The government has announced plans to propose an enhancement to the E-Lar program to the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) mission structure and Brussels, given the exhaustion of the program’s funds, announced the Minister of Energy. The call for applications has already closed, having reached its financial limit.
“Due to the high demand for the E-Lar program, which received about 40,000 applications in six days, the designated funds for this notice, totaling 30 million euros, are now depleted. For this reason, we inform you that the application submission period has closed,” states the website of the Environmental Fund.
Will there be an enhancement? Practically, the government has a total of 100 million euros to tackle energy poverty, 60 million of which is allocated to works. Considering the PRR’s completion in 2026, the Minister of Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, will propose reallocating part of this budget to household appliances.
“We will see what can be done regarding financial reinforcements. The decision involves not only us but also the PRR mission unit and the European Commission. It was a successful program that received favorable public response,” she stated.
The minister clarified that the government has a total of 100 million euros, with 60 million euros reserved for works and 30 million for appliances. The remaining 10 million euros from the Environmental Fund may be allocated to either category but will be devoted to appliances for their quicker implementation, she announced.
The minister also noted difficulties in carrying out works within a short period, given the PRR’s approaching termination next year. “I believe execution will be swifter if we reallocate some funds from works to appliances,” she argued.
Once an application is submitted, it may either be deemed valid or invalid. Understand what the regulations state and follow the next steps.
Requested an E-Lar voucher? Minister expects the process to be swift
The minister anticipates the entire procedure to take only a few days, as there will be no technical assessment. Only the applicant’s debt status with Social Security and the Tax Authority (AT) will be checked.
Moreover, the applicant’s eligibility group will be verified since there’s a separate budget for those benefitting from the social electricity tariff.
Afterward, beneficiaries will receive an email confirming approval or requesting resolution of any identified issues.
Upon approval, participants gain immediate program access and receive the corresponding voucher ‘within five minutes’, emphasized the Environment and Energy Minister.
Maria da Graça Carvalho also emphasized the need for “strong confidence between suppliers and the state, which fortunately existed,” with nearly 1,000 participating stores.
People do not advance the money. They visit the store, make a purchase, and the transaction occurs between the supplier and the Climate Agency,” she explained.
Is E-Lar a positive step, but with weaknesses?
The president of the Portuguese Association of the Electrodigital Industry (AGEFE), Nuno Lameiras, remarked on Thursday that the E-Lar program is a positive step, albeit with weaknesses and “insufficient financial provision” amid strong demand.
Speaking to Lusa, he highlighted that the program’s launch by the government this week to support replacing gas appliances with more efficient electric solutions, “clearly reveals the potential for replacing old appliances with more energy-efficient models,” but warned that the available support is “very limited,” advocating for increased government funding.
The E-Lar program initially allocates 40 million euros to support replacing gas stoves, ovens, and heaters with electrical appliances rated class A or higher.
Aid can reach 1,683 euros for vulnerable families, with a maximum of 1,100 euros for others. The E-Lar program has nearly 25,000 applications by Thursday, according to the latest government data.
