Cyprus Energy Grant 2026 for Homes: What Happens Now

The Save and Upgrade Homes 2026 grant closed within two days of opening. What it paid for, what approved homeowners must do next, which trade does each job and how to get ready for a future round.

Published 30 October 2026 · Updated 30 October 2026 · 14 minute read · By Luke Barry, 15 years in the building industry

The scheme, known in Greek as «Εξοικονομώ Αναβαθμίζω στις Κατοικίες», offered up to €32,000 per home. This guide puts the Ministry's call, scheme guide and notices, all in Greek, into plain English for anyone who applied or missed it, and adds what each rule means when you hire trades. It is not legal or financial advice: check anything important with the scheme helpline on 17107.

Can I still apply for the 2026 energy grant?

No. The Ministry stopped accepting applications in October 2026 after the €20 million budget, and an extra €7.5 million, were fully taken up.

The timeline, from the Ministry's own notices:

• 15 May 2026: the round was announced, with a €20 million budget, so that owners could start preparing.
• 30 September 2026: the call set the window from 9am on 20 October to 11.59pm on 30 December 2026, or until the budget ran out, first come, first served.
• 21 October 2026: the budget had been oversubscribed on the first day. The Ministry added €7.5 million from savings on earlier calls, which was taken up too, and applications ended.
• 22 October 2026: 166 people who had started an application but could not finalise it were allowed to submit it as an extra reserve, to be looked at only if more savings come up. The Ministry stressed this is not a reopening.

The summary on the government's funding programmes portal still shows a closing date of 31 December 2026. The Ministry's notice of 21 October is the current position.

What was the Save and Upgrade Homes 2026 grant?

A grant for individuals upgrading an existing home, first connected to the electricity grid before 2008, so that it uses at least 60% less primary energy.

The saving is measured by comparing two Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), one before the work and a final one after it, both issued by a qualified expert on the Energy Service's register. There were two types:

• Type A, up to €32,000: the home becomes a nearly zero energy building and saves at least 60% of its primary energy.
• Type B, up to €24,000: the home saves at least 60% of its primary energy.

Both normally had to include at least one improvement to the shell: roof or floor insulation, wall insulation or new windows. The figures are ceilings, not standard payments. The grant was a fixed amount for each square metre or piece of equipment, set out in Annex A of the scheme guide, with higher amounts for vulnerable consumers, homes in mountain areas, refugee homes in refugee settlements and whole apartment blocks upgraded together.

Does the size of my quote change the grant?

No. The grant was a fixed sum per square metre or unit, so a cheaper or dearer quote did not change it.

The scheme's official answers to common questions say the cost on your invoices does not affect the grant. You still need every invoice and receipt, because they prove what was fitted and when. Comparing quotes matters as much as ever, because the grant will not grow to cover an expensive one. Our quote comparison tool puts quotes side by side.

Which homes and owners qualified?

Homes owned by individuals, first connected to the grid before 1 January 2008, with a domestic electricity account, in areas controlled by the Republic.

• First connection to the electricity network before 1 January 2008, or a planning or building permit application before 21 December 2007. The electricity supplier certifies the connection date.
• Owned by one or more individuals, not a company, with a recent domestic tariff electricity bill in an individual's name.
• In an area controlled by the Republic of Cyprus. Homes in the British Bases areas were not eligible.
• One application per person, and one approved application per home.
• For five years after payment, not let to a company or used for business. A long term let to a person as their home is allowed.
• No double funding: the same equipment could not be paid for by an earlier round or any other grant.

Apartment owners could apply for their own flat, or a block of five or more homes could apply together through its management committee, with every owner's written consent.

Does a resale home built before 2008 qualify?

Usually, if it was first connected before 1 January 2008. Later extensions, no final approval certificate or no title deeds did not rule it out.

The scheme's question and answer document says additions made after 21 December 2007 did not affect an application, and a certificate of final approval was not needed. If the title deed is not yet in your name, the sale contract lodged with the Department of Lands and Surveys, a copy of the seller's title deed and proof of lodging could be used instead. A newer home whose permit application went in after 2008 is not covered.

What work did the grant pay for, and which trade does it?

Insulation, new windows, external shading, solar water heaters, efficient air conditioners, heat pumps, solar panels with batteries, and the energy expert's fee.

