A new fund is being created to help vulnerable households with their energy bills. However, the target group will have to be patient. This successor to the Temporary Emergency Energy Fund will open no earlier than the end of 2026.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine and rising energy prices, several attempts have been made to help vulnerable households. For example, there was the Temporary Emergency Energy Fund for three consecutive years. This year, the pot of money was empty a week after opening.
The new government fund should financially support households with high energy costs for several years. Homes should also be made more sustainable from the fund, so that the energy bill itself goes down.
The cabinet needs about a year and a half to get the fund off the ground. Households would be able to apply no earlier than the end of 2026, possibly retroactively over the whole of 2026.
Most of the money in the future fund will come from the European Social Climate Fund (SCF), if the European Commission agrees to the application of 174.5 million euros. The government itself is investing 60 million euros. This money is intended for the period from 2026 to 2032. Each year, an amount will be available that is comparable to that of the Temporary Emergency Energy Fund.