Do you want to increase the comfort and energy efficiency of your home, saving on bills, but are hesitant due to the cost of the works? Please note that the Environmental Fund has once again instituted the Support Program for More Sustainable Buildings, which offers financial assistance to families who intend to invest in the sustainability of their home.
Follow us and stay up to date with available funds, all conditions, eligibility criteria and application deadlines.
8 Things you need to know about the Environmental Fund
1. What is the Environmental Fund and what are its general objectives?
The Environmental Fund is a program that aims to finance measures that contribute to improving the environmental performance of homes, with a focus on energy and water efficiency, decarbonization and circular economy.
If you are thinking about carrying out interventions of this type in your home, you can use significant support to pay for the equipment.
It is estimated that the initiative could lead to a reduction of around 30% in energy consumption in the buildings covered, thus promoting:
– More confort;
– Greater indoor air quality;
– Extended health benefits;
– Increase in the useful life of buildings;
– Poupança on invoices;
– Decrease in greenhouse gas emissions.
2. What is the deadline for applications and who is eligible?
The first phase of applications for the Environmental Fund runs until October 31, 2023 or until the budget of 30 million euros granted by the Government is exhausted.
It is imperative to point out that, before signing up, you must have already installed the equipment and completed the works. The Environmental Fund may later help cover the amount invested, with a maximum contribution of 85%.
3. Who is the Environmental Fund intended for?
The support is exclusively housing, so candidates must be individual owners of single-family homes or autonomous units of multi-family units, who reside permanently in the house (holiday properties are not are eligible).
4. What are the incentives for different types of intervention?
For the aid granted, the Environmental Fund establishes a ceiling of €7,500 per building. A 10% increase may be available to those residing outside the districts of Lisbon and Porto. Additionally, there are 5 types of intervention and financing, with each category having different budget management:
Windows
Up to €2,200 for energy class A+ windows.
Thermal insulation
Up to €4,400 for roofs or floors and up to €5,250 for walls – ecological, recycled materials or insulation made from other materials.
Air conditioning and water heating
Up to €2,200 for heat pumps, air conditioning solutions or solar thermal systems and up to €1,650 for biomass boilers and recuperators – renewable energy equipment with energy class A+ or higher.
Solar panels
Photovoltaic panels and other renewable energy production equipment for own consumption – up to €1,100 without inclusion and up to €3,300 with the inclusion of energy storage systems.
Water efficiency
Up to €550 for more efficient water use solutions or those that allow intelligent control of consumption. Up to €1,650 for rainwater harvesting systems.
5. Is there support for energy certification?
If the energy certificate is made within the scope of the Environmental Fund program interventions, it can be reimbursed at 85% up to a maximum value of €125.
6. What should you do before applying?
As interventions must be carried out before applying, you must ensure that they are properly planned, budgeted and completed.
You must pay attention to the limits for each type and the fact that some expenses may not be accepted or that the budget may run out before the end of the deadline. The faster you apply, the better your chances of obtaining financing.
Carefully read the technical guidelines on the Environmental Fund page in order to comply with all specifications. Make sure you keep all supporting documents for equipment and installations.
7. How do I apply for the Environmental Fund?
Gather all personal documentation, as well as that relating to the building and interventions, in digital format. The existence of debts to Finance or Social Security is an immediately eliminatory factor.
Register on the Environmental Fund page and make an application for each type of intervention. You can sign up for support for several installations within the same type and for several types within the same house. But remember the monetary limits per category and per dwelling.
8. What important details should you remember?
Time is crucial in this process. Applications are numbered in order of registration and evaluated in that sequence. If they are rejected, you can challenge the decision, with reasons, following the recommended corrections and submitting a new request.
Do you want to increase the efficiency of your home, saving on monthly expenses, or are you considering buying a property that requires rehabilitations? Take advantage of the Environmental Fund initiative and make your plans come true!
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