Energy Help Desk in Peshtera: Empowering Citizens to Tackle Energy Poverty
The Municipality of Peshtera is launching a new Energy Help Desk (EHD) as part of the INFIRE Project – Innovative Financing Solutions for Climate Planning of Resilient and Carbon Neutral Living Areas. This initiative aims to provide practical support to citizens in addressing energy poverty, improving energy efficiency, and promoting the transition toward sustainable and climate-resilient living.
Recognizing the challenges faced by households struggling with rising energy costs and limited access to renewable energy solutions, the Peshtera Municipality has taken proactive steps to establish the EHD as a local center for knowledge, advice, and assistance.
The Regional Energy Agency of Pazardzhik (REAP) organized a comprehensive training curriculum for municipal staff, ensuring that the future Energy Help Desk team is well-prepared to assist citizens. The training covered a wide range of themes – from the fundamentals of energy poverty, energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy sources (RES) to available financial schemes and instruments in Bulgaria for green energy projects, and effective communication practices.
Following the training and capacity building activities, municipal experts have been appointed to lead the Desk’s operations and serve as the main point of contact for citizens on various environmental topics.
Over the coming weeks, the Municipality of Peshtera and energy agency REAP will start bilateral meetings with citizens of Peshtera in order to consult them on topics related to EE, RES, and green funding, and at the same time they will continue with training activities and organize communication campaigns to raise awareness about the EHD’s benefits. Monitoring and evaluation of key performance indicators will ensure that the Desk’s services are continuously improved to meet local needs.
The Energy Help Desk represents a vital step toward a more energy-resilient and socially inclusive future for Peshtera’s citizens. By combining local expertise, innovative financing tools, and active community engagement, this initiative will help transform Peshtera into a model municipality for sustainable living in Bulgaria.
