The government has saved about a quarter of the money allocated in the compensation fund for the cold period 2022-2023
The government has granted compensation worth almost 3.8 billion lei in the cold season this year under the "Help to the metre" programme, out of a total fund of five billion. More than two-thirds of this fund was provided by external partners, primarily the European Commission, according to a report presented by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection.
The institution says that in the coming cold season, consumers using solid fuels such as wood will be eligible for a monthly payment that will soften the impact of prices. These changes will ensure that all types of heating are covered by the compensation.gov.md system.
Due to the warmer winter and reduced energy consumption, the government has saved about a quarter, or more than 1.2 billion lei, from the compensation fund. The ministry says that 3.4 billion lei out of the 5 billion lei allocated in the budget for compensation came from international institutions and Western countries. Most of the money - 1.4 billion lei - came from the European Commission, followed by a World Bank trust fund, in which some countries also participated - almost 840 million lei.
The ministry says that more than 760 thousand households have applied for compensation for natural gas, heat and electricity consumption in the cold period 2022-2023. Most of the consumers - 80 percent - received the highest energy vulnerability rating.
Under the programme, on average, a household received 850 lei for natural gas, 900 lei for heat and 55 lei for electricity. Also this summer, the Ministry of Energy will implement an eco-voucher programme for replacing old household appliances with new ones, which will make energy consumption more efficient.
The government's "Help at the Meter" programme involves compensation for electricity, heating and natural gas consumption according to the degree of energy vulnerability attributed to citizens. People received compensation up to and including March.
