The need for immediate expansion and strengthening of plans related to the installation and utilization of renewable energy sources (RES) systems was underlined yesterday by the members of the Parliamentary Committee on Energy. During the meeting of the Committee, the members were informed by government officials about the planning regarding the existing plans but also about the future subsidy programs for photovoltaic systems and energy storage.
The President of the Committee and DISY MP Kyriakos Hatzigiannis, after the end of the session, stated that the current plans expire on December 31, 2025, which makes it necessary to make a timely political decision on their renewal. As he mentioned, the Government assured that it intends to continue the subsidy, while strengthening the new framework with financial incentives that will cover not only the installation of photovoltaics but also energy storage systems, such as household batteries.
Mr. Hatzigiannis described this commitment as a "positive development", pointing out that the Commission does not accept the possibility of terminating the plans. "Households must have the necessary subsidy at their disposal so that they can invest in both energy production and storage. A period of uncertainty would create an information gap and pave the way for exploitation and speculation," he stressed, calling on the Government to proceed immediately with its final decisions.
Equipment subsidy and new Net Metering / Net Billing schemes
At the same time, he clarified that to date the subsidy concerns exclusively the installation of photovoltaics with a maximum aid amount of €1,500 per household. The new plan, as he said, should be expanded to cover the purchase of storage systems, which he considers necessary for the energy autonomy of consumers.
He also noted that the existing Net Metering and Net Billing schemes - methods of clearing energy and value respectively - cannot be discontinued and must remain available in the context of the opening of the electricity market. It is worth mentioning that to date, these plans are provided exclusively by the EAC. Besides, with the new regime, all private energy suppliers will be able to offer corresponding packages.
Mr. Hatzigiannis called on private suppliers to take advantage of the opportunity and not leave the EAC as the only player. Otherwise, as he warned, it will be examined whether there is a real response to demand or whether there are coordinated practices that hinder competition.
Intervention for electricity
With regard to electricity, the President of the Commission also raised the issue of the practice of withholding public charges by entities that have secured rights in previous years. As he argued, there is no logic in leaving unused cargo for a long time, while consumers are paying exorbitant electricity prices.
The Commission is promoting a proposal for a law that will reduce to a minimum - or even eliminate - the time during which someone can keep an idle load without implementing a project. "Whoever is ready will receive the load and contribute directly to the grid," he said, noting that this change will help reduce the cost of electricity.
Referring to the political part, Mr. Hatzigiannis called on the parties to take a substantial position on the proposal. "Those who vote against the change should know that they are contributing to maintaining the high prices that citizens are currently paying," he said.
The Commission intends to review the progress of the issue in January, monitoring both the market attitude and the preparedness of suppliers. "The market must operate with rules, with many players and not with monopolies. Supervision is necessary to ensure healthy competition and real benefit for the consumer", underlined Mr. Hatzigiannis.
