The RENOLUTION grants have been suspended since the beginning of 2025 in Brussels. No applications for a balance invoice dated 2025 or 2026 can be submitted. However, replacing a gas boiler with a non-fossil system remains eligible for funding through other mechanisms, provided you know which ones are still operational and under what technical conditions.
6% VAT on heat pumps in Brussels: technical conditions often misunderstood
The reduced VAT rate of 6% is currently the most direct fiscal lever to finance the replacement of a new boiler in Brussels with a heat pump. This rate applies to residential buildings over ten years old, provided that the work is carried out by a contractor registered in Belgium.
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We regularly observe refusals related to confusion about the scope of application. The 6% VAT covers the supply and installation of the heat pump, including essential accessories (buffer tank, regulation, hydraulic connections). In contrast, preparatory civil engineering work (excavation for horizontal collectors, geothermal drilling) may be billed separately at the standard rate if the contractor involved is not the one installing the heat pump.
The point of caution concerns the nature of the building. A mixed-use building (commercial on the ground floor, residential on the upper floors) only qualifies for the reduced rate on the residential portion. The VAT certificate must be completed by the project owner before the work begins, not after invoicing.
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Municipal grants in Brussels: amounts and criteria vary from one municipality to another
In the absence of regional grants, some Brussels municipalities maintain their own renewable heating aid schemes. These municipal grants do not follow a uniform grid: each municipal administration sets its amounts, income ceilings, and technical criteria.
Specifically, the elements to check before placing any order are as follows:
- The eligibility of the type of equipment: not all municipalities subsidize the same technologies. Some limit aid to air-water heat pumps, while others include thermodynamic water heaters or solar thermal systems.
- The timing of the application: several municipalities require a prior application before the work or within a strict timeframe after invoicing. A file submitted late is systematically rejected.
- The income conditions: the household’s income category determines the amount granted. Some municipalities reserve aid for low incomes, while others open it without a ceiling but with a decreasing amount.
Check the municipal regulations before signing a quote is a precaution we always recommend. A quick call to the environmental or urban planning department of the municipality is enough to clarify eligibility.
ECORENO loan: financing without a grant for the exit from gas
The ECORENO loan, distributed by the Housing Fund of the Brussels-Capital Region, remains accessible despite the suspension of RENOLUTION grants. This reduced-rate loan covers energy improvement works, including the replacement of a gas boiler with a renewable system.
ECORENO also finances related works: facade insulation, window replacement, mechanical ventilation. The advantage lies in the possibility of grouping the boiler replacement with a bundle of works in a single financing file, which improves the overall profitability of the investment.
The granting conditions focus on the household’s income and the location of the property (Brussels-Capital Region). The interest rate varies according to the income category, with significantly more favorable conditions for low-income households. The application goes through the Housing Fund, not through Irisbox.
Eligible related works via ECORENO
We find that many Brussels homeowners are unaware that the ECORENO loan is not limited to the heat generator. The envelope can cover:
- Thermal insulation of walls, roofs, and floors, which often represents a greater energy gain than just replacing the boiler.
- The installation of a controlled mechanical ventilation (CMV) system, made necessary by the improvement of air tightness after insulation.
- The replacement of glazing and frames, provided that the new elements meet the current energy performance requirements in Brussels.
Grouping these items in the same file allows for smoothing the cost over the duration of the loan and achieving a significant energy class jump on the energy performance certificate.
RENOLUTION suspension and previous invoices: the case of works ordered in 2024
A technical point often goes unnoticed. Balance invoices dated 2024 remain eligible for RENOLUTION grants, provided that the applicant meets the criteria of the scheme in effect at that time. The suspension concerns new invoices, not files where the triggering event (balance invoice) is prior to 2025.
The application must be submitted via Irisbox, the administrative procedures platform of the Brussels Region. The submission deadline runs from the date of the balance invoice. We recommend not to wait for a hypothetical reopening of the scheme to submit a file concerning works already invoiced in 2024.
For works invoiced in 2025 or later, no RENOLUTION grant can be requested until the new Brussels government has ruled on the continuation or overhaul of the scheme. The situation remains blocked at this stage, with no announced timeline.
Heat pump or biomass boiler: which generator to choose without regional aid
Without RENOLUTION grants, the economic calculation changes. The air-water heat pump remains the most common choice in the Brussels Region, mainly because it benefits from the 6% VAT and its coefficient of performance (COP) allows for a reduction in primary energy consumption compared to a gas boiler.
The biomass boiler (pellets) represents a technical alternative, but its installation in a dense urban environment poses storage and air quality constraints. Some Brussels municipalities impose fine particle emission standards that effectively eliminate entry-level models.
The choice of generator also conditions eligibility for municipal grants and the ECORENO loan. Check the compatibility of the chosen system with each aid scheme before validating the quote to avoid unpleasant surprises at the end of the project.