In early November Applications for the EXOIKONOMO-AFTONOMO, the new energy upgrade and home ownership programme, which is the successor to the programmes "EXIKONOMISI KATIKON", with a reinforced budget, increased grant rates and an expanded range of eligible interventions, with a view to maximising the benefit in terms of energy savings.

The program EXOIKONOMO-AFTONOMO was presented at a press conference by the Minister of Environment and Energy Costis Hatzidakis, the Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy Development and Investment Yannis Tsakiri, the Secretary General for Energy and Mineral Resources of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Alexandra Sdoukou, the President and CEO of the Hellenic Development Bank (EAT) Athena Hadjipetrou and the president of the Technical Chamber of Greece George Stassino.

EXIKONOMO - AUTONOMO is an upgraded programme, which aims beyond energy saving and energy autonomy of households, with new incentives and interventions that encourage the production and storage of energy from RES and the installation of "smart" energy management systems.

More detailed information about the EXOIKONOMO - AUTONOMO

Only natural persons who have a right in rem to an eligible dwelling (full or partial) or usufruct) and meet the income criteria of the Program are eligible to participate in the Program.

The grant of the Program will be given based on the income criteria of the tax year 2019 (cleared tax returns).

A dwelling (detached house, apartment building or individual apartment), in order to be considered eligible, must meet the following conditions:

• It is used as a main residence, as shown by the details of the most recent (prior to the submission of the application) cleared income tax return (E1) of the person who uses it.
• It exists legally. In the event that the owner of the residence does not have a building permit or it does not correspond to the current state of the residence, a relevant legalization document must be presented, from which it can be seen that the residence in question exists legally.
• It has been classified based on the Energy Performance Certificate (PEA), which has been issued after 26.11.2017 (27.11.2017 the date of activation of the information system for issuing Energy Performance Certificates based on the KEnAK approved by the decision DEPEA/oc. 178581/30.06 .2017, Official Gazette B' 2367/12.07.2017) in a category lower than or equal to C.
• It has not been deemed to be demolished.

Expenses that can be subsidized by the Program

The expenses that can be subsidized are submitted on the basis of an Energy Inspector's recommendation and concern the following categories:

1. Replacement of Frames

• Mandatory recycling or disposal of existing frames in legally operating material disposal areas (replace – recycle)
• Possibility of replacing glazing in buildings of protected or historical value or special architecture

2. Installation / replacement of shell thermal cover

3. Upgrade of heating and cooling system

• Eligible intervention is also considered the dismantling of oil burners and related tanks.
• Eligibility for oil burners is abolished
• Eligibility for energy fireplaces in Athens and Thessaloniki is abolished

4. Domestic Hot Water System using RES

• Mandatory installation in cases where there is no DHW system installed.

5. Energy autonomy interventions

• RES power generation systems
  • Eligible only if the house is upgraded, with the main energy saving interventions, to an energy class of at least B+.
  • Eligible intervention is the installation of a PV station only to meet the demand (net metering)
• Storage systems
  • Eligible only as an additional intervention in the installation of a new photovoltaic plant

6. Electric vehicle charging infrastructure

• CE Certified
• only devices that are suitable, based on ELOT EN standards, and are intended for charging electric vehicles in a domestic environment are eligible.

7. Smart Home Interventions
Digital systems and technologies that contribute to energy saving:

• Smart lighting (e.g. smart sockets, low LED lighting)
• Smart management of the heating/cooling system (e.g. smart thermostats)
• Remote Control (e.g. smart sensors for leakage, humidity, etc.)

8. Other Eligible Communal Interventions (Apartment Buildings)

• Elevator upgrade - Only the interventions required for the certification of elevators (JMD 28425/2008) and - Mandatory installation of inverter in elevators in order to achieve a reduction of their energy footprint without affecting their safety and functionality are eligible
• Lighting system upgrade - Replacement of lamps with low consumption (e.g. LED) - Replacement of the timing system with an intelligent management system, depending on the time (day / night), brightness, entry / exit point, etc. - Replacement of the activation circuit with automation with motion sensors

The eligibility of the Programme's expenditure expires on 31 December 2023.

Main advantages of a new Program

The main changes compared to the previous cycle of the "Saving at Home II" – Second Cycle Program are:

a. Simplification of income categories widening income thresholds

b. Minimum target energy requirement of the new programme: Energy upgrade of a house by at least 3 energy categories

c. It is possible to increase the basic grant rate:

• +10% energy premium for categories H and Z if upgraded to at least category B
• +10% COVID-19 premium for applications within the years 2020 – 2021
• special surcharge of +10% for the lignite regions of Western Macedonia and Megalopolis

d. Lifting of restriction one application per beneficiary

e. Widening the eligibility of dwellings in energy class C and below (In the previous respective Actions, the eligible were the houses of energy class D and below)

f. Increase in the maximum total eligible budget (energy interventions and autonomy interventions) in:

• EUR 50 000 per eligible dwelling or
• 100,000 euros per VAT number of the Beneficiary or
• 80.000 euros per apartment building for communal interventions

G. New additional categories of eligible interventions/costs:

• Energy autonomy interventions
• Smart Home Interventions
• Eligible Communal Interventions (Apartment Buildings)

H. Enhanced incentives for apartment buildings

• Discrete PC and different application date
• Two types of application for participation in the program: - Application for apartment building type A: Communal interventions and interventions in the individual apartments - Application for apartment building type B: Only Communal Interventions
• A basic grant rate of 60% regardless of income is given horizontally to all owners, which is increased by 10% for application submissions in the years 2020 – 2021

The start of the submission of applications for the eligible residences is expected to start in November, on separate dates per Region.