Stacking municipal grants

As of 2026 — municipal programmes change often and yearly. Always check your municipality's current guideline.

Many municipalities fund a heat pump (and sometimes a battery) on top of KfW. That's free money added on — but there are rules that can cap the amount.

What it typically looks like

An example (municipality of Hohenbrunn, as of 07/2026): heat pump 25%, max €2,000. Other municipalities have their own rates. Such programmes are explicitly combinable with KfW/BAFA — they're meant to stack.

The warning: programmes change

A real example for caution: in the previous year's version of the same programme there was also a battery grant (15%, max €500) — which was removed in the 2026 version. Never rely on an old brochure; get the current guideline and the current forms.

The 60% cap when stacking

The most important rule: the total funding from all sources (KfW + municipality) often may not exceed 60% of the eligible costs. Since the KfW heating subsidy alone can be high, that means:

• If your KfW rate is very high, the municipal grant may be reduced or fall away entirely.
• Ask the municipal climate-protection office directly how they calculate the 60% cap with high KfW funding — that decides whether the full amount arrives.

The right order

The municipal heat-pump grant usually requires the KfW approval notice at application. So it comes after the KfW approval. Importantly, the application must (as with KfW) be submitted before work starts — the conditional clause in the contract covers this too.

What to do in practice

• Request the current forms early (municipality website or climate office).
• Clarify the 60% question in advance.
• Submit the application after the KfW approval but before installation starts — with the KfW notice and the offer.

In short: municipalities often fund on top (example: HP 25%/max €2,000), stackable with KfW — but the 60% total cap can trim it, and programmes change yearly. Get the current guideline, clarify the 60% question, apply after KfW approval and before construction.

Next, the collection of pitfalls: the funding-traps checklist.