Usually 0.1 to 0.3 pp off the rate. On a CZK 4,000,000 mortgage over 25 years at 5.00 %, a 0.2 pp discount lowers the payment by CZK 464 a month and saves roughly CZK 39,000 in interest over a five-year fixed-rate period. That is no reason to pay more for a flat, but with a new build or a renovated house it is money left on the table unless you ask for it.
A green mortgage is an ordinary mortgage with a rate discount for a property in energy class A or B on its energy performance certificate (průkaz energetické náročnosti budovy, PENB), or for a renovation loan that demonstrably improves the class. The discount does not stack indefinitely with other bonuses, and you get it only if the PENB reaches the bank in time, usually by drawdown at the latest.
What counts as a green mortgage at Czech banks?
A loan for a property in energy class A or B on its PENB, or for a renovation that demonstrably improves the class. Banks fund part of their “green” lending with green bonds and have to show investors that the money went into energy-efficient buildings. So they want hard evidence, not the seller's word. In practice a loan qualifies in one of these ways.
The most common is buying a flat or house in class A or B, typically a new build, with the PENB for the building or the unit as proof. If you are building a house, the design has to reach class A or B: the bank wants a PENB from the project documentation and, after completion, the final certificate. A renovation qualifies if it improves energy performance by a set amount (one or two classes, for example) or pays for specific measures such as insulation, a heat pump or solar panels. Here the proof is a PENB before and after, or an energy specialist's assessment.
At most banks, class C no longer earns the discount, however “energy-efficient” the building is said to be. Each bank sets its own threshold and discount in its price list and changes them from time to time. Ask about it directly when you compare offers, because advisers do not always bring it up.
How much is the green discount worth in CZK?
The figures below are for a CZK 4,000,000 annuity mortgage over 25 years, with a starting rate of 5.00 % (payment CZK 23,384):
| Discount | Rate | Payment | Monthly difference | Interest saved over a 5-year fixation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 pp | 4.90 % | CZK 23,151 | −CZK 232 | ≈ CZK 19,600 |
| 0.2 pp | 4.80 % | CZK 22,920 | −CZK 464 | ≈ CZK 39,200 |
| 0.3 pp | 4.70 % | CZK 22,690 | −CZK 694 | ≈ CZK 58,800 |
The interest saved over the fixed period is more than the lower payments add up to, because at a lower rate a bigger share of each payment goes to principal. Over the full 25 years, 0.2 pp would save more than CZK 139,000 in interest. Nobody guarantees that, however. The discount is tied to the current fixed period, and at refixing the bank's price list of the day applies.
Two flats at the same price. You are buying a two-room flat (2+kk) for CZK 5,000,000 with a CZK 4,000,000 mortgage (LTV 80 %) over 25 years. Flat A, in a new build, has a class B PENB. Flat B, in a 1980s brick block, is class D. The bank offers 5.00 %, with a 0.2 pp discount for flat A.
- Flat A: 4.80 %, payment CZK 22,920.
- Flat B: 5.00 %, payment CZK 23,384.
Over a five-year fixed period, flat A costs about CZK 39,000 less in interest. Lower energy bills come on top, and with two classes between the flats they often matter more than the rate discount. Price, location and condition should still decide. The discount is a bonus, not a reason to overpay.
How people lose the discount
- No PENB at drawdown. With a developer's new build, the certificate often comes only with the occupancy approval (kolaudace). If you are paying instalments under an agreement on a future purchase agreement (smlouva o smlouvě budoucí kupní), the bank usually gives the discount only once the PENB arrives, or gives it straight away on condition that you deliver the certificate by a set date.
- The certificate covers the wrong part of the building. The bank needs to see that it relates to your house or unit. For a flat, a PENB for the whole block is often enough, but check beforehand that your bank accepts it.
- The certificate has expired. A PENB is valid for 10 years, and a major change to the building calls for a new one. The bank may refuse an older certificate.
- The renovation is not finished. With a renovation loan, the discount depends on the result. Leave the insulation half done or fail to deliver the post-renovation PENB, and the bank can withdraw the discount or raise the rate as a penalty under the contract.
- The discount cancels out another one. Some banks cap total rate discounts (bonifikace). If you already have the maximum for insurance and a current account, the green discount may add nothing, so ask for the final rate rather than a list of discounts.
What the seller must show you
The duty to have an energy performance certificate when selling or letting a building or unit comes from Act No. 406/2000 Coll., on energy management. For a buyer that has two practical consequences.
First, the seller must present the PENB by the time the purchase agreement is signed at the latest, and advertisements must state the energy class. If a listing gives no class, or shows the worst class G only because there is no certificate, ask to see one before you sign a reservation agreement.
Second, in a block of flats the certificate for the whole building is often handled by the SVJ (owners' association) or the housing cooperative. Ask for a copy. For the bank, and for estimating your energy costs, it matters as much as the title sheet (list vlastnictví).
If you are the seller, have the certificate made before the listing goes live. A buyer with a green mortgage will need it for the loan application, and without it the whole deal slows down.
Combining it with Nová zelená úsporám
For renovations, the green discount works well with the Nová zelená úsporám subsidy (the state New Green Savings programme). The loan pre-finances the works, the subsidy arrives once you have documented them, and you send it to the bank as an extra repayment. One post-renovation PENB serves both the bank and the fund. For the timeline and cash flow, see Nová zelená úsporám and a mortgage.
Both the subsidy assessment and the bank's PENB are prepared by an energy specialist, so order them together and save time and money. And if the discount depends on reaching a particular class, have the designer confirm that the planned measures will really get you there.
How to ask for the discount
- State the property's energy class and send the PENB with your very first request for an offer.
- Ask for the final rate with and without the discount, so you can see what it really does.
- Ask by when you must provide the PENB and what happens if the developer delivers the certificate later.
- Check whether the discount applies for the whole fixed period and how the bank proceeds at refixing.
- Compare the APRC (RPSN), not just the rate: the green discount must not be offset by more expensive insurance or a fee.
- For a renovation, have a specific target class and deadline for documentation written into the contract.
The green discount is only one way to push the rate down. LTV, insurance, a current account and a competing offer are covered in How to negotiate a lower mortgage rate.
Sources
- Act No. 406/2000 Coll., on energy management (energy performance certificate of buildings)
- State Environmental Fund – Nová zelená úsporám programme
- ČBA Hypomonitor – average rate on new mortgages, August 2026
- Act No. 257/2016 Coll., on consumer credit (APRC, pre-contract information)