the greatest impact on air quality and thus on human health were selected. The Environmental Research Centre’s study “Mapping of local heating areas and heaters” can be found here.

You can only apply for the grant in the cities or districts listed in the regulation.

Eligible areas are within the boundaries of the city, not the municipality. Some cities are part of the administrative area of the city government: Haapsalu, Keila, Paide, Pärnu, Rakvere, Sillamäe, Tartu, Viljandi, Võru. In their case, it is easy to find the on the map of the Estonian Land and Spatial Development Board whether the small residential building is located within the boundaries of a city or a municipality. To do this:

• Open the homepage of the web maps of the Land and Spatial Development Board.
• It is recommended to start from the address of the cadastral unit. For example, if the municipality is the city of Tartu, but the settlement unit is Tüki village, then the small residential building is not located within the eligible administrative area of Tartu city.
   

• Both the “municipality” and “settlement unit” of the small residential building address must be listed as “city”. For example, Toetuse 1, Tartu city, Tartu city, Tartu County is within the eligible area.
• In Tallinn, the city district is important. For example, Toetuse 1, Nõmme district, Tallinn, Harju County is within the eligible area.
• The addresses of other eligible areas must be written in the form of, for example, Toetuse 1, Elva city, Elva municipality, Tartu County.

The purchase of a stove, boiler, air-to-water heat pump, ground source heat pump and the installation of underfloor and radiator heating is based on unit price and the actual cost of the work is not taken into account. Unit prices can be found on the page Grant for upgrading heaters for small residences | EIS

For example, in the case of installing a new stove, the unit price is 6400 euros and the grant amounts to 4480 euros (70%) for a small house in Jõgeva and 3200 euros (50%) for a small house in Tartu. If the service cost for district heating connection is, for example, 5000 euros, then the grant amount would be 3500 euros (70%) for a small house in Jõgeva and 2500 euros (50%) for a small house in Tartu.
For example, if you apply for a grant for the installation of a stove in a residential building in Tartu, including the installation of a 10-meter modular chimney and an air-to-water heat pump with the installation of 4 radiators, the support amount would be calculated as follows: furnace 3200 euros + 10 m modular chimney 1250 euros + air-to-water heat pump 4800 euros + 4 radiators 1280 euros = total cost 10,530 euros. However, the requested sum would amount to 10,000 euros.

When connecting to district heating or purchasing or constructing a stove, the grant is provided as a fixed payment. In such cases, the grant amount is decided on the basis of the budget project. If the cost increases or decreases during the works, the disbursement will be based on the grant amount in the decision.

The maximum grant amount per small residential building is a total of 10,000 euros for all three application rounds. If you have already received support in the amount of 10,000 euros in the previous two rounds, you cannot apply for the grant in the third round.

The applicant can be the owner of the residential building indicated in the land register. Details of your residence are not relevant in applying for the grant.

Subsidised works may be started after the decision to approve the grant application has been made.

Advance payments can be made after the decision to approve the grant application has been made.

You may not start demolition work before a decision has been made on the application.

A contract for services is not required to apply for the grant.

Costs related to projects prepared from 14.08.2023 are subsidised when connecting to district heating. For all other activities, the design costs are not eligible and you may pay for the design work before the application is submitted and the approval decision is made.

We will add a sample power of attorney to the homepage of the regulation which you can fill in, sign and add to the application. You can also prepare a free-form authorisation that is digitally signed.

Authorisation is required if a section of a detached, terraced, semi-detached house or a two-apartment residential building is co-owned or jointly owned, or if a terraced or semi-detached house or a two-apartment residential building is to be upgraded with a heating system that heats all sections of these buildings.

Authorisation is not required for a terraced or semi-detached house or a two-apartment residential building if the section owned by the applicant is the sole user of the heating system (e.g. a stove in one apartment of a two-apartment residential building is to be updated).

It is not allowed to order the works from a private individual. Works may be ordered from a self-employed person or a company.

A company owned by the applicant or a person close to them cannot perform activities related to the grant. The grant recipient is obligated to avoid conflicts of interest in the implementation of supported activities.

The grant can be used to remove or replace any solid fuel heater that releases pollutants into the air and is used to heat a building. The new solid fuel heater must be able to store heat.

If a heater is manufacturer-produced, this usually also means that the manufacturer is responsible for its safety and quality – provided that the manufacturer is registered and complies with all relevant requirements. This means, for example, that the heater bears the CE marking (which confirms compliance with EU safety and quality requirements), is accompanied by documentation issued by the manufacturer and has been tested in an accredited laboratory.

You can apply for the grant to purchase a manufacturer-produced heater or a heater with manufacturer liability to upgrade an existing heater. It is important that the chosen appliance meets the grant conditions, i.e. it must have an A+ energy class and meet the ecodesign requirements.

