Croatia offers EUR 27 million in grants for energy renovation of family houses

Croatia’s Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund will start receiving applications for grants to support the energy renovation of family houses on September 1. The budget for the program is about EUR 27 million.

Individual applicants can receive up to EUR 27,000 to cover up to 60% of the costs of investments aimed at improving the thermal insulation of family houses, including all necessary equipment and works for the insulation of external walls, ceilings, floors, and roofs, as well as for waterproofing and the replacement of elements of the roof frame.

The grants will also go towards replacing windows and doors as well as installing renewable energy systems, such as photovoltaic (PV) systems and pellet boilers.

About EUR 4.25 million of the overall budget is earmarked for households in danger of energy poverty, and their energy renovation projects will be financed in full.

Most houses in Croatia have no or minimal thermal insulation

The ministry of spatial planning and construction recalled that family houses make up 65% of all homes in Croatia, which account for 40% of overall energy consumption in the country. Most family houses in Croatia were built before 1987 and have no or minimal thermal insulation (energy efficiency class E or lower).

The public call was issued following a hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic

The public call for grants for the energy renovation of family houses was issued on June 25, following a hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, applications will be received in electronic form only, and applicants must provide scanned documents proving their ownership and the legality of the house, as well as other necessary paperwork.

Announcing the resumption of the grant programs for individuals and businesses in June, Siniša Kukić, the fund’s director, said that over EUR 79.3 million was expected to be approved by the end of the year.

The fund also announced at the time that it would continue approving subsidies for the purchase of electric vehicles (EVs), of up to EUR 9.250 per vehicle.