22.09.2021.
An information and education workshop on the energy renovation of houses was held today in Vinkovci. The Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund launched the Public Call on 15 September to great interest of the citizens who want to apply to the programme.The participants in the workshop included citizens, energy auditors and contractors who wanted to learn about the terms and conditions for co-financing, method of applying, and other details related to project implementation.
During the workshop, the head of the Energy Efficiency Sector, Maje Rajčić, said that the Fund had allocated HRK 300 million for the measures such as thermal insulation of the envelope, replacement of windows, and the installation of the renewable energy systems, including PV power plants. Thermal insulation of the building envelope or a comprehensive energy renovation will be co-financed with up to 60% for the houses in the energy category D or lower in continental, or C or lower in coastal Croatia. Applicants get a grant of up to 204 thousand kunas depending on the energy efficiency measures they will implement on their houses. “During the workshop we covered all parts of the Public Call, and we demonstrated the navigation in the E-Applications system to fully familiarise the citizens with the process and ensure successful application. The text of the call is posted on the Fund’s website, and the submission of applications starts on 14 October at 9:00,” said Rajčić and invited the citizens to again peruse the text of the Public Call.
“The citizens of Vinkovci are showing keen interest in the energy renovation of family houses, so workshops like this one are very useful. We’ve had many calls from our citizens, and I believe there will be many applicants from our area,” said during the workshop Danijela Slipčević, the director of the Vinkovci Development and Investment Agency – Via.
During the workshop, the employees of the Fund explained the application terms and conditions in detail, and each of the required documents. They also demonstrated to the participants the navigation through the system to fully familiarise them with the process. All interested citizens should create their user accounts so that they could log in, fill in the application form, and upload the necessary documentation. The Fund advised the participants who already had the documentation ready and waiting to obtain new quotes from the contractors. They explained that these quotes were only informative, and it was possible to change the contractor later on. On the other hand, documents such as energy audit report and energy performance certificate are valid for several years and it is not necessary to have them drawn up again if there were no additional construction works on the house.
To simplify the application process as much as possible, especially for those who are not very tech-savvy, the Fund will co-finance expert assistance with up to 500 kn, and the amount will be paid together with other energy renovation costs, based on an invoice or service contract.
All participants were happy with the information they gathered hoping to be successful with their applications for co-financing. In case their applications are successful, they will have a 24-month period to implement the projects they planned.
