Grant for upgrading heaters FAQ

Applying for the grant

When does the grant application round open and what documents can I prepare?

The application round will open on 18 September 2023 at 09:00. You can submit your application through the E-toetus system. You can find introductory information material to assist you in the application process here. One of the supporting documents of the application is the construction plan or the technical specification issued for the construction of the heater or heating system. The aforementioned document must be submitted with the grant application. If you wish to prepare beforehand, check the Building Code or contact your local authority to find out whether you need a construction plan for the work you want to do. If necessary, you can commission a construction plan. If a construction plan is not necessary, you can commission or prepare a technical specification.

What is a technical specification?

A technical specification is a document that contains the data of the heater, describes the work related to it in detail and, if possible, also includes the drawings. The technical specification may be drawn up by the owner of the small residential building or by the contractor or other competent person.

Do I have to be registered in the residential building or do I have to live in the residential building for which I wish to receive the grant?

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.

Work may not start before an application is submitted. However, can I start dismantling the stove before submitting an application?

You will not be eligible for the grant for the demolition of a heater and you may not start demolition work before the application is submitted. Nor may you order a new heater or pay any bills or orders before submitting your application.

Where can I find information about my small residential building?

You can check the details of your residential building at www.ehr.ee .

The data in the building register regarding the type of heater and the year of first use of the residential building do not correspond to the actual situation. What should I do or who should I talk to?

Contact the local authority to correct the data.

Does the residential building need to have an occupancy permit?

The year of first occupation of the residential building must be stated in the building register and it must be earlier than 2010. If the year of the occupation is 2010 or later, it is not possible to apply for the grant. The existence of an occupancy permit is not relevant.

Can residential buildings with three or more apartments apply for the grant?

Residential buildings with three or more apartments are considered to be apartment buildings and do not warrant the grant. Apartment buildings can apply for the grant during the application rounds of apartment associations.

What is a densely populated area?

A densely populated area is an area where buildings are located close to each other. Densely populated areas are mostly cities, towns or villages. 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.

Can I apply for the grant if my residential building is not in the area specified in the Regulation?

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

Where can I check whether my small residential building belongs to an eligible densely populated area?

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

Open the Land Board map application homepage X-GIS 2.0 [gFDMoQHd] (maaamet.ee)
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 in the city of Tartu as an eligible area and is not part of it:
In the address of the small residential building, ‘municipality’ and ‘settlement unit’ must be indicated as ‘city’. For example, Toetuse 1, Tartu city, Tartu city, Tartu County is located in the eligible area.
In the case of Tallinn, the division of the city is important. For example, Toetuse 1, Nõmme district, Tallinn, Harju County is located in 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.

Can a private person carry out the work and install a new heater or build a new stove?

Work cannot be commissioned from a private person. It can only commissioned from a self-employed person (FIE) or a company.

Where can I find information about potters and whether a potter has a valid professional certificate?

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).

Is it necessary to submit quotes when applying for the grant and can I make an advance payment before applying?

It is not necessary to submit a quotation as the grant amount is fixed on the basis of the unit cost. In the case of connection to district heating, the application must be accompanied by a connection offer from the district heating company. Advance payment may not be made before the application is submitted.

How do I prove that an existing stove has been demolished? I will carry out the demolition myself.

Please provide photos for the demolition of the stove (before and after) to prove that the stove has been demolished. If the demolition work is carried out by a company and there is a work report or other document, you can submit that.

What kind of power of attorney is required if my small residential building is co-owned?

There is a sample power of attorney on the website of Kredex, which you can fill in, sign and add to your application. You can also prepare a free-form power of attorney yourself.

Can a district heating connection contract be concluded before submitting the application?

In the case of a contract concluded before the date of submission of the application, the grant applicant must ensure that it foresees the incurrence of payment obligations, the delivery of goods/equipment and the execution of works in a time period that is later than the submission of the grant application. This requirement ensures that projects which would not have been carried out in the absence of the grant are supported and that the beneficiary had no possibility of carrying out the activities without the grant.

If my residential building has a stove but I wish to connect to district heating, do I have to dismantle or renew the stove?

If you connect to district heating, you do not have to demolish or renew your stove.

Works covered by the grant

Can I apply for the grant if I have an oil-fired or gas boiler?: 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.
Is an air-to-air heat pump covered by the grant?: It is not possible to apply for the grant for the installation of an air-to-air heat pump.
Is it also possible to apply for the grant to demolish an old stove and heat wall and construct new ones?: It is not possible to apply for the grant for the construction of a new stove and heat wall. In general, a stove is not used as the primary heater and therefore the construction of a new stove and heat wall is not covered by the grant.
If my small residential building has many old stoves, can I apply for the grant to build multiple new stoves?: 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.
Can you apply for the grant to upgrade the heating system of a holiday home?: You cannot. The main use of the residential building must be listed in the building register as a detached, semi-detached, terraced or two-apartment residential building, terraced housing, two-apartment residential housing or semi-detached housing if they have an autonomous heating system.
Can you apply for the grant to repair a chimney?: If you are installing a pellet or wood boiler, fireplace or modular stove, and if you are constructing a stove, the construction of a new chimney system or the renovation of an existing one with the installation of a chimney liner is covered by the grant, where applicable. The grant cannot be applied solely for the construction or renovation of a chimney.
Can I apply for the grant to both repair my existing stove and install a ground source heat pump with underfloor heating?: You can apply for the grant, but the maximum grant amount per small residential building is 10,000 euros.
Can I install only radiators or hydronic floor heating with the help of the grant?: Hydronic floor heating or radiators can only be installed with the aid of the grant in combination with a new air-to-water or ground source heat pump or pellet or wood boiler.
If I have a fireplace that does not have the option of heat storage, can I apply for the grant to install a heat storage oven or a fireplace?: The grant covers heaters with the option of heat storage. The heater to be replaced must be heat-storing and used as the primary heating source for the residential building. Therefore it is not possible to apply for the grant to renew or replace a fireplace that does not have the option of heat storage.