"The Cabinet continues with its consistent policy of supporting vulnerable persons. The Regulation on Energy Poverty was recently adopted. Within the framework of this regulation, the criteria for determining the status of households in a situation of energy poverty and vulnerable persons have been determined." This was announced by the acting Minister of Social Affairs Hasan Ademov after a meeting of the Council of Ministers, quoted by novini.bg.
"This Regulation regulates the construction and functioning of an information system to determine the status of the energy poor who need support", he explained.
"Applications are submitted to the "Social Assistance" Directorate of the Social Assistance Agency, which automatically, passing through the public registers of more than 10 institutions, generates a digital product, on the basis of which the agency's employees inform the electricity distribution companies and vulnerable groups of individuals and households. Measures are proposed, both for direct financial support and recommendations for participation in measures and policies for housing renovation, to increase energy efficiency using various methods", Minister Ademov also pointed out.
The criteria for energy poverty. "First of all, there is the income criterion, the determining factor in it is the average monthly income of households. From it, subtracting the costs of energy consumption, if the remaining amount is less than the poverty line - it is considered that households have energy poverty status", the Minister of Social Affairs also said.
Another group is "vulnerable clients" - it includes people with 50% or more than 50% disabilities, people who received energy assistance in the previous year, people who receive monthly social benefits and people who have the relevant certificates that it is not possible for them to cut off the power supply because it would endanger their lives. These are the vulnerable groups who are entitled to such assistance, added Hasan Ademov.
He specified that the regulation should come into force in early July, when the information system is expected to be fully built and ready to process applications.
The Acting Minister of Energy Traycho Traykov noted that this is a topic that has been on the table for at least 15 years. According to him, there are two ways to obtain this status. "The first is automated - without submitting an application - for people who, for health reasons, need uninterrupted power supply. The second way is by submitting an application", he explained.
My advice is for citizens to carefully familiarize themselves with the texts in the regulation in order to assess which of the two options applies to them, added Minister Traykov.