Activities in Bulgaria within the INFIRE project

The Municipality of Peshtera has established a new Energy Help Desk (EHD) within the project INFIRE – INnovative FInancing solutions for climate planning of REsilient and carbon neutral living areas, to serve as a local hub for knowledge, advice, and support. This initiative aims to provide practical support to citizens in combating energy poverty, improving energy efficiency, and promoting the transition to sustainable and climate-neutral living areas.

The Regional Energy Agency of Pazardjik (REAP) also contributed to the development of this energy desk by organising a comprehensive training program for municipal employees to ensure that the future EHD team is well-prepared to assist citizens. The training covered a wide range of topics – from the basics of energy poverty, energy efficiency (EE), and renewable energy sources (RES) to the financial mechanisms and instruments available in Bulgaria for “green energy” projects and effective communication practices.

Following the training and capacity-building activities, municipal experts were hired to manage the office’s operations and serve as the main point of contact for citizens on various environmental issues.

In order to reach more people from vulnerable households, two complementary activities were identified and recently launched:

1. Organising small workshops with citizens (2-5 people) on topics related to energy poverty and climate change;

2. Organising home visits to vulnerable households and discussing, in an informal atmosphere, topics such as energy efficiency, energy consumption models, and existing funding schemes for projects aimed at reducing energy consumption and also for environmental projects.

To support these two activities, the so-called “INFIRE Energy Box” was created, which serves as a practical engagement tool, helping citizens better understand their energy consumption and learn about simple and accessible measures to reduce it.

INFIRE Energy Box contains:

• Smart plug for measuring electricity to monitor and manage electricity consumption at the device level;
• Two LED bulbs, illustrating cheap improvements in efficiency;
• A small fan that explains the connection between rising summer temperatures and effective cooling practices;
• Printed materials with tips on reducing energy consumption and mitigating the effects of summer heat, as well as an INFIRE brochure describing the project and its objectives.

The establishment of the Energy Help Desk and the implementation of the accompanying activities under the INFIRE project are important steps toward raising energy awareness, reducing energy poverty, and building a more sustainable and climate-neutral community in the Municipality of Peshtera.