The Zelená úsporám program has already selected 3,500 companies

Prague - The State Environmental Fund (SFŽP), which manages the government program Green Savings, has already selected nearly 3,500 companies that can carry out insulation subsidized by this program. As of Monday, the fund has registered a total of 9,001 registered companies. This is reported by today’s Lidové noviny.
    "Our goal is for every company that expresses interest and meets the basic conditions to be able to register,” said SFŽP spokesperson Lenka Brandtová. Since entering the Green Savings program, companies have been hoping for an influx of new contracts in the future.
    Overall, the state wants to use 25 billion crowns that Japan paid to the Czech Republic for emissions allowances. The subsidies are intended for the insulation of family homes and non-panel apartment buildings, the construction of low-energy houses, the installation of eco-friendly low-emission biomass boilers, or efficient heat pumps.
    The execution of work by a certified company is a condition for the disbursement of state subsidies. Approved materials and technologies must also be used. While the number of companies is increasing, the number of applicants for subsidies is growing slowly.
    The number of applicants is also expected to increase with the help of five banks that have joined the project. The banks not only allow applications to be submitted directly at their branches but also offer preferential loans for financing investments supported by the Green Savings subsidy. The program includes Česká spořitelna, ČSOB, Komerční banka, LBBW, and UniCredit Bank.
    According to the latest information, the fund has recorded 53 applications received through regional offices. An additional 13 applications have been received by the banks collaborating on the program.
    If the Czechs do not utilize all the billions offered by the state in the program by 2012, the unspent money will be returned to Japan.