Guidelines on a Grant on the Purchase of Roof Insulation and Double Glazing Products for Domestic Use that Reduce the Consumption of Energy. 1. Overview of the scheme The application for a grant is made by the Applicant as defined in these guidelines and conditions and the contractual arrangements are between the Applicant and the scheme administrator (Malta Resources Authority). The application form is divided in two parts: Part A concerns the application for the grant which must be filled in by the Applicant PRIOR to the purchase of the product and must be accompanied by the relevant Annex I and Annex II (detailed quotation from supplier) to part A. Part B is the request for reimbursement which must be completed by the Applicant AFTER the purchase (including payment and installation of the equipment) and must be accompanied by Annex I of Part B which has to be completed by a warranted architect in case of roof insulation and by the installer in case of double glazing. It is important that Applications, Part A (Application for Grant) and Part B (Request for Reimbursement) are to be submitted by mail or by hand personally by the Applicant or by an adult member residing in the same household of the Applicant at MRA offices during the period established in the Notice in the Government Gazette. Applications by retailers will not be accepted. Part A will be processed and available funds shall be allocated, in accordance with the Notice in the Government Gazette. Prior registration of retailers and registration of models will be required. To obtain registration, retailers will have to show that they are qualified and eligible for the scheme. Retailers will need to produce all required documentation including certified true copies of laboratory reports confirming that the products registered meet the appropriate standards as specified in Schedule I below. Registration is open throughout the duration of this scheme and is to be carried out on the appropriate application forms that can be downloaded from MRA s website. Applications by email to mra@mra.org.mt will be accepted provided that receipt of email is acknowledged by the Authority, that all the information required is submitted in a clearly and easily identifiable and retrievable format, and that all the technical documentation is submitted separately. 2. Steps in Applying for Roof Insulation and Double Glazing Grant Scheme Step 1 Page 1 of 9
It is important for the Applicant to read all sections of these guidelines and the conditions attached to this scheme, in detail. Step 2 Fill in Part A of the grant scheme application form, and submit to the Malta Resources Authority together with the required documentation by mail or personally by hand at MRA offices. Please note that at this stage, the application is not yet assessed much less approved. Part A of the application must be approved by the Malta Resources Authority and a grant offer letter sent to the Applicant before equipment is purchased and installed. MRA officials or its agents may inspect the site of installation. Step 3 In case of acceptance If the scheme criteria are met and the application is successful the Applicant will receive a grant offer letter. At this stage the Applicant may purchase and install the product. Details of successful applications may be published on the website. In case of rejection A letter of rejection will be sent to non-compliant Applicants. The reason for rejection will be indicated on the letter. Any requests for review from rejected Applicants will be assessed by a Review Committee specifically appointed to hear objections from decisions made under this scheme. Applicants will be informed of the Review Committee decision. Step 4 When the installation of the roof insulation and/or double glazing has been completed, the Applicant should fill in Part B (request for reimbursement) including all required documentation. Part B must reach the MRA within the date indicated on the grant offer letter. Step 5 Following the receipt of Part B from the Applicant, the Malta Resources Authority will assess the request for reimbursement and the details of the installed product against information provided in the original pre-purchase application (part A of the application). Step 6 Payments of grant schemes will be processed after receipt of a fully and correctly completed Part B request for reimbursement including all required attachments. The grant will be paid to the Applicant by bank transfer. The MRA will use the bank details provided Page 2 of 9
by the Applicant. The Applicant is responsible to ensure that the details of the bank account are correct. 3. Interpretation In this scheme, unless the context otherwise requires: applicant means any person who makes an application for a rebate in terms of this Scheme, is a resident of Malta, is 18 years of age or more on the day of submission of the application and who is a holder in terms of article 2 of the Identity Card Act, Cap. 258; application means an application for a grant made in such manner as required and in terms of this scheme; Authority means the Malta Resources Authority established by Article 3 of the Malta Resources Authority Act; seller or retailer means a seller or retailer who is registered with the Authority as a seller or retailer in Malta, of productss eligible for the purposes of and in terms of this scheme; effective date means the date of publication of Government Notice in the Government Gazzette; Malta shall have the same meaning as in article 3 of the Interpretation Act (Cap. 249); purchase price of the product means the final purchase price of the product as shown in the fiscal receipt; fiscal receipt shall have the same meaning as in the Thirteenth Schedule of the Value Added Tax Act (Cap. 406), as subsequently amended, and includes any regulation made by the same Act; system, product, or equipment are used interchangebly and mean roof thermal insulation material or double glazed windows or doors approved by the Malta Resources Authority as eligible for the scheme, meeting the requirements listed in Schedule I below, and which are purchased from Malta on or after the effective date, till the duration of the scheme; double glazing means a window consisting of two layers of glass separated by a space, fitted to reduce heat loss and which window is purchased from Malta; roof thermal insulation material means a type of material that is permanently introduced in the roof construction of a residence to improve the resistance to the passage of heat of that building fabric and which material is purchased from Malta; Page 3 of 9
