Minister for the environment and energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, has presented a new plan, “open to everyone”, who wants to give up their gas appliances (cookers/ hobs/ hot-water boilers) in exchange for help in the purchase of “efficient” electrical equivalents.
This is the same minister for environment and energy who conceded only a few months ago that there were no guarantees that another blackout like the one suffered throughout Spain and Portugal last April would not happen again.
Anyone who already has an electric cooker/ hob/ thermoaccumulator will remember how challenging those 12 hours without power were.
But this is forgetting the European decarbonisation agenda, to which Portugal is a keen participant.
“We are launching a new chapter in the policy of energy efficiency and descarbonisation” said the minister today, promising “a direct and simple response to people who still depend on gas-powered appliances”.
The programme, making available €40 million in European and other funds, works in the following way, explains SIC Notícias: “anyone who has a gas oven, hob or hot-water boiler can change them for electric models of elevated efficiency. All that is needed is an application for a digital voucher. What changes are the values, different for two groups, depending on applicants’ vulnerability.
“Maximum support in the exchange of all three appliances cannot exceed €1,683 for vulnerable people/ families. For the other group, which includes everybody else, the maximum will be €1,100″.
In total E-Lar provides €30 million from the PRR (European plan for recovery and resilience) and potentially another €10 million from the Environmental Fund.
The minister broke figures down further to show that vulnerable applicants can look forward to receiving €369 towards the purchase of an induction hob; €179 for a conventional electric hob; €738 towards the purchase of an electric oven and hob; €369 towards an electric oven and €615 towards the purchase of a thermoaccumulator.
Applicants whose incomes are considered not to be ‘vulnerable’ (no figures given), can look forwards to receiving a maximum of €300 for the purchase of an induction hob; €146 for a conventional hob; €600 for an electric oven with hob; €300 for an electric oven and €500 towards a thermoaccumulator.
Later this month (August 18) a tender will be open for the government to select suppliers of all this electrical equipment. Once the suppliers have been chosen, the process of people being able to apply for digital vouchers will start (on September 30), via this link.
“Applications will be analysed very quickly”, the minister promised today. Vouchers will then follow, which people “will be able to take to the suppliers”.
Source: SIC Notícias
