Green mortgage: which energy class gives a rate discount?

More and more banks cut the mortgage rate if the home is energy efficient. It is called a green mortgage.

Sounds simple. But requirements differ between banks, the discount is small, and understanding the conditions in advance saves disappointment when you finally ask. Here we go through it.

What is a green mortgage?

A green mortgage is a completely ordinary mortgage. The difference is that the rate is a little lower if the home uses little energy.

The thinking behind it is simple. The bank wants more people to live energy efficiently. So they give you a carrot in the form of a lower rate.

How big the discount is varies between banks. It is small, often just a small fraction of a percentage point, but over the whole loan term it still becomes money, and a lower rate is a lower rate. Ask for it.

The energy certificate decides

The bank does not look at the house itself. It goes by the energy performance certificate.

An energy certificate shows how much energy a building uses. It gives the home an energy class on a scale from A to G. A is best, G is worst. When a home is sold there should normally be a valid energy certificate.

Without a valid certificate you get no green mortgage. That is where everything starts. If it is missing, or has expired, it must be redone before the bank can grant the discount.

Which energy class gives a rate discount?

Most banks want to see energy class A or B. A few also accept class C. But most common is that the discount is for the highest classes.

What does that mean in practice? A newly built home often meets the requirements directly. An older house with no energy measures rarely does. Living in an old house with poor insulation, do not count on a green mortgage without first doing something about the energy.

Conditions differ between banks

There is no shared standard. Each bank sets its own requirements and its own discount.

Some banks grant the discount directly if you show an approved energy certificate. Others want more than that. They may require solar panels, an EV charger, or a certain heating system.

So compare several banks before you decide. Ask straight out: which energy class is required? How big is the discount? And how long does it apply? Some discounts apply only the first years, and then it is really a campaign rather than a permanently lower rate. That difference is worth tracking.

Think about energy class while searching

Most people pick a home by location, size and price. Energy class comes second, if at all.

But wanting a green mortgage, thinking about energy class from the start pays off. Then you avoid falling for a home that can never give you the lower rate.

On SökHem you register a buying brief with your requirements. Then the system finds matching homes, even ones not listed openly. Including energy requirements in your brief gets you tips on places that can actually qualify for lower rates. Then you see the whole monthly cost with price, rate and fee together, instead of just a raw price to guess around.