4. Area of applicability This scheme applies to the expenditure that is incurred by an applicant on the purchase of a product for domestic use made from a registered retailer and which expenditure is made within the duration of the grant offer letter. Expenditure for a product not for use at a domestic premises used for habitation purposes by an applicant is not eligible for a grant in terms of this scheme. 5. Eligible Expenditure The expenditure to be reported is in respect of the purchase price of the product as shown on the fiscal receipt. The respective proof of payment would be the fiscal receipt issued according to law. Only purchases from a registered retailer will be accepted for the rebate scheme. Overseas purchases will not be eligible for a rebate. Payments that are not accompanied with a fiscal receipt issued in Malta according to Maltese law are not eligible. Eligible expenditure shall include: For roof insulation: Cost of roof insulation material, plus its fixing on the roof, including VAT, but excluding; a. the cost of any extended warranty beyond the standard warranty that installers are required to provide free of charge; b. the cost of any other materials, works or other costs such as but not limited to, any laying of roof compounds; c. costs of permits or certification; d. normal cement/sand screed (kontrabejt); e. stone chippings used for torba; f. structural membranes in concrete steel (such as corrugated steel sheeting unless the latter is factorybonded to the roof insulation); g. natural stone and wood; h. bituminous or rubberised roofing membranes and compounds including paints for UV protection; i. agricultural shading nets; j. tiles of cement, ceramic or natural stone material; k. any shading devices. For double glazing: Cost of double glazing plus its fixing to the window frame, including VAT, but excluding; a. the cost of any extended warranty beyond the standard warranty that installers are required to provide free of charge; b. the cost of any other materials, works or other costs such as, but not limited to, any costs related to the manufacturing of the door or window frames, any costs related to the installation of the complete windows and doors, any costs of plastering or decorating at the site, and general fixtures at property; c. costs of permits or certification. Page 4 of 9
Applicants are to note that MRA has the right to reject applications in cases where both eligible and non-eligible expenditure do not reflect current market prices. Furthermore, eligible expenditure for Roof Insulation shall be capped at 60 / m 2 and 150 / m 2 for double glazing. 6. Eligible products The chosen product must be registered with the MRA. The registered list of manufacturers and models will be accessible on www.mra.org.mt. The product manufacturer is the company that makes the product. The model is the version of the product that has been selected for use. It is your responsibility to ensure that approved products are used. 7. Manner of application and supporting documents (i) (ii) (iii) (v) Applications under this Scheme shall be made by the Applicant in the form, set out in this Scheme and shall contain all the information, details and documents as required in the said form and in terms of this Scheme. Applications as submitted will be the basis for acceptance or otherwise and cannot be changed. Prospective Applicants who intend to import products directly are also urged to preregister their products themselves PRIOR to making any commitments. Full details of the overseas retailer from whom the product is imported must be given and Part I of the application form for Registration as a Participating Retailer may be sent by e- mail. The Malta Resources Authority will need to verify all overseas purchases. Only those applications that are found to conform to all the provisions of this Scheme shall be eligible for payment of the grant. An application shall not be deemed to have been submitted unless it is full and complete and unless it contains all the information and is accompanied by all the documentation requested therein. The MRA requires full details (entered into the relevant forms or attached as required) to assess applications and reserves the right to suspend processing of incomplete applications until all necessary details have been provided. The MRA will advise any Applicant so affected of the necessary details required to complete an application. The MRA may contact other Government Departments to verify that the information submitted in the applications is correct. IMPORTANT NOTE: Applicants are advised not to enter into a binding contractual commitment or otherwise pay out any money (including any deposit) in relation to the purchase of a product or the carrying out of any installation work (other than certain preliminary ground or civil works) before receiving a grant offer letter. Failure to comply with this requirement will prejudice the application and the grant, either because MRA exercises its right not to make an offer where particular requirements are not met and/or because insufficient funds are available. In such cases, the Applicant will have to pay the full cost of the technology/installation work him/herself. Page 5 of 9
8. Grant Claim Deadline Grants are valid for six months from the date of the grant offer letter. It is strongly recommended to confirm with the supplier for an installation date for the product chosen. If the installation has not been completed within the given timeframe the grant will expire and a claim cannot be made. If one is unable to commit to installing the product within the timescales outlined above, the application will not be considered as valid. Extensions of the installation period will only be considered in case of duly justified cases outside the control of the Applicant. 9. Grant payable under this Scheme The applicable grant, unless otherwise stipulated in the Notice in the Government Gazette announcing this call, is as follows: Roof Insulation and Double Glazing: 15.25% of eligible costs up to a maximum of 1,000 10. Payment of Grant Once all criteria are met and an application has been approved, the application will be passed for payment and the relevant grant amount will be made by bank transfer using the bank details provided by the Applicant. The correct bank details shall be provided to the Authority by the Applicant for this purpose. 11. Duration of the scheme Applications for this call may be validly received as from the date of publication of the Government Notice until the date stipulated in the Government Gazzette. The scheme may be modified or terminated before that date by means of a notice in the Gazette. This scheme may be renewed as may be deemed necessary by the Malta Resources Authority also by means of a notice in the Gazette. 12. Amendments to the scheme The Malta Resources Authority shall at all times have the right to make any amendments to this scheme by means of a notice published in the Gazette containing such amendments. 13. Period of operation The Authority is required to ensure that the funds it administers provide a certain amount of environmental benefits. For this reason, one of the conditions of the grant is that the product will remain installed and in use, and will not be modified in such a way as to Page 6 of 9