When constructing a new heating system, it is essential to ensure that both the heating system and chimney system comply with standards EVS-EN-15544 or EVS-EN 15250 and EVS 812-3 or other equivalent standard (e.g. the ÖNORM B 8310:2008 03 11; ÖNORM B 8310:2018 02 01; RIL 251-2015, TROL standard for manually laid ranges; EVS-EN 12815:2001; EN 12815:2001/AC:2003; EN 12815:2001/AC:2006; EVS-EN 16510-2-3:2023 for ranges and heat walls with manufacturer liability produced in a factory; Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/1185, Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/1186 for ranges laid on-site.

References to these standards must be included, for example, in the certificate of the heater or in the work report. Standards must also be observed when reconstructing a stove. For more information on whether your stove or range complies with the referenced standard, consult a potter. The energy efficiency class of a factory-built stove or range must be at least A+ and meet the ecodesign requirements (see directives in § 6(13) of the regulation).

For an integrated range, building the range is supported, but the electric oven and hob are not. Their cost must be left out from the eligible expenses.

Both the range and the heat wall are covered by the grant when purchasing and installing or constructing a new range.

It is possible to apply for a grant to reconstruct an old fireplace stove, stove, or range, provided that it can be reconstructed to meet the standards specified in the regulation (standard EVS-EN-15544, EVS 812-3, or another equivalent standard; for range reconstruction: ÖNORM B 8310:2008-03-11, ÖNORM B 8310:2018-02-01, RIL 251-2015, TROL).

For more detailed information on whether it is possible to reconstruct a fireplace oven, stove, or range, you can consult a chimney mason.

It is not possible to apply for the grant for the reconstruction of an existing fireplace or boiler.

You can check the existence of the certificate on the Estonian Qualifications Authority website. Information on potters can be found on the website of the Estonian Potters’ Union (Eesti Pottseppade Liit) and the Estonian Chimney Sweepers’ Chamber (MTÜ Eesti Korstnapühkijate Koda).

The energy efficiency class of a boiler purchased using the grant must be at least A+ and meet the ecodesign requirements (see directives in § 6(13) of the regulation).

The energy efficiency class of the air-to-water or ground source heat pump to be installed must be at least A++.

In the third round, you can apply for the grant to replace a fireplace with a heater with heat storage, range, boiler, air-to-water or ground source heat pump. You can also apply for the grant to connect to district heating.

Oil-fired and gas boilers are not solid fuel heaters and you cannot apply for the grant to change or replace an oil-fired or gas boiler.

It is not possible to apply for the grant for the installation of an air-to-air heat pump.

If you connect to district heating, you do not have to dismantle or upgrade the existing heater.

You can apply for the grant for the construction or repair of several stoves, but take into account that the maximum grant per residential building is 10,000 euros.

You can apply for the grant to perform multiple activities but the maximum grant amount for several activities is a total of 10,000 euros per small residential building.

Provide photos of the demolished heater (before and after) that confirm that it has been demolished. If the demolition is carried out by a company and they have issued a work report or other document proving it, you can provide this document.

Purchasing and installing a new modular chimney system or building a new chimney system or the renovation of an existing one, including the installation of a chimney liner, is eligible for grant if an existing stove, range or solid fuel boiler is being upgraded.

If you upgraded stove, range or solid fuel boiler during the first or second application round, then in the third round is eligible for purchasing and installing a modular chimney,  building a new chimney system and for renovating of an exixting one including the installation of a chimney liner.

If you have not previously received grant for upgrading a stove, range or solid fuel boiler, then in the third round purchasing and installing a modular chimney, building a new chimney system and for renovating of an existing one including the installation of a chimney liner, is not eligible for the grant on its own.

Radiator and underfloor water heating system can be installed with the grant only in combination with the installation of a new air-to-water heat pump, ground source heat pump, boiler, central heating range or when connecting to district heating.

If you received the grant in the first or second application round for connecting to district heating, or for installing an air-to-water heat pump, ground source heat pump, then in the third round the installation of radiators and/or underfloor water heating system is eligible for the grant.

The contract to connect to district heating may be concluded before the decision to approve the grant application has been made, but the contract must ensure that the incurrence of payment obligations, delivery of goods/equipment and the execution of works is after the date of the decision to approve the grant application. Work may not be started before the decision to approve the grant application has been made.

The connection fee can be paid after the decision to approve the grant application has been made. You are allowed to pay for the construction project before the approval decision which means the district heating company has to issue a separate invoice for the design. If the connection fee has been paid before the grant approval decision together with the cost of preparing the construction project, only the cost of the construction project is eligible for support.

Culturally significant heaters do not have to be demolished if the National heritage Board has deemed the stove or heat storage fireplace to be culturally significant. The heater must be made unusable by bricking up the flue/chimney opening or removing the chimney system.

In most cases, culturally significant heaters are found in buildings of cultural value, such as memorials or buildings located within heritage protection or milieu-valued areas. Heating devices with cultural significance are typically found in buildings constructed before 1940. If you are unsure whether your old heater holds cultural value, please contact your local county advisor of the National Heritage Board, the national heritage specialists in Tallinn, Tartu or Narva or the milieu-valued area specialist in your local municipality. You can find contact information for the National Heritage Board here.

Make sure to seek advice for questions concerning the removal of heaters in memorials or heritage protection buildings and coordinate your actions with an advisor from your county or city national heritage advisor.