Over 6,000 families receive up to 7,000 lei each to buy new fridges, washing machines in Moldova in first two months after programme's launch

Chisinau, 20 November /MOLDPRES/ - Over 6,000 families of Moldova in less than two months have benefited from vouchers worth up to 7,000 lei each, in order to buy new and energy efficient household appliances. The support was provided within the programmne of vouchers financed from the state budget, with the support of the European Union and implemented by the National Centre for Sustainable Energy (CNED) and the Energy Ministry. The spokesman for the government, Daniel Voda, today unveiled the figures to this effect.   
„In less than two months since the launch of the programme, six thousands of families have replaced the old household appliances by other energy efficient ones, which cut the consumption of energy and the families’ invoices,’’ Daniel Voda said.   
Voda noted that the eligible citizens received vouchers, without being necessary to submit an application to this end and without staying in queue.   
The initiative sees that the citizens can benefit from a voucher worth up to 7,000 lei, but not more than 70 per cent of the value of the household appliance.  To benefit from the new technology, citizens should give in exchange the old household appliance of the same category, which are to be recycled.   
The Programme promotes the household appliances with high energy performance. For instance, the eligible washing machines with the new class of energy efficiency A or B. In the case of fridges, the classes D, C, B and A are allowed.
„The Programme supports also the residents’ education as regards the reading of energy labels, which show the consumption of energy of the concerned apparatus. We are happy to notice that the beneficiaries analyze the energy efficiency classes and compare similar apparatus in terms of functionality, but different in terms of price and energy consumption,’’ the spokesman for the government also said.   
The Programme of vouchers for household appliances was launched on 30 September. On long term, the Programme will contribute to enhancing the economic security, optimizing the consumption of energy and diminishing the energy poverty, through the decreasing of the expenses for resident’s invoices.
Last year, the pilot programme, Used-up Household Appliances, was implemented, through which more citizens benefited from vouches for the replacing of old household appliances. The Programme had a budget of 5.8 million euros and was developed with the European Union’s financial support, being implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Moldova.