Flemish 'fridge voucher' already costs 12.5m euros this year
The Flemish government’s 250 euro “fridge voucher”, a subsidy for buying energy-efficient household appliances, has already cost 12.5 million euros this year.
By the end of August, more than 200,000 applications had been submitted and more than 160,000 approved, according to Flemish Energy minister Melissa Depraetere of Vooruit. The figures came in response to a parliamentary question from Chris Janssens of Vlaams Belang, De Tijd reports.
The subsidy, officially meant for energy-efficient fridges, freezers, washing machines and dryers, has sparked heated debate. After the scheme was expanded this year, around one in three Flemish households became eligible, causing a rush of applications. In the first three months alone, nearly 175,000 people applied, with about 143,000 approved.
Due to the overwhelming response, Depraetere tightened the eligibility rules, leading to a sharp drop in requests. Since then, about 5,600 people have applied per month, with 4,200 approvals on average.
Despite the slowdown, the total cost will far exceed expectations. The government had budgeted 4 million euros for 2024, but spending is now projected to reach nearly 18 million euros by the end of the year, more than four times the original estimate.
#FlandersNewsService | The ‘fridge voucher’ is a subsidy for buying energy-efficient household appliances, including washing machines and fridges © BELGA PHOTO ERIC LALMAND
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