KfW 458 — Heating Subsidy, Residential Buildings (Heizungsförderung)
Funds residential owners with support for replacing older heating systems with efficient, low-emission alternatives.
KfW Program 458 (Heizungsförderung für Privatpersonen) is a rolling direct grant operated by KfW Bankengruppe on behalf of the German federal government that pays private residential property owners to replace fossil-fuel or aged heating systems with climate-friendly alternatives. Eligible measures include electric heat pumps, solar thermal systems, biomass boilers, fuel cell heating, hydrogen-capable systems, and district heating connections. The program operates on a rolling basis with no fixed application deadline, accepting submissions year-round subject to annual budget availability — KfW may temporarily pause when funds are exhausted.
The base grant is 30% of eligible project costs. Three stackable bonuses can raise the total subsidy to 70%: a +20% Climate Speed Bonus for replacing a functional fossil-fuel system or a gas or biomass boiler aged 20 or more years; a +30% Income Bonus for households with annual taxable income at or below €40,000 (self-occupied units only); and a +5% Efficiency Bonus for heat pumps drawing from water, earth, wastewater, or natural refrigerants. An additional flat €2,500 emissions surcharge applies to qualifying biomass systems that meet the 2.5 mg/m³ dust threshold. Maximum eligible costs are €30,000 for a single-family home, yielding a maximum grant of approximately €23,500. Eligible applicants are individual homeowners, condominium owners, and housing cooperatives; civil law partnerships (GbR) are excluded and must use Program 459.
Applications are submitted via the Meine KfW online portal and must be filed before construction work begins — a signed service contract with a suspensory condition (aufschiebende Bedingung) and a Bestätigung zum Antrag from a certified energy expert are prerequisites. The grant is paid in arrears after the project is completed and supporting invoices are submitted. Projects must be completed within 36 months of KfW approval. Buildings must hold a construction permit or notification at least five years old, excluding new builds from eligibility.
Funds replacement of fossil-fuel or aged heating systems in existing German residential buildings with climate-friendly alternatives — heat pumps, solar thermal, biomass, fuel cell heating, or district heating connections — via a direct non-repayable grant.
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