How much extra can you borrow for energy-saving measures?

Extra borrowing capacity with NHG

For a mortgage with NHG, the 2026 limit is €470,000. If you also finance energy-saving measures, that amount can rise to €498,200. The difference, up to 6 percent of the market value before the improvements, must be spent entirely on recognised measures.

NHG offers two schemes for this:

• Energiebespaarbudget (EBB): an energy-saving budget. You borrow a fixed extra amount when you take out your mortgage. You do not need to know yet exactly which measures you will take; you decide that later, within the term of the construction deposit.
• Energie Besparende Voorzieningen (EBV): energy-saving provisions. You specify upfront which measures you will take, backed up by a written plan.

Which scheme fits best depends on how concrete your plans are at the time you apply. We talk that through with you before you choose.

Extra borrowing capacity based on the energy label

Separate from NHG, there is also extra income-based borrowing capacity that depends on the energy label of the home you are buying. For homes with a poor label, the rule of thumb is simple: the lower the label, the more extra room you get to invest in improvements. For the most energy-efficient homes (labels A+++ and A++++), that extra room was actually reduced in 2026 compared with 2025, because these homes have hardly anything left to save on their energy bills. For homes with labels G through A++, the extra borrowing capacity in 2026 stays the same as last year.

In practice, this means a home with energy label B can give you extra borrowing capacity in 2026 on top of your income-based maximum, and that you can borrow even more if you then go on to improve the home further. Both amounts are added to your normal maximum mortgage, up to a combined ceiling of 106 percent of the property value.

Which measures qualify?

Lenders work with a fixed list of recognised energy-saving measures, such as:

• Roof, floor and wall insulation
• HR++ (high-efficiency double) glazing or triple glazing
• A heat pump or hybrid heat pump
• Solar panels
• An energy-efficient ventilation system

Some measures can only be financed in combination with other recognised measures, because a single improvement sometimes achieves little if the rest of the building envelope is left untouched. We check this upfront, so there are no surprises when you apply for the construction deposit.

How does the construction deposit work?

The extra amount you borrow is not paid into your bank account. It goes into a construction deposit (bouwdepot), and you claim back the costs with invoices and proof of payment as the work is carried out. If money is left in the deposit because the measures cost less than budgeted, the remaining amount is usually deducted from your mortgage.

A rate discount for a green energy label

On top of the extra borrowing capacity, many lenders offer an interest rate discount for an energy-efficient home, or for taking measures that improve its label. On an average mortgage, that quickly adds up to a noticeable difference in your monthly costs, on top of what you save on the energy bill itself.

Why this belongs in your mortgage advice

Making your home more sustainable touches almost every other part of your mortgage: your maximum loan amount, the interest rate band you fall into, the NHG limit and sometimes an ongoing renovation as well. That is why we cover it as standard in every advice meeting, whether you are buying a home, refinancing or increasing your existing mortgage to fund the improvements.

Want to know how much extra borrowing capacity there is for your situation, and which measures pay for themselves fastest? Book a no-obligation consultation with us, an independent mortgage advisor in Tilburg.