Sustainable (green) mortgages in the Netherlands 2026

A sustainable mortgage (or 'green mortgage') rewards you for owning or upgrading an energy-efficient home in two ways: a possible discount on your interest rate, and extra borrowing room to finance energy-saving measures. In 2026 it's an increasingly mainstream choice for people obtaining a mortgage in the Netherlands. Here's how the benefits, subsidies and limits work this year.

When comparing different mortgage types, a sustainable mortgage can be combined with either an annuity or linear structure, giving you flexibility in repayment while benefiting from sustainability discounts.

A discount on your mortgage interest

Several banks reward energy-efficient homes with a lower interest rate. The more efficient the home (a higher energy label), the bigger the potential benefit. Discounts are modest — typically in the range of roughly 0.1% to 0.5%, depending on the lender and your label — but over a long fixed-rate period they can add up to thousands of euros.

How this works is changing in 2026. Several lenders are moving away from a flat "sustainability discount" toward letting your energy label feed directly into the rate you're offered. For example, from 1 April 2026 banks such as ABN AMRO and Florius stopped offering a separate duurzaamheidskorting and instead factor your label into the standard rate. The net effect is similar — an efficient home is cheaper to finance — but it's worth asking each lender exactly how they apply it.

Green or sustainable mortgages are offered by most major banks, including Rabobank, ABN AMRO, ASR, ASN and Florius. You can also finance energy measures through schemes like the National Heat Fund's Energy Savings Loan (Nationaal Warmtefonds Energiebespaarlening) and sustainability loans from various municipalities.

Extra borrowing room for energy upgrades

A sustainable mortgage doesn't raise the basic loan-to-value limit — in 2026 that's still 100% of the home's value. What it can do is give you extra borrowing room on top specifically for energy measures:

• NHG energy limit – with energy-saving measures, the NHG limit rises from €470,000 to €498,200 in 2026.
• Energy-saving budget – lenders let you borrow extra for verduurzaming on top of your income-based maximum. In 2026 the size of this extra budget depends on your home's energy label: homes with a poor label (E, F or G) can typically add around €20,000, while C and D labels can add around €15,000.

So the "extra" financing for sustainability comes through these dedicated allowances and the higher NHG limit, not a higher loan-to-value percentage.

Subsidies for insulation: the ISDE

Subsidies for a heat pump: the ISDE

You can also claim ISDE subsidy when you buy a heat pump. The amount depends on the type of heat pump and its capacity (a fixed base amount plus an amount per kW). As a rough guide for 2026:

• Hybrid heat pump: up to around €2,700
• Air-to-water (all-electric) heat pump: up to around €4,000
• Ground-source (water-to-water) heat pump: the most generous category, running into several thousand euros and higher for larger systems

There are also subsidies for heat pump boilers and, in some cases, solar panels — again with the exact amount tied to the appliance's listing in the RVO register.

Other Possible Subsidies

Besides subsidies for heat pump and insulation, it is also possible to apply for subsidies for:

• Solar panels
• Connection to heat networks
• A pellet stove
• Boiler installation

A sustainable mortgage offers benefits for the environment and incentives for homeowners to choose energy-efficient homes or invest in making their current home more sustainable.

Combining Sustainable Mortgages with Other Benefits

When planning your sustainable mortgage, consider:

• Mortgage interest deduction - The interest on sustainability improvements may be tax-deductible
• Maximum mortgage calculation - Energy-saving measures give you extra borrowing room on top of the standard 100% loan-to-value limit, and raise the NHG limit to €498,200
• Energy label upgrades - A higher energy label can lead to a better interest rate

Getting Started with a Sustainable Mortgage

Frequently Asked Questions