Heat pump Schwyz: incentives, regulations and costs when replacing your heating
When replacing an oil, gas or electric heating system, the Canton of Schwyz pays CHF 3,200 plus CHF 120 per kW for an air-to-water heat pump and CHF 4,800 plus CHF 360 per kW for brine-to-water or water-to-water (systems up to 70 kW). The minimum incentive is CHF 3,000 per application, and the application must be submitted before construction starts. There is no obligation to replace oil and gas heating in the Canton of Schwyz – the requirements only apply when you replace the heat generator. (As of August 2026)
This page brings together what concretely matters when replacing a heating system in the Canton of Schwyz: the 2026 incentive rates, the requirements of the Energy Act, the deadlines for electric heating and the process from inventory to commissioning. Technology and scope of services at a glance: Heat pumps by ecoEn. If you're switching from oil, start with Replacing an oil heating system; for the roof in the same canton: Solar panels Canton of Schwyz.
What does a heat pump cost?
Costs depend on the system, the condition of the heat distribution and the structural conditions. The reference is SwissEnergy's empirical values for a single-family home, including storage tank and hydraulic integration:
| System | SwissEnergy reference (single-family home, complete) | Cost drivers |
|---|---|---|
| Air-to-water heat pump | CHF 45,000–60,000 | Unit, installation, hydraulics, boiler room adaptation |
| Brine-to-water (ground probe) | CHF 55,000–80,000 | Ground probe drilling (depth and subsoil) |
Guideline values according to SwissEnergy, before incentives; they include heat pump, installation, storage tank and hydraulics. Removal of the old heating and permits are not explicitly included. The individual quote is binding.
The heat pump's electricity demand and the yield from your own roof are interlinked – we calculate both sides together.
Heat pump incentives in the Canton of Schwyz
The replacement of a heating oil, natural gas or electric heating system is subsidised. For systems up to 70 kW thermal rated output, CHF 3,200 plus CHF 120 per kW applies for an air-to-water heat pump (module M-05) and CHF 4,800 plus CHF 360 per kW for brine-to-water or water-to-water (M-06). If you connect to a heating network instead, you receive CHF 4,000 plus CHF 200 per kW (M-07).
The often overlooked item is called IP-19: anyone who replaces a decentralised electric or decentralised fossil heating system with a main heating system with hydraulic heat distribution receives up to CHF 15,000 for up to 250 m² of energy reference area, and CHF 60 per m² above that. This requires a separate application, and all decentralised heaters in the building must be replaced – towel radiators excepted. If electric underfloor heating cannot be removed, it is permanently disconnected from the power supply.
Conditions that determine the timeline: the application must be submitted before construction starts – retrospective support for measures already carried out is excluded. The minimum incentive is CHF 3,000, the maximum CHF 300,000 per application. Only electric motor heat pumps are subsidised; up to 15 kW, a heat pump system module is required, and for ground probes also the FWS quality label of the drilling company. The fossil peak load coverage of the overall system must be 0 percent up to 100 kW.
Do you have to switch – and by when?
The clearest answer first: there is no obligation to replace a gas or oil heating system in the Canton of Schwyz. You may continue heating as long as the system runs. The requirements only apply when the heat generator is replaced.
Then the following applies in existing residential buildings: the share of non-renewable energy must not exceed 90 percent of the relevant demand (relevant energy demand for heating and hot water: 100 kWh per m² and year). Compliance is demonstrated by the professional implementation of a standard solution according to MuKEn, a Minergie certification or reaching GEAK class D. Mixed-use buildings are exempt if the residential share does not exceed 150 m² of energy reference area. Important: the requirements must be met with measures on site. A heat pump meets them without additional proof.
For electric heating, Schwyz is considerably more generous than its neighbours: existing fixed electric resistance heating with a water distribution system must be replaced by 2050, as must central water heaters in residential use that are heated exclusively by direct electricity. For systems without a water distribution system, there is no replacement obligation, nor for supplementary or emergency heating alongside a heat pump. By comparison, the corresponding deadline in the Canton of Zurich expires as early as 2030. However, new fixed electric resistance heating may no longer be installed – and such a system with a water distribution system may not be replaced with the same technology.
What this means in practice: you have time, but time only works for you if you use it to plan. Whether your house is ready for a heat pump is decided by the heating load calculation, not the year of construction – heat pumps in older buildings and sizing correctly. Basis: Office for the Environment and Energy of the Canton of Schwyz, FAQ on the incentive programme and Energy Act. The current provisions apply.
References
Our documented reference systems are photovoltaic and storage projects, several of them on upper Lake Zurich and in the Höfe region – see Projects & references. For heating replacement, we show you comparable properties from the region in the consultation instead of stock images.
How your project works
- Inventory. Heating, distribution, hot water and consumption – ideally while the old system is still running.
- System and legal clarification. Air-to-water or ground probe, drilling permit, noise distances, MuKEn compliance.
- Heating load calculation & quote. Sizing based on calculation, quote with individually listed items.
- Incentive application before construction. Submit and wait for approval – for decentralised electric heating, also the separate IP-19 application.
- Notification & permits. We handle the municipality, grid operator and, for ground probes, the drilling permit.
- Removal & installation. Old heating out, heat pump in – a few working days for a single-family home.
- Commissioning & fine-tuning. Set the heating curve, instruct, readjust – the point at which efficiency is decided.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Canton of Schwyz pay towards a heat pump?
Do I have to replace my oil or gas heating in the Canton of Schwyz?
By when must electric heating be replaced?
What is the IP-19 application?
When do I have to submit the incentive application?
What technical requirements apply?
Air-to-water or ground probe – which suits the Canton of Schwyz?
Guides on heating replacement
- Heat pump costs Switzerland: the items
- Heat pump incentives Switzerland: overview
- Heating replacement: the process in 7 steps
- Replacing an oil heating system: obligations, costs, tank
- Ground probe: when drilling pays off
- Air-to-water or ground probe?
- Running a heat pump with radiators
- Heat pumps in older buildings
- Combining a heat pump and photovoltaics
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