The government is launching a new home renovation program with a budget of HUF 108 billion for the energy modernization of family homes built before 1990: in addition to a one million HUF deductible, a maximum of HUF 6 million support can be used, half of which is an interest-free loan and the other half is a non-refundable subsidy - announced the Ministry of Energy and Energy State Secretary responsible for climate policy at his press conference on Friday.

Attila Steiner said,

the support can be used for properties that have piped gas, an additional condition is that the building is used in a way of life.

The resources of the state program

applicants can use it to replace windows, upgrade the hot water system, insulate buildings and replace gas boilers. These are not mutually exclusive developments, but can also be implemented in combination.

It is possible to deviate from the 50-50 ratio of loan and support depending on the level of development of the district and the income situation of the applicant, but the non-refundable amount cannot exceed HUF 3.5 million, he added.

He emphasized that one of the goals of the program is for households to reduce their consumption below the subsidized range through the investment, and noted that in accordance with EU requirements

30 percent energy savings must be achieved with the subsidized renovation. To prove this, an energy certificate must be prepared both before and after the investment

- He told.

The energy modernization of residential buildings is also in line with the government's goal of reducing the country's exposure to energy imports and increasing its energy sovereignty through lower energy consumption, he noted.

To MTI's question, Attila Steiner said: the program is implemented with budgetary pre-financing, the government plans to use additional funds within the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) for investments that improve energy efficiency, so in the future this may also extend to the modernization of public buildings.

Gergely Fábián, the State Secretary responsible for industrial policy and technology at the Ministry of National Economy (NGM), said that the program is expected to enable the energetic modernization of 20,000 family houses, the details of which will be published shortly. According to the plans, applications can be opened at the beginning of June.

The interest-free loan must be repaid within eight years,

families who win the tender can count on installments between HUF 26 and 35 thousand

said the state secretary. The energy modernization program will be financed through the Hungarian Development Bank (MFB); one fifth of the total amount of HUF 108 billion can be used for replacing gas boilers. Thanks to the program, it is expected that HUF 127 billion worth of construction industry investment will be realized, he added.

Source: MTI

MTI Photo: Sándor Ujvári