Slovakia's household energy grants face delay and surge in applications

The Slovak Innovation and Energy Agency (SIEA) has postponed the publication of the new general conditions for the "Green Homes" (Zelená domácnostiam) subsidy scheme. The programme, originally slated to launch its third‑quarter round after a June deadline, was delayed due to a “fundamental transition to a completely new operating mechanism.” The agency expects to publish the conditions in the coming weeks and to open registration for applications soon. An additional €20 million has been allocated to the scheme, bringing total available funds to more than €28 million. The focus will shift toward heat‑related technologies – heat pumps, biomass boilers and solar thermal collectors – while support for photovoltaic panels will continue but with a reduced maximum power cap and no consideration of household electricity consumption.

In parallel, the Slovak Environment Agency (SAŽP) is running the "Renew Home mini+" (Obnov dom mini+) programme, funded with €186 million from the Modernisation Fund for two years. The first round attracted an extraordinary response, with about 5,000 applications submitted within an hour. Grants of up to €11 000 are offered for home energy‑saving upgrades, including a new roof, and an advance payment of up to €5 500. Applications are being reviewed, and a second round is planned for mid‑September.