Government will reformulate the Efficiency Valley to speed up execution

The Government will extend the deadline to allow families who have already had support approved to not lose it due to delays in implementation.

The Government will reformulate the Vale Eficiência program, a measure financed by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) aimed at combating energy poverty and promoting climate transition.

The decision comes in response to the low execution of the second phase of the program, which was allocated 104 million euros, but until October had only paid 3.2 million.

Vale Eficiência grants vouchers of 1300 euros to families benefiting from the social energy tariff or social benefits to carry out energy improvement works in their homes, such as replacing windows, installing solar panels or new heating systems. However, according to , the program accumulates delays and complaintswith the main cause being the lack of technical facilitators, who are the professionals who evaluate, propose and monitor interventions.

According to the National PRR Monitoring Commission, there were only 27 technical facilitators registered across the country until February this year, a number well below what was necessary to respond to more than 31 thousand eligible applications. The remuneration of 50 euros per application is seen as unattractive, which has hindered the adhesion of these professionals and, consequently, the progress of the program.

The Ministry of Environment and Energy (MAEN) now wants to improve the involvement of technicians and extend the deadline for implementing support, which was stipulated until the end of September 2025. Without this extension, many families were at risk of losing the approved supportas vouchers cannot be used without the designation of a facilitator.

The Government is also reassess the target of 40 thousand vouchersreduced from the initial forecast of 100 thousand, with the possibility of adjusting the calendar and objectives again with the European Commission. So far, the Environmental Fund has allocated 16,915 vouchers in the first phase, but only 12,470 have been paid.

Complaints from beneficiaries have increased, with registrations on the Complaint Portal almost quadrupling in 2024, mainly due to the lack of information, contact and appointment of technicians.