# Aid for roof insulation: what exists, what closed and what comes in 2027 > Vale Eficiência closed and never paid for insulation, the Social Climate Plan expected in the second half of 2027, condominiums and what you can do today. - Page: https://telhadoseguro.pt/en/guides/roof-insulation-aid - Language: English - Updated: 2026-11-02 ## Summary - We found no open call for private owners to insulate the roof. - Vale Eficiência closed in February 2026 and never paid for insulation (it paid for windows and equipment). - The Social Climate Plan, for about 50,000 vulnerable households, is expected in the second half of 2027. - Today what remains is 6% VAT on labour, under item 2.27. The roof is where a house loses or gains a lot of heat. That is why many people ask whether the State pays for insulation. The short answer, as of 2 November 2026, is this: **we found no open programme** for private individuals to insulate their roof. There was the Vale Eficiência (Efficiency Voucher), but it closed and never paid for insulation. The next support, the Plano Social para o Clima (Social Climate Plan), is planned for **the second half of 2027**, and it is only for vulnerable households. This guide explains what exists, what is coming, and how to pay less VAT in the meantime. *Updated on 2 November 2026. Programmes change quickly: before deciding, check the portal of the Fundo Ambiental (Environmental Fund) or the Agência para o Clima (the Climate Agency).* ## The essentials - **Vale Eficiência: closed.** The award of new vouchers ended immediately in February 2026. Each voucher was worth 1,300 euros plus VAT and **did not pay for insulation**: it paid for windows, heat pumps, solar thermal systems, boilers and photovoltaic panels. - **Plano Social para o Clima: planned for 2027.** Portugal submitted the proposal to Brussels on 9 October 2026. The first call is planned for the **second half of 2027**. It targets about **50 thousand vulnerable households**. - **Today, for most homes, there is no open subsidy for insulating the roof.** What exists is **reduced VAT at 6%** on labour, under the conditions in our VAT guide. - **Apartment blocks:** there was a PRR call (Plano de Recuperação e Resiliência, the Recovery and Resilience Plan) for insulating roofs in residential buildings, before 2026. We found no open call today. ## What the Vale Eficiência was and why it does not help The Vale Eficiência was a Fundo Ambiental programme for vulnerable households. According to the Observador article of 26 February 2026, which quotes Lusa (the Portuguese news agency): - The second and last phase (PVE II) paid for the **replacement of windows** of class A and **heating or cooling systems** (heat pumps, solar thermal, boilers, photovoltaic). - Insulation was «an intervention that was not supported in PVE II». - Each voucher was worth **1,300 euros plus VAT**. In phase I it was one per household, in phase II up to three. - The Agência para o Clima ordered the award of new vouchers to end «immediately». Ongoing cases were due to finish by the end of May 2026. - About **28 thousand** eligible applications were left without a voucher. The Observador says they will only be able to apply again in 2027. If someone offers you a «1,300-euro voucher for the roof» today, **be wary**: the programme is closed and was never for insulation. ## Plano Social para o Clima: what we know The Plano Social para o Clima is the Portuguese part of the European Union's Social Climate Fund. According to the Government's press release of 9 October 2026: - Portugal submitted to the European Commission a proposal of about **1.6 billion euros**, to be carried out **by 2032**. - It provides support for about **50 thousand vulnerable households** for home energy efficiency. - It is managed by the **Agência para o Clima**. - The next step is the **formal negotiation** with the Commission. Implementation is planned for the **second half of 2027**, with the first calls. The Observador, in February 2026, describes the **«Famílias + Sustentáveis»** (More Sustainable Households) measure for 2027, aimed at people on the **social energy tariff** (tarifa social de energia) or with low incomes, and says it includes **insulation**, replacing windows and doors, and heat pumps. A presentation by the Agência para o Clima, which we read through a summary, speaks of grants between **80% and 100%** of eligible costs. **We have not confirmed these percentages** in the final text: they come from a proposal stage. **What this means for you:** | Situation | What to do | |---|---| | You are on the social energy tariff or have a low income | Follow the Agência para o Clima's calls from 2027. Do not pay for the work before the call says whether it accepts costs already incurred. | | Normal income | You will probably fall outside this plan. Count on reduced VAT and energy savings. | | You live in an apartment block | Ask the building manager whether