More than 100,000 households can still apply for ‘Efficiency Voucher’ (“Vale Eficiência”) and receive help to improve the energy efficiency of their home. The Environmental Fund (“Fundo Ambiental”) has announced the extension of the deadline for applications until 31 May 2023.
Each family can receive a cheque of up to 1300 euros+VAT, allowing the purchase of equipment, materials or services that improve the energy performance of a house or flat. The amount can be applied to solve problems of air conditioning, electricity expenses and even self-consumption , and can be used to purchase efficient windows, heating or cooling systems, heat pump or photovoltaic panels.
The 100,000 families who are beneficiaries of this Efficiency Voucher are those who enjoy the social energy tariff and are in a situation of potential energy poverty: “The amount available per application is 1300 euros plus VAT, and the beneficiary (Taxpayer Number) cannot receive more than one Efficiency Voucher,” says the program documentation, cited by the real estate portal Idealista.
The support is only applied in mainland Portugal, and can only be requested by people with their own home (leases and social housing are excluded) and who are holders of the electricity contract. The application is made through the Environmental Fund portal.
However, there are some issues to be considered: the “Efficiency Voucher” is valid for one year from the moment it is issued and can only be used in one of the suppliers adhering to the program (the list can be consulted on the website of the Environmental Fund). The value may not be used all at once, but from the moment a supplier is chosen to supply the equipment and materials, the entire value must be spent at that supplier and cannot be changed to another.
Efficiency Voucher was created under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (“Plano de Recuperação e Resiliência”).
