Consumer loans for energy renovations continue to rise
10 November 2026 - 3 min Reading time
Consumers continue to invest in energy-saving measures. The number of consumer loans for “energy saving” increased by around 11% in the third quarter of 2026 compared with the same period last year. In total, 8,500 consumer loans were taken out for this purpose.
By contrast, the number of loans for the purchase of a new car decreased: around 24,000 consumer loans were granted, 10% fewer than last year. In the sustainable mobility category, we see a positive trend: almost 37% of loans for a new car were used to purchase a “green” vehicle.
Energy-saving investments drive renovation loans
In the third quarter of this year, just over 19,000 consumer loans were granted for renovation purposes. This represents an increase of almost 4% compared with the same period last year. These loans were intended, on the one hand, for general renovation work and, on the other, for investments in energy-saving measures.
Loans for energy-saving investments, such as the installation of a heat pump, solar panels or additional insulation, increased significantly in the third quarter of 2026. The number of loans rose by 11%, while the amount borrowed increased by 4.8%.
The increase in the number of renovation loans is a positive sign for the renewal of Belgium’s building stock. Energy prices and the repeated heatwaves during the summer are clearly having an impact on investment in energy-saving measures.
Consumer credit for other purposes also continued to increase, rising by 13.4% in number and 5.8% in amount compared with the third quarter of 2025.
Mortgage loans for the purchase and/or renovation of a home are not included in these figures.
Consumer loans for sustainable mobility continue to rise
In the third quarter of 2026, the number of consumer loans for car purchases continued to decline. A total of 24,000 loans were granted for new cars, compared with almost 32,100 for second-hand vehicles. Compared with the same period in 2025, the number of loans fell by 10.4% for new vehicles and by 2.5% for second-hand vehicles.
A different trend can be seen in sustainable mobility: the share of financed “green” cars continues to increase. In the third quarter of 2026, just under 2,900 loans were taken out for the purchase of a new vehicle in the “ECO” category. For second-hand vehicles in the same category, the figure was just over 1,500 loans. This represents an increase in the number of loans of 37.6% for new vehicles and 31% for second-hand vehicles.
Consumers continue to invest in making their homes more energy-efficient. The positive trend in loans for energy renovations over the past quarter is encouraging. Energy prices and the repeated heatwaves last summer underline the importance of these investments. The challenge now is to maintain this focus on energy efficiency over the long term.
