Only families in stratum 1 and 2 in Risaralda will be able to subsidize their natural gas consumption.
Through the approval of the Ministry of Mines and Energy of the Development Quota agreement with the Efigas company, families from strata 1 and 2 of the Coffee Region will be able to enjoy the natural gas service, thanks to a subsidy for the connection of this fuel. The agreement that was signed is equivalent to $7,692 million pesos and represents for each beneficiary a subsidy of $1,006,320, with which they will be able to acquire the service that regularly costs $2,400,000 and defer the surplus for up to 72 months or six months without interests.
From Efigas and the Ministry of Mines and Energy it was established that this aid will facilitate the change of energy sources that pollute the environment such as firewood or coal and transforms the lives of women and men by saving time in their work, optimizing resources, the reduction of impacts on health and a better quality of life: “We seek to ensure not only the right to guarantee the public home service, but also energy security in their homes and part of the energy attraction that this government has proposed,” said Álvaro Andrés Camacho, Minister of Mines and Energy.
12 municipalities
Risaralda is the department of the Coffee Region that has the most places for the allocation of this subsidy. In this way, 300 assignments have been delivered in this area, and it is expected that the sectors of both Pereira and Dosquebradas as well as Japan, Frailes, Camilo Torres, Villa Santana, Laureles, Leningrad, as well as the other 10 municipalities of Risaralda, among them , Balboa, La Celia, La Virginia, Marsella, Santa Rosa de Cabal, Belén de Umbría, Santuario, Apía, Guética and Quinchía can access the 3,476 subsidies, 1,110 for stratum 1 and 2,366 for stratum 2.
There are more savings
“We are willing to continue accompanying the families of the Coffee Region, especially in Risaralda, there are 7 thousand subsidies for the 32 municipalities that Efigas serves. We are inviting them so that these users can make the decision, can access the installation and the savings that this implies. Let us remember that in the rate for the cubic meter of natural gas there are also subsidies, up to 60% for stratum 1 in the cubic meter of natural gas and up to 50% in stratum 2,” indicated Érika Durán, deputy commercial manager of Efigas.
That is, a stratum 1 family in Pereira or Dosquebradas can have a saving of 62% in fuel, compared to the cylinder or the well-known gas pipe: “This family is going to feel a very important saving in their family basket and these are the good news with which we start 2024, with the full intention of being able to connect more clients so that they can feel that improvement in their quality of life,” concluded the assistant manager.
What does the subsidy correspond to?
According to Efigas and the Ministry of Mines, $503,160 corresponds to 70% of the 2023 connection charge rate and is applied to the connection charge and the other half refers to 70% of the 2023 connection charge rate and is applied to the internal network.
How to access this subsidy?
So if you are a user who has a home located in stratum 1 or 2 and has availability for gas service, you can contact the Efigas hotlines (6063515351 in Pereira), as well as you can check the stratification with the receipt of water or energy. It is important to clarify that if you are located in a risk area or your gas network is not certified, constituted, or consuming, you will not be able to access this benefit.
Given
Throughout the Coffee Region, 7,644 families will be impacted.
The amount
81% of Efigas users are in strata 1 and 2.