Western Balkans: 25,000 families gain warmer, greener homes with EBRD and EU support

A total of 25,000 families across the Western Balkans are now benefiting from warmer, more affordable and more energy-efficient homes through improvements financed by the Green Economy Financing Facility (GEFF), according to a press release by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The milestone, announced on 29 September 2026, was marked by a visit to a family in Vrčin, near the Serbian capital Belgrade, that installed rooftop solar panels with support from 3 Banka. The program is backed by the EBRD, the European Union (EU) and other donors, and is helping households reduce bills, use cleaner energy and develop greener homes. For many households, these investments have brought practical daily benefits. Lower energy bills, better heating and cooling, cleaner energy produced at home and an improved living environment are among the most visible outcomes.

The Western Balkans remains a key region for residential energy-efficiency investments. The residential sector is one of the region’s largest energy consumers, and many homes still need modern, efficient technologies to reduce energy waste and improve comfort. Through GEFF, households can choose eligible technologies and work with local banks to finance improvements suited to their needs. Since the launch of GEFF in 2017, the EBRD has signed €280 million of GEFF loans with 38 partner financial institutions. The program is co-funded by the EU through the Western Balkans Investment Framework, Austria, Denmark, Japan, and Austria and Switzerland through the High-Impact Partnership on Climate Action (HIPCA).

GEFF is designed to make green investments easier for households. The EBRD provides financing to local partner banks and microfinance institutions, which then lend to families and homeowners. Households can also receive investment grants funded by the EU and other donors, helping make green technologies more affordable. From better insulation and high-efficiency windows to heat pumps, biomass systems and solar panels, the program supports practical technologies that improve everyday living while cutting energy consumption and emissions. By working with local financial institutions such as 3 Banka, the EBRD and its donors help households access financing for solutions that might otherwise be out of reach.

Slađana Stojanović, part of the household that received the 25,000th loan, described the family’s experience.

“We share this home with our son and his family. As he works in the construction industry, he is familiar with new technologies, and he encouraged us to invest in solar panels. We had no doubts about the idea, and being able to apply for a loan from 3 Banka made the whole process very easy for us,” she said.

She added: “We used to spend €100 each month on electricity, now we spend only €25.” The family also invested in a heat pump to replace an old wood and coal stove, expecting even bigger savings this winter.

Aleksandra Vukosavljević, EBRD Director for Financial Institutions in the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe, said the family in Vrčin illustrates how access to green finance can make clean energy solutions practical for everyday life. She noted that, together with the EU, donors and partner banks such as 3 Banka, the EBRD is helping more families across the region take part in the green transition. Andreas von Beckerath, Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia, called reaching 25,000 households an important milestone showing how EU support is helping families benefit directly from the green transition. He highlighted lower energy bills, greater comfort at home and cleaner energy for the future as tangible outcomes. This is the kind of practical investment in people, communities and long-term resilience that the EU supports in Serbia and across the region.