Save and Upgrade Homes 2026: who qualifies, how much and how to apply

Covers property in the Republic of Cyprus (Department of Lands and Surveys records). Not the north of the island. Updated .

Short answer

Save and Upgrade Homes 2026 opened on 20 October 2026. On 21 October the ministry said it takes no new applications: the €20 million budget and an extra €7.5 million were allocated. Older homes could get up to €24,000 (Type B) or €32,000 (Type A). We found no next round announced (Cyprus Mail, Politis, 21 Oct 2026).

Work it out: Home energy grant check

Dates and budget

  • Applications opened on Tuesday 20 October 2026 at 09:00 Cyprus time.
  • On 21 October 2026 the ministry said it was no longer accepting applications. The €20 million budget and an extra €7.5 million from savings on earlier calls were all allocated (Cyprus Mail and Politis, 21 Oct 2026).
  • Applications already submitted are assessed in the order they arrived. Before the stop, the ministry also took reserve applications; a reserve place is not a promise of a grant (Politis, 21 Oct 2026).
  • The call had been due to run to 30 December 2026. As of 23 October 2026 we found no announcement of a next round. The rules below are those of the 2026 call, kept for reference; a next round may change them.

It is the third call of the scheme under the 2021–2027 programme. It is not a percentage grant. The scheme pays a fixed amount per eligible item, set in Annex A of the scheme guide, up to a cap per home.

The funding portal’s call page, last changed on 23 June 2026, shows 15/05/2026 to 31/12/2026. Those are the announcement dates. The call text and the press give 20 October as the opening.

Who can apply

  • A natural person who lives permanently in the Republic-controlled areas of Cyprus.
  • The home must be owned by a natural person. A home owned or rented by a company or other legal entity is not covered.
  • One application per person.
  • A home let by one person to another as their permanent home can be included.
  • For a vulnerable consumer, the applicant or a relative can apply for the vulnerable person’s permanent home.

The scheme documents we read set no citizenship rule. We found no source that confirms or rules out owners who are not Cypriot citizens. If that is your case, ask the scheme helpline on 17107 before you spend money.

Which homes qualify

  • First connected to the electricity grid before 1 January 2008, or the planning or building permit was applied for before 21 December 2007.
  • An electricity account on the domestic tariff in a natural person’s name.
  • In the Republic-controlled areas. Homes in the British Sovereign Base Areas are not covered by this call.
  • In a block of 5 or more homes, the owners apply jointly through the management committee.
  • No business activity in the home for 5 years after the grant is paid.
  • A home with a permit from before 1994 that has a major renovation needs a structural assessment report.

The grant checker below runs these rules against your answers. It shows the rule and the source behind each point.

Save and Upgrade Homes 2026Step 1 of 8about 60 seconds

Save and Upgrade Homes 2026

Up to €24,000

or up to €32,000 for a nearly-zero-energy upgrade

Opens Tue 20 Oct, 09:00First come, first served

What kind of home is it?

Houses and apartments both count.

Applications are open until Wed 30 Dec 2026 at 23:59 Cyprus time, or until the budget is used. First come, first served. Open the grant check on its own page.

What works count

TypeCap per homeEnergy savingRoof, walls or windows
Type AUp to €32,000Nearly-zero-energy standard and at least 60% less primary energyAt least one measure
Type BUp to €24,000At least 60% less primary energyAt least one measure, unless the home is already class B or better with part of the roof, walls or windows done

The saving is measured by comparing the first energy certificate with the final one after the works.

Eligible items listed in the scheme guide:

  • Roof insulation, wall insulation, new windows (U-value 2.25 or lower) and shading.
  • A solar water heater, split air conditioners up to 12 kW, a heat pump, solar panels up to 10 kW on net billing, and a battery up to 4 kWh.
  • The qualified expert’s fee.

Replacing something with the same thing is not funded. Solar panels on net metering are not eligible. Solar panels and solar water heaters must be fitted by registered renewable-energy installers.

How much: the Annex A amounts

The grant is the sum of fixed amounts per item, from Annex A of the scheme guide (V3.0, pp. 34–38), up to the cap: €24,000 for Type B or €32,000 for Type A. Priority groups get the higher column. The ministry sets the final amount from the data in your energy certificates.

ItemUnitAll applicantsHigher rates
A.1 Roof insulationper m²€30€40
A.2 Wall insulationper m²€40€55
A.3 Windows and doorsper m²€200€265
A.4 External movable shadingper m²€135€180
B.1 Solar water heaterper system€885€1,180
B.2 Split A/C up to 4 kWper unit€290€390
B.2 Split A/C above 4 kW to 12 kWper unit€525€700
B.3 Heat pumpper system€3,225€4,300
B.4 Solar PVper kW€450€1,000
B.5 Batteryper kWh€720€960
Γ.1 Qualified expertper m² floor area€3.75€5

Example: roof insulation 100 m², windows 15 m², a heat pump, solar panels 5 kW and the expert for a 120 m² home come to €11,925 at the standard amounts, or €17,875 at the higher amounts. Our grant check works this out for your home.