Each measure had a technical minimum. Work that fell short did not count, and if it pulled the saving below 60%, the whole application failed. The table gives the 2026 rules and amounts from Annex A, with the trade you would normally talk to. The higher figure is for the households listed above, and a future round can change any of it.

The paperwork matters as much as the work. Window claims needed the maker's final order showing each window's U value and a signed declaration of CE marking and declarations of performance. Insulation claims needed the expert's U value calculations. Solar panels needed the electricity supplier's confirmation of connection or the first bill afterwards. For air conditioners and heat pumps, the guide recommends an installer on the Energy Service's register of building technical systems installers where possible.

A worked example for an imaginary house

Each measure is multiplied by its fixed rate. Here is our own arithmetic for an imaginary 120 m² single storey house at the standard rates:

This is not a quote or a promise, and it is well under the €24,000 Type B ceiling. Whether a mix like this saves 60% depends on the house, and only the expert's EPC calculation can show it. The real cost of the work will differ again, and the grant does not move with it.

I applied in October. What happens next?

Applications are assessed in the order they arrived. If yours is approved, you sign a funding agreement and have 12 months to finish the work.

1. Assessment. Each application is checked in order of submission. If something is unclear, you are told by email and normally have 30 days to reply.
2. Decision. The letter arrives through the Ministry's online grants system. If you are refused or offered less, you can object in writing within 30 days.
3. Funding agreement. If approved, you sign the public funding agreement and return it through the same system.
4. The work. All the measures and the final EPC must be finished within 12 months of your approval letter. The Ministry can add up to six months if you ask in writing with reasons, and more for documented force majeure such as serious illness.
5. Final certificate. Your expert visits again and issues the final EPC, with a report confirming the saving and the U values.
6. Payment claim. You submit it with the listed documents no later than one month after your deadline for the work.
7. Checks and payment. The Ministry checks the paperwork, may visit, and then pays.

Being inside the budget does not guarantee approval: each application still has to meet every criterion.

What can cut or cancel the grant at the payment stage?

Missing the 60% saving, fitting equipment below the minimum, changing the approved measures, or being unable to prove what was done and when.

• No changes. You cannot add a measure or move money between measures, for example dropping the solar water heater for a third air conditioner. If you leave a measure out, you are paid for what was done, provided the house still meets its type. A Type A home that falls short can be paid under Type B.
• Short of 60%. You get three months to put it right at your own cost. If it then passes, the grant is cut by €500; if not, the claim is rejected.
• Records. Keep invoices, receipts and dated photos of each stage. Proving dates is the joint responsibility of you and your expert.
• Tax. You must be up to date with Social Insurance, VAT and income tax, and money owed to the state can be taken off the payment.
• Afterwards. For five years, keep the upgrade in place, keep the documents and use the property as a home.

What should I ask each trade before they start?

Ask whether the product meets the scheme's minimum, whether they are on the right register, and whether they will supply the documents your claim needs.

• Insulation: which product and thickness, will it reach the U value my expert calculated, and can I have its CE marking and declaration of performance?
• Windows: will the maker's final order show each frame's U value, and who signs the declaration?
• Solar water heater: are you on the Energy Service's register of solar thermal installers, are the panels Solar Keymark certified, and what is the tank's energy class?
• Air conditioners and heat pumps: do the energy labels show at least A++ cooling and A+ heating, or A+ for a heat pump?
• Solar panels: are you on the renewable energy installers register, and who arranges the connection paperwork?
• Everyone: can you finish within my deadline, and will your quote list each measure with the same areas and quantities as my EPC?

Get every quote against the same written brief. For bigger jobs, our guide on how to check a builder in Cyprus covers licence, insurance and contract checks.

I missed it. What can I do now?

Nothing is open now. Either go ahead without a grant or wait for a future round, because work done now may not count later.

The scheme runs across the 2021 to 2027 EU funding period with €85 million in total, and each call is announced separately. The Ministry's website lists rounds for homes in 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2026. When we checked on 27 October 2026, its scheme page did not mention a further call. Two rules in the 2026 guide matter here:

• Work done during an earlier call's period is not eligible for a later call, unless that call says otherwise.
• The first EPC had to be issued on or after 15 May 2026, the day the round was announced. A future round may set its own date, so a certificate issued now may not be accepted.

