The new "Recycle - Change Water Heaters" programme will open its digital gates tomorrow, Thursday 11 May 2023. You can see more information about the programme here . Through this around 120,000 households will receive a subsidy to replace electric water heaters with new, modern solar panels. In fact, in order not to leave beneficiaries in the queue and not to risk the collapse of the programme's platform ( https://allazothermosifona.gov.gr/ ) as was the case with the online system for "Photovoltaics on the roof",

particularly:

• 11/5 : VAT expiring in 1,2
• 12/5 : TINs expiring in 1,2,3,4
• 13/5 : TINs expiring in 1,2,3,4,5,6
• 14/5 : VAT numbers ending in 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8
• 15/5 : VAT numbers ending in 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0

The beneficiaries of the Energy Programme

The conditions for beneficiaries who want to join the programme are:

• Be domestic consumers who have an electric water heater installed in their home (and not in a business premises), which they wish to replace.
• Be born before 1 January 2006 and reside permanently in Greece.
• Have a VAT number and access codes to the electronic services of the Hellenic Tax Administration.
• Have submitted an income tax return (E1) in the tax year 2021. The relevant declaration should have been cleared.

Conditions and exceptions

Homes that have received assistance or have applied for assistance to purchase a solar water heater from another program are not eligible to apply. Also, except for those who had filed a tax return for 2021 as non-residents and households with an Average Annual Income per family member exceeding EUR 30,000.

Each natural person may submit only one application for a primary or secondary residence. It must have an active, domestic (and non-communal) electricity supply. It is not possible for different natural persons to submit more than one application for the same residence. In the case of families with a primary and a secondary residence, it is possible to apply for both, provided that the applications are submitted by different Natural Persons of the same household.

The subsidy for a new solar water heater to replace the old electric water heater is onlyallowed if the old water heater to be retired has a capacity of 40 litres or more.

As for the final selection of beneficiaries, this will be based on a combination of economic and social criteria, such as the average annual income per family member, or whether they are families with disabled members, single-parent families with at least one dependent child, families with dependent members.

The amount of aid for "Recycle - Change Water Heater" and how it will be received

Each funding application is for a subsidy for the purchase of a new solar water heater at a rate ranging from 50% to 60% and up to a maximum allowable grant amount that depends on the capacity of the water heater's Hot Water Tank (Boiler) and the income category of the beneficiary. Also, optionally, the funding may cover the cost of carrying out the necessary additional works for the replacement of the old electric water heater with the new solar water heater (e.g. cost of transport, installation of the new solar water heater or uninstallation of the old water heater, consumables and accessories, etc.)

The two cheques

Each beneficiary whose application is approved will receive two vouchers. One will be for the a subsidy for the purchase of the product and the other for the subsidy for the complementary services. The beneficiary may cash each cheque to a supplier of his choice, reducing the final amount he will be asked to pay for the purchase of the new water heater or, respectively, for the provision of the additional services.

At the same time, it pays the difference between the cheque and the purchase cost when the new device is purchased or the services are provided. The Program Certifying and Paying Agency will pay the value of the check directly to each vendor after the transaction is completed.

The digital portal of the programme will remain open until Tuesday 20 June 2023 at 15:00.