What the canton of St Gallen pays
| Building work | Cantonal assistance | Key conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Air-to-water heat pump | CHF 2,800 up to 20 kW, then CHF 1,600 + CHF 60 per kW; + CHF 350 for the certificate | Up to 70 kW |
| Ground-source heat pump | CHF 6,000 up to 20 kW, then CHF 2,400 + CHF 180 per kW | Up to 70 kW |
| Insulation (separate components) | CHF 40 per m² | Heated building, granted planning permission before 2000 |
| Building envelope efficiency bonus | 30 CHF per heated m² (class C), 40 CHF per m² (class B or A) | Depending on the GEAK class achieved |
| Radiators or underfloor heating (first installation) | Up to 15,000 CHF for a house (up to 250 m² of heated floor area) | If an electric or fossil fuel heating system is replaced with a heat pump, wood-fired system or district heating |
| Meter and monitoring of the heat pump | CHF 1,500 | Heat pump up to 70 kW |
| Renovation plan drawn up by an expert (‘Gebäudemodernisierung mit Konzept’) | CHF 4,500 for a house, plus a CHF 2,500 grant if you carry out a measure within 2 years | Expert recognised by the canton |
| Charging points in car parks | CHF 300 per space for the cable, CHF 800 per charging point | At least 4 charging points; car park authorised before 2021 |
| Large installations (over 70 kW) | + 30% bonus | Complete application to be submitted by 31 December 2026 (does not apply to private homes) |
Source: St Gallen Energy Agency — Energy Incentives Brochure · City of St Gallen — Energy Fund.
Good to know:
- Temporary bonus: large heating systems (over 70 kW, e.g. a large building) receive an additional 30 per cent if the complete application is submitted by 31 December 2026. This bonus does not apply to heat pumps for houses.
- 2027: according to the St Gallen Energy Agency (3 November 2026), the amounts are likely to remain the same, but this has not yet been confirmed. We will update this page as soon as the figures are published.
- Good to know: if your home does not have radiators or underfloor heating (e.g. electric radiators), the canton will pay up to CHF 15,000 to have them installed when you switch to a heat pump.
Municipality grants
The city of St Gallen has its own energy fund, which supplements the cantonal grants. To find out about grants available in your municipality, search using your postcode on francsenergie.ch (energiefranken.ch in German).
A simple example
A 200 m² house heated by oil carries out the following work:
- 10 kW air-to-water heat pump: CHF 2,800;
- insulation of 120 m² of façade and roof: approximately CHF 4,800 (at the basic rate);
Estimated total: around CHF 7,600 in cantonal grants, plus any grants from the municipality and tax relief.
Steps to follow in order
- Obtain a CECB Plus (GEAK Plus in German-speaking Switzerland) if you are planning several improvements: this will set out the order in which the work should be carried out.
- Request quotes from local tradespeople.
- Submit your application via the canton’s Building Programme platform and to your municipality before work begins.
- Wait for confirmation before starting.
- Carry out the work within the timeframe specified in the grant approval letter.
- Send the supporting documents (invoices, photos, certificates) to receive the grant.
