Sustainable home personal loan
A personal loan for owner-occupiers to insulate an older home in Almere when the Nationaal Warmtefonds is unavailable or financially less favourable.
The Duurzaam Wonen Persoonlijke Lening finances €2,500–€25,000 for an Almere home. At least 80% must pay for primary insulation measures. Up to 20% can fund approved additional work alongside insulation, such as solar panels, a hybrid heat pump, a home battery, accessibility improvements, asbestos removal or repairs. Energy-related additional measures must demonstrably contribute to Almere's energy-transition vision.
The published interest rate is 1.7%. The municipality may change it for new allocations; the rate agreed in your consumer loan is fixed for its term. You repay borrowed capital and interest together in regular payments (annuity payments). The maximum term is 10 years for up to €15,000 and 15 years from €15,001. Outstanding balances across multiple personal stimulating loans must together stay within €25,000.
SVn holds the money in a building account and pays approved invoices to contractors. If you have paid an invoice yourself, provide proof of payment for reimbursement. The account normally lasts 12 months, with one requested extension of up to 12 months. SVn may close it after six months without transactions; unused funds reduce your loan. You cannot deposit your own money into this account, and must pay any invoice shortfall yourself. Related finance, advice and permit costs can qualify where directly connected to the approved measures; banking costs for special payments are charged to you.
You may repay early without a repayment charge, in amounts of at least €250. SVn adjusts the regular payment after a partial repayment and may shorten the term if that payment would fall below €35.
Payments to SVn must be made without deduction or offset. Late payment brings statutory interest and may bring administration or collection costs. If a payment is at least two months overdue and you remain in default after formal notice, SVn can demand repayment of the outstanding debt.
Eligibility
You must be a private owner who uses the Almere home as your main residence. The dwelling must have been completed at least 25 years before application. You may apply for only one dwelling even if you own several in Almere. Joint owners apply together; the personal-loan ordinance requires the applicant, or at least one of two applicants, to be younger than 76.
Show that a Nationaal Warmtefonds loan is unavailable or financially less favourable, using its rejection or a monthly-payment comparison prepared by an independent financial adviser. A municipal allocation reserves funds but does not guarantee a loan: SVn separately checks whether you can repay it.
A skilled company registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce for the relevant work must carry out the insulation. No DIY work qualifies. Insulate the existing roof, exterior walls, floors or windows; extensions and demolished-and-rebuilt parts do not qualify under the applicable ISDE installation criteria. New insulation alone must reach the required insulation value; existing material cannot be added to meet it. Take photographs during installation.
The municipal technical minimums are:
- Roof or unheated attic-floor insulation: at least 20 m², Rd ≥3.5 m²K/W.
- External-wall insulation: at least 10 m², Rd ≥3.5 m²K/W.
- Cavity-wall insulation: at least 10 m², Rd ≥1.1 m²K/W.
- Floor or ground insulation: at least 20 m², Rd ≥3.5 m²K/W.
- Replacement glazing: at least 3 m²; HR++ U ≤1.2 W/m²K, or triple glazing U ≤0.7 W/m²K with new insulated frames Uf ≤1.5 W/m²K. Optional new frames with HR++ must also meet that frame value. Rd measures resistance to heat loss; higher is better. U and Uf measure heat passing through glass and frames; lower is better. Locally sprayed PIR/PUR must use HFC-free blowing agents.
The insulation must meet the applicable current technical standards of ISDE, the national home-energy grant, as well as Almere's minimums above. Quotes must give the ISDE product code (meldcode), identifying the approved insulation material or glazing. UF foam has been removed from the approved list since 1 April 2026. An attic must have no heating facilities, and glazing must replace existing windows. Almere retains its frame-value requirement for triple glazing.
Apply before work and wait for the municipal allocation: work started before that decision cannot be paid from the account. Required permits and any owners' association decision must be supplied. The municipality can refuse a dwelling with a registered Housing Act enforcement notice, and withdraw an allocation based on incorrect data or if the loan is not concluded.
How to apply
- Status
- Open continuously
- Round restrictions
- Applications opened on 1 April 2026 and are accepted while the municipal budget remains available.
Apply through Almere's municipal application form while budget remains. Individuals sign in with DigiD. Provide your ID, property address, ownership and building-age evidence, the split between primary and secondary measures, quotes and a start/end schedule. Quotes must include the contractor's registration number, work and price, ISDE product code, area and Rd/U values. Include permits, an owners' association decision and energy advice where applicable, plus the Warmtefonds rejection or independent comparison.
If the municipality allocates funds, use its allocation letter to apply to SVn. SVn conducts its own financial assessment and issues a loan offer if positive. Accept the offer to establish the building account, then claim invoices and provide completion evidence if requested. The municipality may carry out spot checks. Tell it immediately in writing if work will not be completed or an allocation obligation will not be met.