The energy ministry is set, any day now, to announce the details of the next Saving at Home program subsidizing energy efficiency upgrades ahead of its launch, planned for October, according to an announcement made by energy minister Kostas Skrekas late last month.

Once launched, the Saving at Home online platform will remain open for one month, the minister has informed, to give interested households sufficient time to submit all required supporting documents.

The ministry has set an objective for energy efficiency upgrades of 50,000 homes through the new program, a 38 percent increase compared to the previous cycle.

The new subsidy program, worth a total of 632 million euros, is expected to offer subsidies averaging 62 percent of energy efficiency project costs.

The annual objective for energy savings is expected to be exceeded by 108 percent.

A first-come, first-served criterion is being abandoned for this latest edition of the subsidy program. Instead, applications will be assessed based on energy-efficiency potential, income, and social criteria.

Priority will be given to low-income households, individuals with special needs, single-parent families, long-term unemployed, large families and households with increased energy needs.

The energy-saving potential of applications will be the most important criterion, representing a 50 percent coefficient in the overall assessment. Personal or family income levels will be the next most important factor, representing 15 percent of the overall assessment.