Do you have a mortgage? The bank may encourage you to renovate your home

In the debate about the EU building directive (EPBD), there is mostly talk about energy classes and mass renovations. Meanwhile, experts from the RynekPierwotny.pl portal pay attention to the less known, but more and more important aspect: the impact of new regulations on bank mortgage portfolios.

– The largest Polish bank recently issued an important message regarding the so -called Decarbonization of the mortgage portfolio – notes Andrzej Prajsnar, expert on the Rynekpierwotny.pl portal

Thermomodernization – PKO BP wipe the trail

It is about PKO BP, who announced a strategy for reducing CO₂ emissions – not only his own, but also those related to real estate to which he granted housing loans. By 2030, he wants to reduce emissions from the mortgage portfolio by 31 percent. In practice, this means that the bank will promote thermomodernization of houses and apartments, finance energy -saving buildings, as well as support clients in obtaining energy certificates and educate them in the field of energy efficiency.

As experts note, in the context of the fact that every fourth housing loan in Poland is granted by PKO BP, the direction set by the bank may have a real impact on the market and accelerate energy transformation in Polish homes.

In their opinion, similar steps can be expected from other domestic banks.

– In the near future, for example, the offer of loans for thermomodernization activities should be expanded – not only for private houses owners, but also housing communities and cooperatives – notes Andrzej Prajsnar, expert of the portal RynekPierwotny.pl

Banks are to motivate EU mortgage portfolio standards

Experts pay attention to the Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council (EU) 2024/1275 of 24 April 2024 on the energy characteristics of buildings (EPBD Directive).

– She says about the so -called Mortgage portfolio Standards, i.e. mortgage portfolio standards. These standards are to encourage banks to gradually reduce the emission and energy consumption of buildings burdened with mortgages – mainly residential. The European Banking Supervision Office in January 2025 suggested that EU banks would be expelled to voluntarily accept and use the mortgage portfolio standards – explains Andrzej Prajsnar.

He explains that the building directive indicates that banks should motivate mortgage owners to improve the energy standard of their homes and apartments – including by offering convenient financing of thermomodernization.

– EU member states are to promote the so -called Green mortgage loans and eco -reports and take care of their availability for consumers. As for banks, the motivation for them to support renovations may be a factor not included in the building directive, i.e. care for the value of mortgage security. In this context, it is worth referring to the situation from Germany, where the negative impact of low energy class on the market price of houses and apartments is visible – notes the expert.

Banks will promote thermomodernization

According to experts from the marketwotywotny.pl portal, promoting thermomodernization among borrowers is a policy that will be conducted not only by domestic banks. As they notice, in some EU countries lenders had previously started to take such actions on a larger scale. One of the European pioneers in the use of the mortgage portfolio standards is the Dutch Bank ABN Amro. His customers currently receive a reduction in interest rates of 0.10 or 0.15 percentage point (e.g. from 3.78 percent to 3.68 percent) if they choose an apartment with the energy class “A” or “B”. However, the KBC Brussels bank – in addition to a similar discount – offers a reduction in interest rates as a result of a renovation that improves the energy efficiency of the house.

It is true that in Poland the energy classes of buildings have not yet been formally introduced, and the most likely scenario assumes the entry into force of the relevant regulations only in the second half of 2026.

– On the domestic market we will already find offers of housing loans with a lower interest rate when buying an energy -saving apartment. It cannot be ruled out that in the future as a common solution there will be interest rates for customers who have renovated the credited house and can document the improvement of the energy class – says Andrzej Prajsnar.