Members of the House energy committee on Tuesday called for an extension of plans supporting renewable energy systems and related measures.

Following the meeting, committee chairman Kyriacos Hadjiyiannis said the government confirmed it intends to continue subsidy schemes that currently support the installation of solar panels on homes.

The current programmes are set to expire on December 31, and the committee stressed that a clear decision is urgently required.

Hadjiyiannis said the government’s planned continuation will include subsidies for self-consumption systems and battery storage.

Households would be able to invest in solar panels and storage using these funds.

The committee warned that delaying the decision could create market uncertainty.

The chairman clarified that the existing scheme covers equipment subsidies, with households receiving up to €1,500.

He added that schemes involving net metering or net billing, which track the production and consumption of electricity, must continue without interruption.

Currently, only the state supplier, the electricity authority of Cyprus (EAC), offers such schemes. Hadjiyiannis encouraged private suppliers to participate as the energy market opens up.

The committee plans to review progress in January to ensure the market functions correctly.

All developments will be closely monitored to maintain transparency and support fair competition between suppliers. The committee also discussed a draft law to establish a legal framework for hotel operations in Cyprus.

Hadjiyiannis said all parties, including the deputy ministry of tourism and the law office, responded positively to the proposal in principle.

The goal is to create a regulated system that protects consumers, enhances hotel value, and supports fair competition.

The law would also prevent hotels from operating without the necessary licences.

He added that bureaucratic obstacles and past irregularities have prevented some hotels from meeting current legal requirements.

 The new legal framework aims to provide a clear, enforceable system, giving hotels a fair opportunity to operate while ensuring compliance with all regulations.

 Hadjiyiannis described the draft law as balanced, designed to protect the sector and consumers, and expected it to be improved further through proposed amendments.

 On electricity, Hadjiyiannis highlighted a proposal to prevent public electricity loads from being held unused for extended periods.

 The draft law would ensure that available electricity is immediately supplied to the grid, helping to reduce prices.

He urged political parties to consider the proposal carefully, noting that failure to approve it could maintain high electricity costs for consumers.

 Hadjiyiannis stressed that under the proposed changes, electricity allocation would be immediate and transparent. 

 Consumers would benefit directly through more efficient use of available power, while suppliers would be required to report load usage regularly. 

 The aim is to eliminate long-standing practices where electricity was reserved for years without actual consumption, which he said contributed to high costs and inefficiencies in the system.