Priority groups

Three groups get the higher Annex A amounts (scheme guide pp. 15–16):

  • Vulnerable consumers (Annex B): recipients of the listed benefits or with the listed conditions, who are Cypriot, EU or EEA citizens or have equal rights and live legally in the Republic-controlled areas. The home must be their permanent home; they or a close relative can apply.
  • People who live permanently in a mountain-area home: the postcode on the electricity bill is one of the 191 postcodes in Annex C.
  • Refugee homes in government settlements, where the settlement home is the permanent home and the applicant or spouse is displaced.

The higher amounts are about one third more per item, and more than double for solar panels (€450 → €1,000 per kW). The caps stay €24,000 and €32,000: the guide states no higher cap for priority groups. A block’s management committee that applies for a full upgrade of at least 5 homes also gets the higher amounts.

The energy certificate comes first

You need an energy certificate from a registered qualified expert before you apply. It must be issued on or after 15 May 2026. One issued before 15 May 2026 counts only if the expert visits again and confirms nothing has changed. The expert may not be related to you up to the 4th degree.

If you want to apply on 20 October, arrange the certificate now. The details are in our guide to the energy certificate for the 2026 grant.

How to apply on 20 October

  1. Have the energy certificate and the electricity bill with the account details ready.
  2. From 09:00 on 20 October, apply online at fundingapps.meci.gov.cy. Use Chrome, Firefox or Edge.
  3. Submit once. Each person may make one application, and the order of arrival counts.

Applications are online only. The scheme helpline is 17107.

Works and payment

  • Works may start before the grant letter, at your own risk. Spending must be dated after the first energy certificate.
  • Do not finish all the works before you apply. If every work is already done before you apply, the application is not eligible.
  • Keep every invoice and take photos before, during and after the works.
  • The ministry evaluates the application. If it grants the funding, you sign a public funding agreement.
  • The works must be finished within 12 months of the grant letter.
  • After the works, a qualified expert issues the final energy certificate. You send the payment request with it. The ministry checks the request, then pays.

What Etimo does and does not do

Etimo offers a free grant check by WhatsApp or email: we go through these rules with you and tell you what to prepare. Your first message needs no photos or documents.

  • Etimo does not issue energy certificates.
  • Etimo does not apply for you and never asks for your login details.
  • Etimo is not part of the ministry. The ministry decides every application.
  • Etimo does not price the works.
Save and Upgrade Homes 2026Check your home against the 2026 grant rulesTen questions, the rule and source behind each answer, and the next steps in order. Then ask us for a free grant check by WhatsApp or email.Open the grant checker

Property Brief

The 7 documents for a home in Cyprus, what each shows, and the questions for your lawyer.

See the Property Brief

Email me the grant checklist

A one-page checklist for Save and Upgrade Homes 2026: what to check, what to prepare before 20 October and what happens after. We send it now, and at most one more email: if the budget runs out early or a new round opens.

We use your email only for the checklist and that one later email. Privacy notice

Sources

  1. Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry: call text, Save and Upgrade Homes 2026 (PDF, Greek), checked 9 Oct 2026
  2. Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry: scheme guide, Save and Upgrade Homes 2026 (PDF, Greek), checked 9 Oct 2026
  3. Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry: scheme guide V3.0, Annex A pp. 34–38 (amounts), Annex B and C pp. 15–16 (PDF, Greek), checked 9 Oct 2026
  4. Funding Programmes Portal: Save and Upgrade Homes 2026, call page (Greek, last changed 23 Jun 2026), checked 9 Oct 2026
  5. Cyprus Mail, "€20 million home energy upgrade scheme opens on October 20", 30 Sep 2026
  6. Sigmalive, "Applications open for the Save and Upgrade scheme" (Greek), 20 Oct 2026, 08:40
  7. Cyprus Mail, "€27.5m for save and upgrade homes scheme all allocated within two days", 21 Oct 2026
  8. Politis, "No more applications for Save and Upgrade after the funds ran out" (Greek, title translated), 21 Oct 2026
  9. Energy Service: register of qualified experts for energy certificates (as linked in the scheme guide, §13(B)), checked 9 Oct 2026

General information, not legal advice. Your lawyer interprets legal title; Etimo does not.

General information from the published scheme documents, not legal advice. The ministry decides every application.

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