The Ministry of Environment and Climate Action, through the Environmental Fund (FA), created the “Efficiency Voucher” Program which aims to finance 100,000 families in need against energy poverty.
This program aims to encourage the renovation of buildings, increasing their energetic and environmental performance as well as the thermal comfort, health and well-being of families.
It is also intended to boost economic activity and social development and contribute to meeting Portugal’s objective of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050.
Who can apply?
- Families who do not live in social housing and are economically vulnerable and face situations of potential energy poverty.
- Exclusive to mainland Portugal.
- Natural person, holder of an electricity contract that simultaneously meets the following conditions:
- Be a beneficiary of the Social Electricity Tariff (TSEE) at the moment of submitting the application as per the electricity bill for their permanent home;
- Own and permanently live in the house that the person is applying for the voucher;
- Not having yet benefited from the “Efficiency Voucher” Program.
Check here the mandatory documents for application in point 9 of the Regulation.
Allocation
The total allocation for the program reaches a maximum of 162 million euros. However, this 1st Phase only provides €31,980,000 (20,000 vouchers). This means that each voucher has a value of 1.300€ plus VAT at the legal rate in force. Each family can only benefit from one voucher.
Projects in Scope
The following types of expenses are included in this program:
- Replacement of non-efficient windows with efficient windows, with a minimum energetic class equal to “A”;
- Application or replacement of thermal insulation in the residential buildings envelope, as well as the replacement of entrance doors.
- Installation of space heating and/or cooling and domestic hot water (DHW) systems, of energetic class “A” or higher:
- Heat pumps;
- Solar thermal systems;
- Boilers and biomass retrievers with high efficiency.
- Installation of photovoltaic panels and other equipment for the production of renewable energy for self-consumption.
According to the types indicated above, you can consult the criteria of each one in point 14 and Annex I of the Regulation.
Application conditions
- Applications for the first phase of the program open on August 31 and end at 23:59 on December 31, 2021, or when the limit of 20,000 issued vouchers is reached;
- The maximum period for using the voucher is 12 months after its issue date;
- The projects to be carried out must take place at the address assigned to the voucher;
- The beneficiary can only use the voucher from a single supplier participating in the program but may purchase more than one type of project. That is, up to the maximum value of the voucher, which can be presented at different times throughout the validity period;
- The voucher will be sent to the beneficiary through the Fundo Ambiental, platform, to the email address registered in the application, with a period of use of 12 months, losing its value on the expiry date;
- The voucher can only be used at participating suppliers, according to the list of suppliers;
- Finally, the voucher is unique and non-transferable.
Incentive Payment
Payment is made by bank transfer to the supplier’s account. However, the beneficiary of the voucher is notified through the Environmental Fund portal, as soon as the conditions for exercising the right to the incentive are met.
For more information, see the “Efficiency Voucher” Program Notice or call: 210 519 411.
Bongás Energias is one of the official suppliers of the “Efficiency Voucher” Program.
We have the following energy solutions eligible for voucher discount:
- Thermal solar panel with heater support: have better levels of efficiency, while contributing to an increasingly green sustainable future, while heating water.
- Heat pump: get more out of your home. Since they are environmentally friendly equipment as they do not produce combustion gases.
- Forced kit with DHW Heat Pump: thermosiphon with Heat Pump support. In other words, it is a simple, economical, and easy-to-maintain hot water heating system.
- A photovoltaic system for self-consumption: produce your energy from the sun. After all, it is a renewable source, without any CO2 emissions.
