Is a shower heat recovery system eligible for a subsidy in 2026?

More and more homeowners are investing in making their homes more sustainable. Heat pumps, insulation and solar panels are now well-known ways to reduce energy consumption and lower energy bills. But what about shower heat recovery? Is there a subsidy available for this technology as well?

Many people search for information about subsidies for shower heat recovery systems, bathroom heat exchangers or heat recovery under the Dutch ISDE scheme. In this article, we explain the current situation and why a shower heat recovery system can still be an interesting investment even without a dedicated subsidy.

What is a shower heat recovery system?

A shower heat recovery system uses heat from wastewater leaving the shower to preheat incoming cold mains water.

Normally, warm shower water disappears down the drain while still containing a considerable amount of thermal energy. A shower heat exchanger captures part of this heat and transfers it to the incoming cold water.

The wastewater and clean water remain completely separate: only the heat is transferred.

As a result, a heat pump, gas boiler or other water-heating system needs to provide less energy to bring the incoming water up to the desired shower temperature.

In practice, a shower heat recovery system can reduce gas or electricity consumption for showering by around 40–50%, depending on the type of system and installation.

Is there an ISDE subsidy for shower heat recovery?

In 2026, there is no separate ISDE subsidy for installing a shower heat recovery system in an existing home.

The Dutch Investment Subsidy for Sustainable Energy and Energy Saving (ISDE) currently covers measures including:

• heat pumps;
• solar water heaters;
• insulation measures;
• energy-efficient ventilation systems, subject to certain conditions;
• connections to district heating;
• electric cooking facilities, subject to certain conditions.

Shower wastewater heat recovery is not currently a separate eligible measure under the scheme.

It is worth checking the latest conditions published by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), as subsidy schemes and eligibility requirements can change over time.

Why isn't there a separate subsidy for shower heat recovery?

The absence of a dedicated subsidy does not mean that shower heat recovery is not a valuable energy-saving measure.

From a technical perspective, recovering heat from shower wastewater is an efficient concept: it captures energy that would otherwise disappear down the drain and immediately puts it to use again.

Government subsidy programmes do not necessarily cover every technology that can reduce household energy consumption. Eligibility depends on the scope and conditions of the subsidy scheme in question.

As a result, the absence of an ISDE category should not be interpreted as an indication of the effectiveness of shower heat recovery itself.

Shower heat recovery complements other energy-saving measures

Although shower heat recovery does not currently have its own ISDE subsidy, it can work particularly well alongside other sustainable technologies.

Reducing demand on a heat pump

When incoming cold water has already been partially preheated, the heat pump needs to supply less energy to produce water at the desired shower temperature.

This can:

• reduce electricity consumption for showering;
• reduce the amount of heat the heat pump needs to supply;
• reduce demand on the hot water cylinder;
• help maintain hot water comfort.

Less hot water required from the cylinder

In homes with a heat pump and hot water cylinder, heat recovery means that less stored hot water is required to achieve the same shower temperature.

This means the available supply of hot water can effectively last longer.

In some situations, shower heat recovery can even make it possible to use a smaller hot water cylinder, which can be particularly useful where installation space is limited.

The financial case can still be attractive

A subsidy can make an investment more attractive, but the overall financial case ultimately depends on the purchase and installation costs, energy savings, usage and lifespan of the system.

A shower heat recovery system:

• reduces energy consumption for showering;
• operates automatically while the shower is running;
• requires relatively little maintenance;
• can provide energy savings for many years;
• reduces the home's overall energy demand.

The potential savings are particularly relevant in households where several people shower every day.

Could local subsidies be available?

In addition to national schemes, municipalities and provinces may offer their own subsidies, financing schemes or sustainability loans.

These programmes vary by region and can change over time.

It is therefore worth checking with your municipality or local energy advice service to see which schemes are currently available for energy-saving improvements.

Local programmes may sometimes support measures that are not covered by national subsidy schemes.

Why is shower heat recovery becoming more relevant?

The way homes use energy is changing.

As homes become better insulated and space-heating systems become more efficient, domestic hot water can account for a larger share of a home's remaining energy demand.

Showering is an important part of that hot water consumption.

This makes recovering heat from shower wastewater increasingly interesting, even without a direct subsidy.

Instead of generating additional energy, the system makes better use of heat that is already available.

Investing in energy efficiency can still pay off

The most sustainable unit of energy is ultimately the one you do not need to produce.

A shower heat recovery system captures heat that would otherwise be lost and can therefore directly reduce the amount of energy required for showering.

Although there is currently no separate ISDE subsidy for shower heat recovery, the technology can fit well within a broader approach in which heat pumps, insulation, efficient hot water use and other energy-saving measures work together.

Conclusion

A shower heat recovery system is not eligible for a separate ISDE subsidy in the Netherlands in 2026.

That does not necessarily make it a less interesting investment. Shower heat recovery works automatically while showering, reduces the amount of energy required to heat shower water and can reduce demand on both heat pumps and hot water cylinders.

In homes with a heat pump, it may even help reduce the amount of hot water storage required.

Anyone looking to make their home more energy-efficient should therefore consider not only the subsidies available today, but also the structural energy savings a system can provide over its lifetime.