The 15 SOS for inclusion in the second cycle of “Energy Saving at Home II”

Interested parties from across the country who wish to upgrade the energy efficiency of single-family homes, apartment buildings, and individual apartments can apply for the “Home Energy Saving II” program. With the available resources currently standing at €250 million, it is estimated that they will finance interventions in 20,000-25,000 households.

The newspaper “Eleftheros Typos” presents the 15 SOS for joining the program:

Interested parties must submit their application electronically via the official program website: https://exoikonomisi.ypen.gr. If they wish to use a project consultant for the submission process, they must register their details and authorize them. The submission is made using the applicant’s Taxisnet codes.
The financial data entered, as well as the details of the property for which the application is being made, are cross-checked by Taxisnet, and only if there is a match can the process proceed to the next stage (completion of the first stage of eligibility). Please note that the final submission of the application must be made by the interested party.
The interested party or project consultant enters the details of the A’ EPC (Energy Performance Certificate), the interventions they have selected and their corresponding costs, as well as the energy target to be achieved after the implementation of the interventions, into the information system. In addition, the required supporting documents are attached electronically to the interested party’s application in pdf format.
The information system checks the completeness of the entries, the financial data, the property details, the achievement of the energy target, and the (numerical) completeness of the required supporting documents. If the application is found to be incomplete, information is provided on any missing details. The interested party or project consultant modifies the details of the application, attaching any missing supporting documents. If the application has no deficiencies, the interested party can submit their application and then receive a unique six-digit protocol number (final application submission stage).
The interested party is informed of the eligible budget, the percentage and amount of the grant, the maximum eligible cost of the interventions, the project consultant, any studies, and the two energy audits. The amount of the grant is committed upon submission of the application for a period of 130 days from the start date of the financing scheme selection stage for the relevant region, within which the loan approval process must be completed or the applicant must decide to “put” the application in “pending” status without taking out a loan.
If the interested party wishes to take out a loan, they choose the financial institution to carry out a credit check. Banks apply their internal regulations and creditworthiness assessment criteria. Partner financial institutions must complete the credit check within 30 days of the interested party selecting their application as “active for loan” in the information system and has submitted all the documents required for the loan. The applicant is informed of the outcome of the check via the information system. In the event of rejection, within the specified time limit, they have the option of submitting an application to another financial institution or proceeding without a loan.
It should be noted that the interested party has the option at any time until the loan application is approved to make an irrevocable declaration not to take out a loan and to proceed with their application in “pending” status.
At regular intervals, the beneficiary compiles a list of eligible applicants based on the protocol number of the completed application (loan approval, where required) and sends it to the investment committee: issuance of a decision to include/reject applications/notification of the beneficiary electronically from the information system/notification of approval to the financial institution (where required).
The beneficiary submits a declaration of acceptance of participation in the program (and its terms) electronically to the information system up to five days before the end of the initial contractual implementation period of the project. If a loan has been selected, the beneficiary shall sign the loan agreement within the above time frame.
Supplier details are entered into the system (active tax identification number check). It should be noted that suppliers participating in the program enter their details into the system in order to activate their tax identification numbers. Upon signing the loan agreement, 70% of the loan can be disbursed, which constitutes an advance payment for the implementation of the project. If the financing plan of the eligibility decision provides for the payment of own funds, then the beneficiary may pay the contractor/supplier an advance payment, but only through the banking system. The beneficiary is responsible for the amount of the advance payment made to the contractor/supplier. Suppliers and beneficiaries are informed of the deposit of advance payments.
The beneficiary proceeds with the implementation of interventions.
The second energy inspection is carried out and the second certificate (B’ PEA) is issued.
Either the beneficiary or the project advisor enters the details of the second PEA and the detailed information on the supporting documents for the interventions into the system.
The beneficiary submits the certification statement for the completion of the project and the provision of the program incentives to the information system, attaching the expense receipts and other supporting documents. This provides information on the final eligible cost and the amount of own funds required to be paid to suppliers/contractors.
The beneficiary checks the supporting documents and any outstanding issues are resolved within the specified deadlines. Using the information system and in accordance with the eligibility decision, the final total eligible budget for the project is determined on the basis of the supporting documents submitted.
Once paid the same funds for the repayment of the expenses the bank is informed so that it can pay the subsidy and the disbursement of the total amount of the loan, if applicable, for the purpose of repaying the loan, in accordance with the terms of the loan agreement loan, in case, for the repayment of the credit of supporting documents expenses (contractors/suppliers, etc.) and the payment to the beneficiary of the amount that corresponds to the paid expense documents.

