State sponsorship for new washing machine, refrigerator and air conditioner – Applications from today, who are the beneficiaries

The Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry and the RES and FDI Fund announce that today, December 13, 2021, the Sponsorship Plan for the Replacement of Power-Consumable Electrical Appliances is announced, which is addressed to vulnerable households. Therefore, citizens who belong to the group of vulnerable electricity consumers and wish to replace electrical appliances provided by the Plan, with new high-energy efficiency, can apply for pre-approval from today.

Sponsorships range from € 300 to € 600, depending on the device. A total of € 5 million will be allocated. Eligible appliances are refrigerators/freezers, washing machines and air conditioners. Beneficiaries can replace up to five appliances and, in particular, up to three air conditioners, a washing machine and a refrigerator. It is expected that the Plan, which will remain in force until 20/12/2022 or until the available budget is exhausted, will cover about 5,000 applications and will significantly help reduce the electricity bill of the households that will benefit. It is estimated that the replacement of appliances with modern, high energy class, contribute to energy savings that can exceed 50%.

The Plan is part of a series of compensatory measures announced by the Government in recent months to curb rising electricity prices, including a reduction in VAT on electricity bills to 5% for six months for vulnerable households, a reduction in VAT on 9% on electricity for three months for all other households and a 10% reduction in electricity tariffs for all consumers for the two months November – December 2021 and January – February 2022.

According to the Minister of Energy, Ms. Natasa Pileidou, “this measure also strengthens the protection of our vulnerable fellow citizens. “Replacing electrical appliances with new, higher-energy ones,” he explained, “along with energy-efficient building upgrades and the use of RES, are important tools for both reducing long-term electricity costs and moving to a green economy.” >

The beneficiaries

In summary, vulnerable electricity consumers include: Beneficiaries of the Minimum Guaranteed Income, recipients of public assistance from Social Welfare Services, recipients of severe disability allowance, recipients of care allowance for the paralyzed and quadriplegically disabled, quadriplegics. , provided that they have reached the age of 70 and do not live with another person who has not reached the age of 70, and a large or five-member family receiving child benefit for three dependent children and above and has an annual gross family income up to € 51,258. The income criterion increases gradually by € 5,126, for each additional child over four.

The four steps that beneficiaries must follow to participate in the project are:

1. Online submission of pre-approval request on the website of the RES and FDI Fund (https://resecfund.org.cy). The request is submitted by the vulnerable consumers of electricity themselves, as they are defined in the Decree K.D.P. 289/2015.
2. Purchase and installation of appliances (invoice in the name of the vulnerable consumer and indication of the model of the electrical appliance).
3. Electronic submission of a sponsorship application with an invoice attached.

Old appliances to be replaced should be delivered to the supplier for recycling purposes and certified.

The basic design provisions are analyzed below:

< td width = "369"> · For refrigerators/freezers with a gross capacity of up to 449 lt, sponsorship of € 400 per unit.