The Environmental Fund's website for people to apply for the E-Lar program began operating on Tuesday at 11:00 am, but was unavailable or experiencing severe disruptions throughout the day, a problem the ministry attributed to the high influx of applicants. Before applications opened, 385,000 hits were recorded, the ministry stated.

This morning, the Ministry of Environment and Energy assured Lusa that the website is now operating normally, with 6,133 applications received by 10:00 am, with another 2,273 still being completed.

The program aims to strengthen the fight against energy poverty and promote thermal comfort in homes in need, encourage the replacement of old appliances with new, more energy-efficient ones, and accelerate the electrification of consumption by replacing gas appliances with electric ones.

The support can be used, for example, to purchase induction and conventional electric hobs, electric ovens, or electric water heaters. Applicants whose applications are approved receive a voucher to support the operation.