If the work cannot wait, such as a roof that leaks before the winter rains, there is no grant to wait for. If it can, the 2026 money went on the first day, so have these ready:

• the electricity supplier's certificate of first connection, or proof of the permit application date;
• the title deed, or the lodged sale contract with a copy of the seller's title deed;
• a recent domestic tariff electricity bill;
• registration and an identity check on Ariadni, the government's online gateway, which the 2026 system required;
• a qualified expert from the Energy Service register, who cannot be related to you up to the fourth degree.

Watch the Ministry's scheme page (in Greek), or call 17107.

The mistake to avoid

In 2026 two things could sink a claim: starting work before the first EPC, and finishing every measure before applying. Owners could start early at their own risk, keeping invoices and photos to prove the dates. If a trade says the grant will cover something, ask which round they mean and ask to see the rule.

Are there other energy grants for Cyprus homes right now?

None that we found. On 27 October 2026 the home upgrade grant and the separate 2026 solar water heater grant were both closed.

We checked the two government bodies that ran home energy grants in 2026: the Ministry's Service of Industry and Technology and the Renewable Energy Sources and Energy Conservation Fund (the RES and EC Fund). The Fund's 2026 solar water heater grant, €500 per home or €900 in mountain and less favoured areas, stopped taking applications on 14 September 2026 when it reached its limit of 2,000. Its 2024 to 2025 scheme for solar panels and roof insulation is also marked as closed.

Before planning work around a grant, check the Ministry's scheme page and the RES and EC Fund's list of schemes on the day. News reports date quickly.

Did the grant cover solar panels?

Only alongside insulation, new windows or a heat pump, up to 10 kW and not on net metering. Panels alone did not qualify.

The Ministry confirmed this in a clarification on 5 October 2026. Batteries of up to 4 kWh could be added. If solar is your main interest, ask an electrician or solar installer how the system would connect to your electricity account and which installer register they are on.

Older homes and village houses

For a large scale energy renovation of a home whose building permit was issued before 1994, the guide requires the owner to appoint a suitable professional to assess the load bearing structure against the current Eurocodes and recommend any strengthening. Any mandatory measures had to be done before payment. If the walls are stone or mud brick, our plastering guide explains why lime render often suits them better than cement, and our guide to renovating a village house in Cyprus covers permits and other schemes. To find builders, browse builders in Paphos and builders in Limassol.

Finding trades for grant work

Roof insulation, new windows and a heat pump means three trades, and someone has to coordinate the order of work and the deadline: you, or a builder acting as main contractor. Start with the trade pages in the table or the full directory of trades. For air conditioning, Armstrong Cooling is listed on TrustedTradesCyprus for installation and servicing across Cyprus.

A listing is a starting point, not a guarantee and not a check of grant eligibility. Ask each business which Energy Service register it is on, check the register yourself, compare written quotes and agree everything in writing.

Frequently asked questions

Can I apply for the grant if I live abroad?

The 2026 rules required applicants to live permanently in Cyprus, though a holiday home could qualify. Ask the scheme helpline before relying on a future round.

Does the grant pay for the energy certificate?

Yes, within an approved claim, at €3.75 per square metre of floor area. If you never apply or are refused, nothing is paid towards it.

Can I get this grant and the solar water heater grant?

Yes for different equipment, but never twice for the same item. A heater funded by the RES and EC Fund could not be claimed here.

Sources

• Save and Upgrade Homes 2026 scheme page, Service of Industry and Technology, Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry (Greek)
• Call for applications, Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry, 30 September 2026 (Greek, PDF)
• Scheme guide, version 4, October 2026, including the Annex A grant amounts (Greek, PDF)
• Notice that applications have ended because the budget is used up, 21 October 2026 (Greek, PDF)
• Notice on extra reserve applications, 22 October 2026 (Greek)
• Clarification on solar panels, 5 October 2026 (Greek, PDF)
• Answers to frequently asked questions, 15 May 2026 (Greek, PDF)
• Save and Upgrade Homes Grant Scheme 2026, Cyprus funding programmes portal (English summary)
• Register of qualified experts, Energy Service
• RES and EC Fund: end of applications for the 2026 solar water heater scheme, 14 September 2026 (Greek)
• RES and EC Fund: list of grant schemes (Greek)
• Cyprus Mail: Save and Upgrade Homes money allocated within two days, 21 October 2026