the residents' association is following calls for roofs. | **Important rule:** in Fundo Ambiental programmes, in general, the work **only counts after the application is approved**. This is standard, but we have not confirmed it for the new plan. Read the call when it is published. Anyone who did the work beforehand may lose the support. ## Apartment blocks A news item from Idealista about PRR support for multi-family buildings mentions a call for insulating **roofs, walls and floors**, with maximum support of **150,000 euros per residents' association** and 477 applications. It is a line from **before 2026**, funded by the PRR. The PRR is coming to an end (deadline in 2026) and **we found no open call**. If your building has a project, ask the building manager to check the Fundo Ambiental portal. ## What you can do today: reduced VAT Labour for **maintenance, renovation or improvement** work on a dwelling pays **6% VAT** (item 2.27). Materials only get 6% if they do not exceed 20% of the value of the contract. The [guide to VAT on roof works](https://telhadoseguro.pt/en/guides/roof-works-vat) explains the rule, the sentence the invoice must carry and what is left out. For insulation, confirm with the contractor that the work counts as improvement of a residential property. **We do not have an opinion from the AT** (Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira, the tax authority) **on roof insulation.** ## What is not worth waiting for - **Money for «insulating»** without a published call. There is no open line. - **«Subsidy companies»** that ask for an advance payment. Public calls are free to consult on the Fundo Ambiental portal. - **That the 2027 plan will reach everyone.** It is for vulnerable households. ## Before insulating on your own 1. Check **the condition of the roof**. Insulating over a leak traps the damp inside. See our guide to [support after the storm](https://telhadoseguro.pt/en/guides/storm-kristin-roof-aid) if there was damage. 2. If the roof is **fibre cement**, **do not touch it** before reading the [asbestos guide](https://telhadoseguro.pt/en/guides/asbestos-roof-law-removal). Cutting or drilling the sheets is dangerous. 3. Ask for a quote with **labour and materials separate**. 4. Check the **building permit** (in general maintenance is exempt; see the [permit guide](https://telhadoseguro.pt/en/guides/roof-works-permit-2026)). ## What we could not confirm - **Whether there is an open call at the Fundo Ambiental today.** Our search found none, but the portal publishes calls with little notice. - **The final text of the Plano Social para o Clima:** limits, percentages, income and whether it accepts work already done. - **The Fundo Ambiental «simplified mechanism»** for the roughly 28 thousand eligible households left without a voucher (email notice on 30 October 2026, rules on 5 November, sign-up from 23 November, according to our research for JanelaCerta.pt). We have not read the notice. It belongs to Vale Eficiência, so it covers windows and equipment, **not insulation**. - **Municipal programmes.** Some town halls (câmaras) have their own support. Ask yours. - **Tax deductions** for energy efficiency spending in IRS (personal income tax). We did not check them. ## Sources (read on 2 November 2026) - Governo de Portugal, [Portugal entrega a Bruxelas Plano Social para o Clima de 1,6 mil milhões de euros](https://portugal.gov.pt/pt/gc25/comunicacao/comunicados/portugal-entrega-a-bruxelas-plano-social-para-o-clima-de-16-mil-milhoes-de-euros), 9 October 2026. - Observador, [Programa Vale Eficiência deixa 28 mil famílias vulneráveis sem apoio até 2027](https://observador.pt/2026/02/26/programa-vale-eficiencia-deixa-28-mil-familias-vulneraveis-sem-apoio-ate-2027/), 26 February 2026 (quotes Lusa). - Idealista, [Programa Vale Eficiência deixa 28 mil famílias sem apoio até 2027](https://www.idealista.pt/news/node/74138), 2026 (timetable of the new plan; summary read through a search). - Idealista, [Apoios para isolar edifícios atrasados a três meses do fim do PRR](https://www.idealista.pt/news/node/75060) (PRR call for apartment blocks; summary read through a search). - Agência para o Clima, presentation of the Plano Social para o Clima (Porto), October 2025: support percentages, read through a summary and **not confirmed** in the final text. ## FAQ ### Is there an open grant to insulate the roof? We found none. Check the Fundo Ambiental and Agência para o Clima portals, which publish calls at short notice. ### Did Vale Eficiência pay for insulation? No. It paid for windows, heat pumps, solar thermal, boilers and photovoltaics, and closed in February 2026. ### When does the Social Climate Plan open? The Government expects the second half of 2027, for vulnerable households, after negotiation with the European Commission. --- Source: https://telhadoseguro.pt/en/guides/roof-insulation-aid. Independent information, not legal or tax advice.