86.7% of the buildings in the city of Barcelona, around 53,100, were built before 1982, before the implementation of the different energy regulations, and therefore do not comply with the insulation standard established by the current legislation.
The European Union’s strategy is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% before 2030 and to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. To help achieve these goals, the EU is providing citizens with Next Generation Funds to help renovate, adapt and improve homes and buildings.
Barcelona wants to be at the forefront of the transformation of European cities in the fight against climate change, and one of the key points of its housing policy is to have a sustainable and energy-efficient housing stock. For this reason, it is launching the ‘Renovating is caring with Next Generation funds’ campaign to promote the renovation of homes and buildings for health, savings and comfort.
Why renovating is caring?
An efficient home is more resilient to heat and cold waves, which increases the comfort of the home, improves personal well-being, reduces energy bills (thus preventing fuel poverty) and increases the value of the property.
In addition to the personal benefits, you will also be helping to rebuild a greener and more ecological city and boosting the local economy (by employing professionals in the sector).
Why is now the time?
Because the European Union is offering a unique opportunity, thanks to grant that has never been offered before and that has very advantageous conditions:
- It can cover up to 80% of your renovation project.
- For people who are socially vulnerable, there are incentives for 100% of the renovation costs.
These funds are aimed at neighbours who own a home in Barcelona, usufructuaries and vertical physical or legal property.
The four types of grants
- At the private level, you can apply for help to carry out renovation work in your usual home. If you are a homeowner, this line of grant offers you financial help to carry out energy efficiency measures, such as changing doors, windows or air conditioning systems, to replace fossil fuels with renewable energies or biomass.
- You can also persuade the community of neighbours to take action on common elements of the building (whether it is an apartment building or a single-family house, a first or second home, or an empty building) that will make it possible to improve efficiency and save energy. In this case, it will be necessary to demonstrate the reduction of non-renewable primary energy consumption and energy demand.
- The Building and Projects Book is a technical study that includes the characteristics of the building, as well as instructions for use and maintenance to prolong its useful life and avoid deterioration. The aid covers part of the costs of fees and the implementation of comprehensive building renovation projects.
- Finally, there is a grant for the renovation of neighbourhoods, aimed at the renovation of residential buildings with energy efficiency criteria. These subsidies are part of an institutional intervention plan in the city’s most vulnerable neighbourhoods.