More than 3,100 households in Kosovo have so far installed energy effiency measures as part of a new credit line scheme.

Kosovo Sustainable Energy Projects (KoSEP), a credit line from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), is supported by Norway and is offering €12 million (£10.5m) of green building upgrades.

The EBRD has committed to invest up to 40% of its total financing in sustainable energy projects by 2020 – with KoSEP it aims to incentivise homeowners to take the necessary steps and bypass investment hurdles.

The money is used to fund outside walls, roofs and floors, efficient windows and external doors.

It can also be used for buying energy efficient washing machines, refrigerators, new boilers and renewable energy equipment such as solar power and biomass equipment.

To date, €11.8 million (£10.3m) has been allocated, largely in the residential sector but also for a number of small businesses.

Mr Sabit Seferaj, a homeowner from Istog, said: “I took a KoSEP loan to apply thermal insulation to the outside walls of my 180-metre squared house.

“It’s a big house and being five in the family we need all rooms warm at all time, which used to cost us a lot.

“Now you can feel the difference during both the summer and the winter. During the summer I don’t have to use any other cooling device and during winter right after completing the insulation works I realised that my electricity and fuel costs have been reduced by about one third.”