Households can receive compensations from the Energy Vulnerability Reduction Fund through the governmental program “Ajutor la contor”

Today, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection (MLSP) has launched the Energy Vulnerability Information System (EVIS) – an online platform that allows registering and processing requests for compensation of the people’s expenses for energy consumption: compensatii.gov.md.

EVIS was developed by the Government of Moldova, with the financial support of the European Union and of the Government of Slovakia, offered through “Addressing the impacts of the energy crisis in the Republic of Moldova” programme, implemented by UNDP. The programme supported the creation of the fund, the development of the information system, the training of social workers, the creation and operation of the call centre, as well as the information campaign dedicated to the Energy Vulnerability Reduction Fund.

“We are going through a difficult period and the Government of the Republic of Moldova is making every effort to reduce the impact of current energy prices. Since the majority of the population is vulnerable, we estimate that around 90% of families will benefit from compensations. They will be allocated according to the vulnerability category, which will make the system more equitable,” said Marcel Spatari, Minister of Labour and Social Protection, at the launching press conference.

“The Green Deal and the EU’s overarching growth plan to reach climate neutrality by 2050 also stresses the need to integrate the goal of mitigating energy poverty and support a just energy transition for all, ‘leaving no one behind’,” said Magdalena Mueller-Uri, Head of Cooperation, Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova.

“I am pleased that the creation of this unique concept and final calibration processes have been financially supported by Slovak Official Development Assistance (SlovakAid). Slovakia is a long-term stable partner of the Republic of Moldova in the development and humanitarian sector, also in the framework of cooperation between UNDP and SlovakAid, which has been in place for more than 13 years now,” said Pavol Ivan, Ambassador of Slovakia to the Republic of Moldova.

“With such outstanding number of people faced with a cost-of-living crisis, the rising heating costs during wintertime would affect even deeper already struggling households. Therefore, compensating households through these difficult times is critical to mitigate the increased level of energy vulnerability. UNDP is honoured to have had the opportunity of supporting the Moldovan Government on this essential issue, jointly with the European Union and the Government of Slovakia. Going forward, the Energy Vulnerability Fund will include support of energy efficiency measures, targeting particularly vulnerable households, to support them in decreasing their energy bills in the long-term,” said Andrea Cuzyova, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative to the Republic of Moldova.

To qualify for compensations, households are encouraged to register on the website compensatii.gov.md to be assigned the category of energy vulnerability which will serve as the basis for calculating the amount for the compensation. For this purpose, five categories of energy vulnerability have been identified – from very high to non-vulnerable.

It is recommended the registration by 15 November. At the beginning of November, the Government will approve differentiated tariffs for the consumption of energy resources.

The category of energy vulnerability will be assigned on the basis of a coefficient calculated as a ratio expressed in percentage between expenses for energy resources and the income available to the family for the payment of energy.

To help consumers register in the Energy Vulnerability Information System, a governmental green line was launched, 0 8000 5000, which will provide information on the procedure for applying for compensation, criteria for assigning the vulnerability category, access and registration on the online platform. Those who do not have access to IT equipment or knowledge on how to register online may ask for the support of social workers or local librarians.

Previously, UNDP has also conducted a study on the impact of the rising costs of energy resources on the energy poverty of the population, which found that 60% of Moldova’s population live in energy poverty, spending more than 10% of budgets on energy bills.

With a total budget of EUR 10 million, the “Addressing the impacts of the energy crisis in the Republic of Moldova” programme contributes to the fight against climate change by reducing the impact of the energy crisis and to reversing the deepening of energy poverty.

This press release was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its content represents the sole responsibility of the “Addressing the impacts of the energy crisis in the Republic of Moldova” programme, funded by the European Union and implemented by UNDP Moldova. The content of the press release belongs to the authors and does not necessarily reflect the vision of the European Union.