A new €20 million government grant scheme offering households up to €32,000 to improve their homes’ energy efficiency will open for applications on October 20, the energy ministry announced on Wednesday.

The 2026 Save and Upgrade Homes scheme is part of the Thalia 2021-2027 programme and is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the Republic of Cyprus.

Applications will open at 9am on Tuesday, October 20, and close at 11.59pm on December 30, 2026, or earlier if the available budget is exhausted.

Applications must be submitted exclusively through the ministry’s online grants platform, using Chrome, Firefox or Edge.

The ministry said applications would be assessed on a first-come, first-served basis, with priority determined by the order in which they are submitted.

Each individual is entitled to submit one application.

To qualify, properties must be owned by individuals and have an existing Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) domestic electricity account registered to an individual.

Homes must also have been first connected to the electricity network before January 1, 2008, or have had their planning or building permit application submitted before December 21, 2007.

The scheme covers a range of energy efficiency improvements, including thermal insulation, replacement windows and doors, shading systems, solar water heaters, high-efficiency air conditioning and heat pump systems.

Installation of photovoltaic systems and battery energy storage is also eligible, alongside expenses for services provided by qualified energy experts.

Two categories of investment are available.

Under Category A, homeowners can receive grants of up to €32,000 to upgrade their properties to nearly zero-energy buildings, achieving primary energy savings of at least 60 per cent.

Category B provides grants of up to €24,000 for upgrades achieving primary energy savings of at least 60 per cent, without the additional requirement of meeting nearly zero-energy building standards.

Increased grants are available for homes belonging to vulnerable consumers, properties in mountainous areas and refugee housing in government refugee settlements.

The ministry stressed that applicants must obtain an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) before submitting their application.

The certificate must be issued by a qualified expert registered with the Energy Service and must be dated May 15, 2026, or later.

To receive funding, homeowners must achieve the minimum primary energy savings required under their chosen investment category. These will be calculated by comparing the initial EPC with a final certificate issued after the improvements are completed.

Eligible investments must have been undertaken after the initial EPC was issued.

Full eligibility requirements, grant amounts and application instructions are available in the scheme’s implementation guide through the ministry’s online grants platform.