Save energy and live more sustainably - where to start

If you want to make your home more energy-efficient, the best way to start is by minimising your energy consumption. It’s easy and cheap to do. For instance, you could set your boiler’s flow temperature to 60 degrees and replace all your incandescent bulbs with LEDs. 

The most effective way to save is by consuming as little energy as possible. Understanding how your home uses energy – appliances and heat loss are just two examples – will help you to manage your consumption. For instance, you can do a quick scan of the hot and cool spots in your home using infrared or ultrasound technology.

Lots of municipalities offer these scans for free or at a subsidised price. The image shows you where your home is losing heat. Covering these spots with insulation can really help to bring down your heating bills. There are lots of ways to stop heat escaping, such as seal strips, radiator foil and double glazing, as well as floor, wall and roof insulation. Good insulation can do wonders for an average home’s energy bills, saving over €1,500 a year on heating bills (at €1.20 per cubic metre of gas) and rising to €3,600 a year at €3 per cubic metre.

The most popular sources of renewable energy are wind and solar. Purchasing renewable energy from your supplier means your home is powered by solar or wind energy, hydropower or geothermal heat.

Thousands of households in the Netherlands have chosen to install solar panels. Due to the rising costs of energy, you can usually recoup the costs of solar panels in just five to six years.

Last but not least, consider using a standard or hybrid heat pump. However, bear in mind that a heat pump only works at its best if your home is well insulated. This is because the heat output system can then operate at a low temperature.

In many cases, there’s no alternative to fossil fuels. If you do use them, be as sparing as possible. For instance, you could set your boiler’s flow temperature as low as possible or use a heat recovery system: it heats cool air from the outside using warm, ‘ventilated’ air extracted from your home.

The solar energy you generate at home can be stored in batteries and used when there’s no or less sunshine, such as during the evening. You can even use the stored energy to charge an EV overnight.

Millions more homes in the Netherlands will need to be made more energy-efficient in the coming years. The Dutch government is playing a leading role in the country’s green transition, with key support from companies and moneylenders such as banks. You can fund your sustainable home improvements by requesting grants, taking out a green energy loan or using your own money.

The Dutch government has set up a series of grants at national, provincial and municipal level to encourage sustainable home improvements. To help homeowners understand the various grants available, Milieu Centraal (a public information organisation about sustainable living) and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency have co-developed the ‘energy grant guide’ (only available in Dutch). After answering several quick questions, you’ll know exactly which grants you can apply for. The grants can sometimes cover up to 30% of your investment.

Government agencies and banks also provide green energy loans, giving homeowners credit to make their home more energy-efficient. The loans have attractive conditions: some banks even give you a discount on your mortgage interest rate if you renovate your home to energy label A (very energy-efficient) or B. The discount on your mortgage rate, including on a mortgage to buy an energy-efficient home, can be as high as 0.15%. Good news: green energy loans are available at ABN AMRO.

If you take out a bank loan to fund sustainable home improvements, how much you can borrow depends on your income, the value of your home or both. The Dutch government has established rules for these types of loans. Over recent years, it has become increasingly easy to borrow money specifically to make your home more energy-efficient.

You could be better off using your own savings to make your home more energy-efficient. Besides lowering your energy bills, you may be able to reduce the tax you pay on your income from savings and investments (box 3) or bring it down to zero. If you have lots of liquid assets, you can often save by investing this money in making your home more energy-efficient.

There are many sources of support for homeowners looking to make their home more energy-efficient.

• The Milieu Centraal foundation (website in Dutch) can help you to make sustainable home improvements and find an energy adviser who can give you personal advice.
• The Netherlands Enterprise Agency has released a grant guide for homeowners.
• There’s also our Energy Saving Check, helping you understand which grants you can apply for.
• Various banks provide loans at attractive rates for homeowners looking to make sustainable home improvements. They also often work with partners who specialise in energy efficiency.
• Read articles about energy efficiency to learn more about energy savings, costs of energy efficiency and grants. You can request a quote from a contractor or technician through ABN AMRO.

Investing in energy efficiency can save you money and usually makes your home a more comfortable place to live. Besides enjoying lower energy bills, you’ll be giving the planet a helping hand. There are many ways to access support, including government grants and loans at attractive conditions. Whatever you do, be sure to seek advice and make the right choices for you.

• Did you know that sustainable improvements increase the value of your home?
• Energy efficiency and insulation in your 1930s property
• Energy Saving Check: calculate your potential energy savings