Heat pump events in Western Macedonia

A series of informational events has begun for the programme “Installation of heat pumps for heating and cooling” in Western Macedonia, according to a report in grevenapress.gr. The first event is scheduled for Tuesday 15 September 2026, at 19:00, at the Chamber of Commerce in Ptolemaida. As stated by the same source, the events are being held as part of the region’s climate and energy transition and are aimed at informing citizens about the programme. According to the report, the events will present the terms of participation, the procedure for submitting applications and the benefits that result from the installation of heat pumps for heating and cooling of homes. The choice of Ptolemaida as the first stop on the series of events is connected, according to the report, with the town’s role in the broader energy transition of the region.

The grevenapress.gr report did not provide information on the amount of the subsidy, the income or other eligibility criteria, nor the overall budget of the programme. According to the report, it is precisely these details that are expected to be discussed during the events, along with the practical procedures that interested parties should follow in order to submit an application. A full schedule with the subsequent dates and locations of events beyond the first meeting in Ptolemaida has not been published. The source does not mention which body is organizing the events beyond the general reference to the framework of the programme, nor does it clarify whether printed or electronic materials will be provided to participants.

Western Macedonia is the region of the country that has been most affected by lignite phase-out, the gradual withdrawal of lignite-fired energy production units that for decades constituted a fundamental pillar of the local economy and employment. In this context, heating costs remain an issue that systematically concerns the residents of the region, especially with winter approaching, when heating needs in the mountainous and semi-mountainous areas of Western Macedonia increase significantly. Programmes such as this one for heat pumps are part of a broader effort to transition to alternative heating sources, at a time when measures for heating oil are also being discussed at the national level. Information was not provided, however, that would directly link this specific programme to broader policies for the energy transition of the region.

The first informational event in Ptolemaida, on Tuesday 15 September 2026, is expected to give residents their first real picture of the terms of the programme. Until then, the exact amount of the subsidy, the income criteria for participation and the overall budget allocated remain unknown. It has also not been clarified whether corresponding events will follow in other towns of Western Macedonia, such as Kozani, Kastoria or Grevena, nor what the deadline for submitting applications will be. Interested citizens are expected to gather the first details directly from the event in Ptolemaida, as no written guide with the terms of the programme has been published so far.