Measure

Shower heat recovery

Use the heat from your shower water twice. A small device that saves energy every time you shower.

counts for your label

What it is

Recovering heat from your shower water

The warm water that drains away when you shower is full of energy. A shower heat recovery unit (douche-wtw) uses that heat to preheat the cold water going to your shower. Your boiler or heat pump has less to do.

Types of shower heat recovery

Vertical unit: a pipe in the drain below a shower on an upper floor
Horizontal unit or heat recovery shower drain: in or under the shower floor
Connected to your boiler, your heat pump or your mixer tap

What it gets you

Less energy every shower

How much you save depends on how often and how long people shower in your home. Your installer puts the savings in their quote.

Less gas or power for hot water
No maintenance and no moving parts
A better energy label, and with it extra borrowing capacity
In the same increase as your other measures

Good to know

Before you start

A vertical unit needs space below the shower, usually on the floor underneath.
A horizontal unit also works with a ground-floor shower, but needs space in the floor.
It's most affordable to fit during a bathroom renovation.
The more showers are taken, the faster it pays for itself.

Financing

How to finance it with groenbudget

This measure improves your energy label. That's why your lender may lend more for it than for a regular renovation: you get extra borrowing capacity on top of your regular capacity.

There is no national ISDE subsidy for shower heat recovery. Check whether your municipality has a local scheme.

We calculate with the amount from your installer's quote
Everything in one mortgage increase, no separate loan
Repay over 30 years (lowest monthly payment) or 15 years
Paid out through a construction deposit, based on your installer's invoices

Questions about this measure

Will shower heat recovery fit in my home?

There's almost always a type that fits. A vertical pipe if your shower is upstairs, a horizontal unit or shower drain if it's on the ground floor. Your installer checks what's possible.

Will I notice anything in the shower?

No. The water is just as warm; your boiler or heat pump simply has less heating to do.

Does it count for my label?

Yes. It lowers the energy your home needs for hot water and counts in the calculation of your energy label.