Since March 1, 2022, the Renolution website has provided an overview of the incentives available in the Brussels Region for :
- Renovate (Urban administration)
- Improve the energy efficiency (Bruxelles Environnement) of a building located in the Brussels Region.
A reform which, helped by the energy crisis and soaring material costs, has doubled the number of grants actually paid out (annual budget: 43 million euros). Above all, access to these incentives has been considerably simplified, with applicants able to:
- submit premium applications directly via the new website
- receive centralized payment of the various premiums to which they are entitled
- no longer have to go through the laborious system of advances on the basis of estimates which previously prevailed at Urban, and which required them to draw up a preliminary file: from now on, premiums are paid on the basis of the work invoiced (a single file).
- obtain a preliminary online simulation of the premiums to which they are entitled (via IRISbox).
Support from A to Z
To help them through the sometimes complicated and time-consuming process, homeowners (in this case, private individuals) can also count on the help of :
- Homegrade, who guides them step-by-step through the process of improving the quality and energy efficiency of their property. This support is free of charge, and covers the technical, administrative and financial aspects of renovation projects, including access to existing financial aid, while respecting the rules (town planning, housing code, PEB, etc.) to preserve their heritage.
- Réseau Habitat, which includes 9 non-profit associations specialized in housing and acts more proactively with residents.
The Renolution site even offers comprehensive lists of professionals (contractors, architects, but also design offices by specialty, PEB advisors and certifiers, companies specializing in specific issues such as asbestos, waste management, etc.).
In addition to estimating your premiums, you can also use Homegrade to apply for a green loan (ECORENO credit from the Fonds du Logement, which subsidizes low-interest mortgages and consumer loans up to EUR 25,000).
Income and claimant categories
To fully understand the tree structure in which you'll be navigating to calculate your premiums, it's important to start by situating yourself: there are in fact three income categories for individuals (annual taxable income as a whole) which will determine the level of most premiums:
Category I: Default category (or non-residential property or non-occupying owner in joint ownership or no information provided on your income)
- Category II: between EUR 41,300 and 82,400* per year
- Category III: less than 41,300* EUR per year (+ various cases including rental of the property with a registered lease of at least 3 years and work recommended by the PEB certificate)
*(increased by 5,000 EUR for those under 35 and 15,000 EUR if one has a “dependent” person at home)
Some grants are open to all, while others are available only to owner-occupiers or landlords who use the services of an Agence Immobilière Sociale (AIS).
Professionals and legal entities are either in:
- category I by default, or
- category II in various cases, including condominiums.
The table at the bottom of this article summarizes all Renolution premiums and application criteria.
Note that there are also :
- other bonuses not stamped "Renolution" (floor renovation, replacement of gas heaters and water heaters, restoration of unprotected small-scale heritage, periodic PEB inspection, etc.)
- as well as various bonus grants awarded in addition by each of the Region's communes (building renovation in Saint-Josse, insulation and embellishment of facades in Etterbeek, theft prevention in Schaerbeek, rainwater recovery in Jette, etc.).
From cellar to attic
The roof, which is primarily responsible for energy loss (up to 30%), is particularly well served by incentives, with grants of up to 80 EUR/m2 (roofing and waterproofing) or expressed as a percentage of the cost (excluding VAT) of eligible work (up to 50% for accessories).
What's more, an additional 10% or 20% depending on income category is applied if at least two other "insulation" grants are awarded.
So, for a small two-facade rental house with a 6-metre front and 12-metre depth, for example, we've calculated that in income category I, you can expect to receive 7,150 EUR. A real incentive when you consider the total investment of around EUR 30,000.
- Another area that receives particular attention is the facades (20% of energy losses). Substantial amounts are available for thermal insulation, cladding, rendering, embellishment and soundproofing, with an additional bonus if two other insulation grants are involved.
The result: the renovation and insulation of a rear façade in Ixelles, which was supposed to cost EUR 27,581, cost only EUR 11,661, thanks to EUR 15,920 in category II premiums via the building's co-ownership, i.e. 58% of the investment.
- Doors and windows (15% of energy losses) are a third central item in these energy-saving premiums, with amounts ranging from 140 EUR/m2 for installation and replacement to 260 EUR/m2 for repair, excluding mark-ups...
