Lisbon, Aug. 5, 2025 (Lusa) - The Portuguese environmental association Zero considers that the energy poverty programmes presented on Tuesday by the Government fail to respond to the needs of families, as well as being worth much less than is necessary.
Anyone wishing to benefit from support to replace gas cookers, ovens and water heaters with energy-efficient A-rated appliances will be able to apply from 30 September, the Minister for the Environment and Energy announced today.
Maria da Graça Carvalho presented the E-Lar (E-home) and Bairros + Sustentáveis (more sustainable neighbourhood) programmes, aimed at combating energy poverty, with a total budget of €100 million - €40 million for E-lar and €60 million for Bairros mais Sustentáveis.
In a statement, the association acknowledges the importance of the two initiatives but warns of “weaknesses and gaps” that compromise their scope and real impact.
In the case of E-Lar, the support announced for replacing gas equipment with more efficient electric alternatives is positive but lacks “integration into a structural vision of national public policies” and the programme has limited scope, it says.
“There is also concern about the recent increase in VAT on equipment, from 6% to 23%, which significantly increases the final cost to consumers and consequently compromises the real impact of the announced support and national energy efficiency targets,” Zero points out in the statement.
Regarding the More Sustainable Neighbourhoods programme, the association recognises the enhancement of vulnerable communities and degraded urban areas. However, it considers the ‘absence of truly integrated national action and the compartmentalisation of structural solutions’ to be worrying, such as access to support for the purchase of heat pumps, “reserved exclusively in this programme for a restricted group of beneficiaries”.
Zero argues in the statement that it is essential to invest in diversifying sources of funding to enable the public to access comprehensive solutions for the energy renovation of homes, which is essential to effectively combat energy poverty.
The overall allocation of €100 million is "manifestly insufficient" given the scale of the challenge, says Zero, according to which a study it commissioned points to the need for investment in the order of €120 billion, including not only the replacement of equipment but also structural interventions such as thermal insulation, window renovation and improving the passive efficiency of buildings.
The association also stresses the importance of effective communication so that vulnerable families are aware of the support available and the conditions for benefiting from it.
It calls on the government to increase investment and broaden the scope of the initiatives.
FP/AYLS // AYLS
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