Energy Efficiency Must Become a Strategic Priority for the Armenian People, Prime Minister

The topic of energy efficiency has become particularly relevant in our society, highlighted by a well-known anecdote. When discussing the rise in gasoline prices, one participant quips that it’s no big deal as they always fill up with a thousand drams. Prime Minister of Armenia made this statement today during a cabinet session, where Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan presented a decision draft on approving the signing of a financing agreement between the Government of Armenia and the European Commission regarding 'The EU for Energy Efficiency and Environment.'

"Energy efficiency is indeed about taking the issue of this anecdote seriously, as we all currently spend a certain amount (x) for heating and cooling our workplaces and homes, and that amount could potentially be reduced if we made serious investments in energy efficiency. To put it metaphorically, if we spend a thousand drams on heating our apartment, with an investment in energy efficiency, we could assume that we would spend seven hundred drams instead, thereby mitigating the impact of potential price increases on energy carriers on our expenditures and budget. Energy efficiency must become a strategic priority for the Armenian people," said the Prime Minister.

Mher Grigoryan noted that the 17 million allocated in the draft pertains to grants focusing on retail loans. It is possible that there will be both co-financing and zero-interest options, while the Prime Minister emphasized that this draft would allow people to access funding to make their homes energy efficient.

"If we design this program effectively, it will be a good initiative, and if it progresses, I am confident that we will mobilize other resources as well, since for instance, if we replace bulbs and adhere to other standards, it can reduce a family’s expenses by 20-30 percent," added Mher Grigoryan.

The Prime Minister inquired whether it could be considered the year of energy efficiency in the context of 2020, to which Mher Grigoryan responded affirmatively. Additionally, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Suren Papikyan remarked that it should be regarded as the starting year for energy efficiency.

"We are working institutionally to make energy efficiency a strategic theme, meaning that we need to set a goal for every citizen to strive for maximum efficiency in meeting their housing energy needs. This is fundamentally an issue of energy security and energy independence. We need to address this issue while simultaneously developing alternative energy," he concluded.