The tasks that are covered

There are four main categories of expenditure under the program. Each of these has a series of interventions for which households can claim funding. More specifically:

1 Replacement of window frames:

Based on the requirements of the energy upgrade program, the intervention mainly concerns the replacement of existing window frames (including their removal and the work required for the final configuration of the structural element) with thermally insulated/ thermally broken window frames with double glazing. Replacement of the glass pane only (including frame adjustment work) is also eligible, provided that the energy upgrade of the window frame (existing frame and glass pane) exceeds the minimum requirements. The replacement of exterior doors in single-family homes and stairwell and skylight windows in apartment buildings is also eligible. However, “openings” to heated or unheated interior spaces of the building (e.g., apartment doors) are not included. This category also includes additional (and not independent) expenses for fixed or mobile shading systems (roller shutter systems, covers, awnings, tents).

2 Installation/upgrade of thermal insulation:

With the aim of providing thermal insulation protection for the building envelope, the following options are eligible: installation of thermal insulation (externally or internally) on the roof (whether it is a flat roof or a roof under a non-insulated roof), on the exterior walls, on the load-bearing structure, as well as on the roof above an open space (pilotis) or other unheated space (e.g., ground floor), covered as appropriate with either plaster or light-weight cladding. In this category, supplementary (and not independent) expenses for other fixed or mobile shading systems (awnings, tents) are also accepted.

3 Heating/cooling system upgrade: The following are eligible in this category:

Installation of a new heating system or replacement of an existing system with a new system (central or individual) using oil/natural gas/LPG/biomass/heat pump/CHP. The installation/replacement concerns the entire electrical and mechanical equipment of the boiler room and the distribution network (automation, circulators, chimney, replacement or insulation of pipes, etc.). Expenses for oil tanks and heat output terminals (radiators, underfloor heating system, etc.) are not eligible.
Installation of automatic control devices for the heating system, such as timers, compensation and/or hydraulic balance automation for adjusting partial loads (three-way or four-way solenoid valves, circulator speed controllers, etc.), room thermostats, thermostatic radiator valves, etc., including heat metering systems for the allocation of heating costs, as well as work to upgrade the supply for the installation of a heat pump.

4 Domestic hot water (DHW) system using Renewable Energy Sources (RES):

In this category, the installation of a heat pump, a solar system for supplying hot water and/or assisting the main heating system (collector, water storage tank, support base, piping, etc.).

Conditions for membership

In order to be eligible, a residence must meet the following basic requirements:

It must be used as a primary residence, as evidenced by the income tax return (E1) of the person using it for the year 2018.
It must be legally valid. If the owner of the residence does not have a building permit or if it does not correspond to the current condition of the residence, a relevant legal document must be submitted, proving that it legally exists.
It must be classified according to the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), issued after November 26, 2017, in a category lower than or equal to D.
It must not have been deemed demolishable.

Eligibility for apartment buildings

Similarly, in order for an apartment building to be classified as eligible housing, all of the following conditions must be met:

Following a decision by the general meeting, a relevant application must be submitted by a representative of all apartment owners, including information on the eligibility criteria for the part of the building used as a residence, as well as individual applications from each of the apartment owners who wish to join the program.
An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) must be submitted for the entire part of the building used as a residence.
Carry out shared energy upgrade interventions.
Apartment owners who are not included in or do not wish to participate in the program must participate in the implementation of the interventions declared in the decision of the general meeting of the apartment building with their own funds.