Energy in Malta: what to know before you decide

Solar panels, water heaters, air conditioning and insulation are connected, and the order of the work often matters more than the brand of the equipment. Here is the overview for Malta.

Where to start: the order that usually saves money

Heat that stays in the house is heat you do not have to buy or generate. That is why most independent advice puts insulation and draught-proofing before new heating: a smaller heat loss means a smaller heat pump, fewer radiators to replace and a lower running cost for as long as you live there.

Solar panels are a separate decision. They pay back through the electricity you use yourself and what you export, so orientation, shading and how much you are at home during the day matter more than the state of your heating. A battery only makes sense once you know how much surplus the panels produce or if you use a time-of-use tariff.

It will not replace an installer's survey, but it tells you which measures are worth pricing.

Topics this section covers

Heat pumps: air source, ground source and air-to-air, and what the survey should include
Solar panels: system size, export payments and planning rules
Home battery storage: retrofit, backup power and tariffs
Insulation: loft, cavity, solid wall and floors, and the ventilation that has to go with them
Energy-efficient renovation: planning several measures in the right order
Heating: boiler replacement, servicing and hybrid systems
Energy assessments: EPCs and retrofit assessments

How to check a scheme before you rely on it

Grant schemes change their amounts, eligibility and closing dates, sometimes with little notice. Before you sign a quote that assumes a grant, check the scheme's official page yourself and ask the installer to confirm in writing that the grant has been applied for and approved where the scheme works that way.

Be wary of cold calls and door-to-door offers of free insulation or free boilers.

Asking for a quote through Offrano

Each trade page linked from this section has a request form. Your request goes to exactly one business in your area that buys it; the service is free for you, and we email you the business's name and phone number before it sees your details. Offrano does not decide whether you qualify for a grant; the installer and the scheme do.

REWS support schemes

The Regulator for Energy and Water Services runs yearly incentive schemes for residential users, for example for renewable energy sources, water heaters and water-saving measures. Conditions change from year to year; check the current scheme before you sign and ask the installer who submits the application.