€3 million handed out in rebates

About €3 million in rebates on energy-efficient domestic appliances were handed out between 2007 and 2008, according to official statistics.

The scheme, through which consumers could claim up to a 20 per cent discount on energy-efficient domestic appliances - up to €116.47 - has proven to be very successful. The Malta Resources Authority (MRA) received almost 44,000 applications, 2,000 of which have still to be processed.

The EU had originally allocated €1.3 million for the scheme and the government added another €500,000. However, the scheme was so successful it was over-subscribed.

As a result, more money was put in the scheme and the subsidies have so far risen to €3 million, but that is without counting the 2,000 pending applications. These will be the last applications to be processed as the scheme ended in June.

The energy-efficient appliances rebate, as it was called, was adopted as a one-year measure by the government to push the market to a greener direction.

Although there are no official statistics as there is no database of the imported domestic appliances and their energy classification, an MRA spokesman said there was definitively a change in people's purchasing pattern onto more eco-friendly appliances, a shift which has been made sharper as the energy bills got higher.

Consumers were eligible to a maximum grant of €58.23 (Lm25) for a Class A dishwasher, up to €116.47 (Lm50) for refrigerators and freezers and a maximum grant of €58.23 (Lm25) for Class A washing machines, tumble dryers and air conditioning units.

The scheme was replaced by new incentives in relation to the installation of solar panels, solar water heaters and energy-saving light bulbs.