New energy efficiency subsidies exclude PVs, vehicle rechargers

The latest edition of the “Saving at Home – Becoming Autonomous” program subsidizing energy efficiency upgrades, expected to be announced on Thursday by the energy and environment ministry, will focus on domestic energy efficiency upgrades and not offer subsidy support for domestic installations of photovoltaic systems and electric vehicle recharging units.

Applicants with income levels below the poverty line, deemed, by the ministry, as personal incomes of up to 5,000 euros per annum and family incomes of up to 12,000 euros per annum, will be given priority.

Also, low-income applicants will be entitled to greater subsidy amounts representing 65 percent of efficiency upgrade expenses.

The new subsidy program, planned to be launched in September, is expected to be worth 500 million euros. Successful applicants will each be entitled to subsidy support of up to 50,000 euros, unchanged from the program’s previous edition.

Applications will not be processed on a first-come, first-served basis but, instead, priority will be determined by a combination of the following factors: applicant income level and number of people living in each household; age of building; and regional climate conditions.

Applicants who present plans promising to maximize energy efficiency levels with lower investment amounts will also be given priority.