How can you take subsidies for isolation?

With the aim of greater energy savings and increased prosperity in individual homes, the Government of Kosovo has decided to subsidise about two thousand families for the isolation of their homes.

This subsidy will include the cost of external house isolation, changing windows and entry doors, as well as the isolation of the roof.

The application in calling for “energy efficiency measures for individual residential houses” can be made through the Kosovo electronic platform, in the “Grante section and subsidies”.

Citizens can apply from August 8th to September 25th, 2023. Those who meet the criteria will benefit a 45 - percent subsidy of the investment cost, limited to the amount of 5,500 euros.

A total of 10m euros have been earmarked for the project. The project is supported by the European Union, within the framework of the IPA-Pako Energy Support programme, arranged by the Government of Kosovo and implemented by the Kosovo Energy Efficiency Fund (FKEE).

Greater Subvention for Ownerly Women

Property, which is of male or female co-owners, will be subsidised by 50 percent of the investment cost.

To prove that a house owned by a woman, or co-owner by marriage mates, a certificate of property should be introduced into the application system, which should not be older than six months.

Who has access to the application, and what are the criteria?

Right to apply to profit subsidies are all citizens who meet the criteria set by the FKEE.

Applications will be treated on the “basis which comes first, which is served first”, as long as there are free funds, or the budget is revised by FKEE.

The condition forced to benefit from the subsidy is the thermal isolation of the house's outer walls.

The other criterion is for home to be habitable, as well as for the last 24 months to have electricity consumption of at least 250 kilowattts per month.

To take advantage of the subsidy, the key condition is that the house does not have thermal isolation, or that it is under minimal technical requirements that include the thickness of the outside walls within 8cm, thermal isolation of a depth of ten inches [10 cm], or doors and inefficient windows.

Power audits

To prove that the house is not isolated, or is partially isolated, applicants are recommended to engage a certified energy audience.
Kosovo institutions have established a list of the names of energy audiences, which can contact citizens.

Certificate energy audits will perform inspections of the applicant's home to analyze the existing state. They will provide recommendations for installing necessary energy efficiency measures.

The energy audience will be compensated with an additional amount of subsidy.

The cost agreed on for an auditing of energy is fixed costs, regardless of the size of the building or the geographic location of the applicant's home.

The fixed fee the FKEE will pay on behalf of energy auditing is up to 150 euros.

If the applicant, for whatever reason, did not find a certified energy audience, to do the auditing, that app would be placed on the waiting list.

Applications submitted after September 25th will not be considered by FKEE.

The Fund also maintains the right to close the application deadline before that date, in case the budget quota is reached.

Subvention Sharing Request

After completion of the works, the owner of the house announces FKEE that it has completed implementation of the approved measures, and submits the corresponding form for separation of subsidies.

In addition to the partition form, the beneficiary should also secure the bill or agreement signed with the officer.

It is also required to issue the bill with all details of the applied energy efficiency measures, which correspond to materials and amounts mentioned in parameters and calculations.

The applicant must also present the testimony of the bank transfer to show that the beneficiary has paid the owner according to the bill.

Delivering these documents is essential to ensure proper verification of the request for subvention division.

Within 30 days, from the date of the backup application, all payment for the beneficiary will be made through bank transfer, bank accounts for the beneficiary.

Fund Misuse

In the event of any misuse of funds or incompatible with principles defined by the FKEE, the beneficiary is obliged to return the subsidy amount to the FKEE account within ten days of the release date of the demand for return.

Under legislation in effect, the applicant will undergo further legal procedures.

The Need for Energy Saving

Statistics show that mostly electricity in Kosovo spends about 40 percent of total consumption.

Kosovo fails to meet all demand for electricity supply from internal electricity generation: The country has the capacity to produce about 800 megawatts per hour, while its needs, in winter days, reach up to 1,300 megawatts per hour. That difference is imported from outside.

Last year, Kosovo was involved in an energy crisis. The government imposed emergency energy measures, which included electricity savings measures from all institutions.

From April 1st this year, new electricity tariffs, with 15.4 per cent increase in all consumer categories, have been enacted in Kosovo. / REL