degrade its performance for a period of at least five years after installation. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that this condition is met. The retailer shall therefore include a warranty of at least 5 years on the product. The Malta Resources Authority and other national authorities may perform on site inspections throughout this five year period to ensure that the equipment is still in operation. 14. Audit The Authority and other national authorities have to be able to verify, if need be, that any grants paid by MRA were used for the purposes intended by the grant scheme. For this reason, you must ensure that you comply with the record keeping and inspection requirements set out in the following paragraphs. (a) You must keep a record of all relevant documentation that you obtain in relation to the technology and its installation, including in particular the copies of any quotations and invoices/receipts from the relevant installer or any other contractors involved in the installation work. You must keep these records for at least 5 years following payment of the grant and if MRA asks you to do so at any time (and as long as it gives you reasonable prior notice) you must allow authorised representatives of MRA and/or its agents and/or any national audit bodies to inspect and take copies of these records. (b) If MRA asks you to do so at any time (and as long as it gives you reasonable prior notice) you must permit MRA and its authorised inspectors or other representatives to have access to the property for the purposes of inspecting product and/or verifying whether the energy efficiency measures required by these terms and conditions have been put in place. (c) If the MRA asks you to do so at any time, you must provide such additional information and co-operation as MRA may request for the purposes of MRA monitoring energy use of the property and/or the performance of the product. The MRA will be entitled to use this information, amongst other things, for the purposes of publishing reports in relation to the relevant products. 15. Data Protection Personal information provided is protected and used in accordance with the Data Protection Act. The information shown on this application form will be used and shared by/with the Malta Resources Authority and its agents, the Ministry for Finance, the VAT department and other Government entities involved in administering and supervising the scheme. The MRA may also use this information to demonstrate market transformation trends. The authority may check information given by the applicant with relevant authorities and / or Government entities in Malta. 15. Publicity If at any time you use the product in any advertising or otherwise publish any information about the product you must make clear as part of the relevant activity that you have received a grant using national funds. However, you must not do or say anything that may Page 7 of 9
lead a third party to believe that you are acting as an agent of the Authority. The names of applicants and the corresponding grant given may appear in public official documents. 17. Compliance with legislation You must ensure that the installation (and the building where this installation is sited) complies with a valid development permit, or is permitted development under the Development Notification Order. You must ensure that in carrying out any activities in connection with the installation and use of the technology you and anyone acting on your behalf complies with all applicable laws and regulations. The installed product must be compliant with applicable regulation and technical codes. This grant is subject to Maltese legislation. The grant is also made to the applicant personally. The grant does not confer any rights. The MRA will not lose any right that it has under these terms and conditions if it does not exercise that right or delays in exercising it. 18. Liability The MRA cannot and does not guarantee or underwrite the performance of any product and you should ensure that the retailer and installer you contract with provides you with all necessary information in relation to the warranty cover they will be providing. In cases were the supplier does not conform to any provisions set out in the scheme, the supplier/installer shall be obliged to either change the equipment to bring the installations within the provisions of the scheme or pay the grant to the end consumer. This does not exclude the possibility that the end consumer may take legal action against the retailer to provide him/her with equipment as originally requested. 13. Schedule I For roof insulation, the retailer must present a certificate from the manufacturer demonstrating the K (thermal conductivity) value. The final U value of the installed roof insulation should not exceed 0.59 for the complete roof as specified in table F1 in the regulations Technical guidance Conservation of fuel, energy & natural resources (minimum requirements on energy performance of building regulations, 2006). An architect s certificate must be presented to confirm the final U- value of the roof insulation. For double glazing, the retailer must present a certificate from the manufacturer demonstrating the K (thermal conductivity) value. For double glazing the final U value must be equivalent or better then table A1 or A2 in the regulations Technical guidance Conservation of fuel, energy & natural resources (minimum requirements on energy Page 8 of 9
performance of building regulations, 2006). The installer will need to certify the gap of the double glazed windows. New buildings that have been certified to conform to the building regulations by an architect may present this certification for verification of U- value and gap of double glazed windows. Page 9 of 9