Extra use of energy fixers and local approach to insulation in the fight against energy poverty | News item

News item | 17-03-2023 | 3:30 pm

The government is making 200 million euros available at an accelerated rate to combat energy poverty by using energy fixers. Energy fixers help vulnerable households in rental and owner-occupied homes to reduce their energy consumption in the short term by means of energy advice and small to medium-sized energy-saving measures. In addition, 100 million euros will be made available earlier from the National Insulation Program for the local insulation approach of municipalities. The number of owner-occupied homes that will be eligible for structural insulation measures in the short term will thus increase from 142,000 to over 200,000.

Energy fix teams visit door-to-door in neighborhoods or complexes with homes that are poorly insulated and where people with low incomes live. Among other things, they support residents in properly adjusting the heating system and installing radiator fans, radiator foil, draft strips and LED lamps that reduce energy consumption. Together with municipalities, corporations and other stakeholders, everything is being done to expand energy fix teams before next winter and to visit as many homes as possible. Extra attention is paid to the 20 urban focus areas of the National Liveability and Safety Programme.

Minister De Jonge for Housing and Spatial Planning: “With a low income and a poorly insulated home, you are vulnerable to high energy costs. You then run a greater risk of energy poverty. Energy fixers can help you with simple but effective energy saving measures. This gives you more control over your energy costs and a comfortable and more energy-efficient home. An important step in the fight against energy poverty.”

Insulate owner-occupied homes accelerated

Greater insulation measures are needed to further reduce energy consumption. It is therefore important that as many poorly insulated homes as possible are improved more quickly. To achieve this, an extra 100 million euros will be made available this year for the local approach in the National Insulation Program. Municipalities can apply for a total of 300 million euros this year. This allows them to insulate more than 200,000 owner-occupied homes with a low energy quality, street by street, district by district. Municipalities will also be able to submit applications in 2024 and 2025 so that a total of 750,000 owner-occupied homes are insulated in the local approach.

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