LocationsThe warmth of solidarity: How Moldova’s energy compensation programme supported every second household
July 14, 2025
For the third year in a row, Moldova’s “Ajutor la contor” (energy compensation programme) delivered more than just money—it provided warmth, safety, and a tangible sense of solidarity. With support from ten partner countries, nearly every second household in Moldova benefitted from this assistance during the 2024–2025 cold season.
For some, the compensation significantly helped household budgets—like Maria from Sipoteni, who uses a wheelchair; Nina from Romanovca, a mother of three on parental leave; or Vera, a pensioner in Chișinău. For others, like Ukrainian refugees Elena and Alexei or Ștefan, an older man from Dezghingea, it was a reminder that they are not forgotten. And for many, this support was a lifeline—vital to making it through the winter. That includes Malina from Bălți, Elena from Prepelița—a mother of six—and Angela from Corlăteni, a single parent of three raising a child with a severe disability.
Warmth as a responsibility for families with children
Families with children are among the most energy-vulnerable and made up a large share of the programme’s beneficiaries. Elena Smîntînă from Prepelița village, Sîngerei district, knows this first-hand. She and her husband are raising six children—five attending school or kindergarten, and a newborn born just as the cold season started. Keeping the house warm is a daily responsibility, care, and parents strive to continuously keep the fire burning in the stove on cold days, because "it is a necessity, not a luxury" and to be prepared ahead of time with the necessary reserves to ensure the comfort and health of the little ones, even if that sometimes means making sacrifices.
The compensation helped ease this burden. Elena says they felt this support as a sign of care from the state and its partners for households where this assistance was vital, such as theirs.
“We received 800 and 1,000 lei (around 50 euros) monthly. These funds really helped us during winter. It would have been impossible without this support. We would have had a much harder time, especially since my husband has less work in the cold season as he’s a day laborer in construction, and the only consistent income we have now is 1,000 lei—the allowance for Luca, the youngest—which covers the electricity, water, internet, and kindergarten bills,” says Elena. For their family, this support means an additional income that contributes not only to heating the home but also to a more secure future for their children.
“800 lei might not sound like much, but it helped us a lot”
Energy subsidies were also a significant additional income for the Buruianî family from the village of Romanovca, Ungheni district. Nina and Viorel are raising three children: a teenage daughter with a disability who is studying in Ungheni, a nearly four-year-old girl, and a boy not yet two. “800 lei might not sound like much, but these funds helped us a lot, especially in winter when expenses are higher and my husband doesn’t work much because that’s how it is in construction. We added some more money and bought a stack of firewood each month. I sincerely thank you for this help—it really made a difference,” says Nina.
Since Nina is on childcare leave, the family’s income is lower. Viorel, her husband, worked for many years in construction in the Russian Federation but returned home when their youngest was born, to be with his family and see his children grow up. He says that if he works hard, he can earn well at home too, but the work is seasonal—he builds house roofs. Most of the money they save goes into building materials for their own house, which they are constructing gradually with their own efforts. The Buruianî couple says that in their situation, with small children and a house under construction, every leu matters, and the money for heating is support they are very grateful for.
Vital support for single parents and persons with disabilities
Angela Nedelea is raising three children on her own—two teenagers and a preschooler. She lives with her retired and ailing parents in their house in the village of Corlăteni, Rîșcani district. Angela needs to stay at home to care for her youngest daughter, who has a disability and cannot be left alone. She says she is doing the best she can, but it’s not easy at all. The energy compensations, received in all three cold seasons since the “Ajutor la contor” programme began, have come as a lifeline for Angela’s family.
“As a single mother with three children, who doesn’t work and lives on the 1,900 lei allowance for my child, the heating compensation was very helpful to me. Without this money, I certainly could not cope. I would’ve racked up debts or taken out a loan—I can’t imagine how else we would’ve made it,” says Angela.
“Thanks to the compensation, we escaped part of the burden”
In the 2024–2025 cold season, all applicant households with at least one person with a severe disability automatically received compensation. In the household of Maria Vioară and her mother Ana Ciuntu from the village of Sipoteni, Călărași district, there are two people with disabilities. How do two wheelchair users with a seven-year-old child cope during winter? “Very well,” was Maria's answer, who finds room for positive thoughts and smiles even in the toughest situations.
Stocking up on firewood is the most complicated part, says Maria. She is responsible for bringing in the wood because she has a more modern and maneuverable wheelchair. Putting the fire on is Ana’s responsibility since she can get down from the chair, even if only on her knees. It’s a team effort, just like most activities in their household.
“It’s not always easy for us. But who has it easy? Thanks to the compensation, we escaped part of the burden because every penny counts in our household. As the Moldovan saying goes, ‘Where there are two, strength grows,’ meaning that with our little bit and the help we receive, we gather enough to cover what our family needs. Of course, we try to be frugal—not so that we can no longer breathe in the house—but to be wise with all expenses. We also replaced the windows and doors when we had the chance, to conserve heat,” Maria says.
Compensations provided not just warmth, but a sense of solidarity in a country that became their shelter
Refugees from the Kherson region, Ukraine, Elena and Alexei Severin have been living for three years in a house left by relatives in the village of Dezghingea, Găgăuzia region. After losing everything in one night of bombing, they left without a plan, with only scorched documents and a few hastily gathered belongings. They survive on modest pensions and refugee support, and this winter, energy compensations helped them gather the 7,000 lei needed to stock up on firewood—a reserve that provides not only heat but also a sliver of safety in a life full of uncertainties.
“Even if it wasn’t much—one month 400 lei, another 500—we are grateful for this help. It made it easier to save up and buy the firewood to heat our home,” says Elena, who understands that perhaps more important than the material value of this aid is the message of solidarity it conveys—that they are not alone or abandoned in a country that has become their shelter.
During the cold season from November 2024 to March 2025, around 2,500 refugee households received energy compensation. Impact assessments conducted by UNDP and the World Bank in 2023 and 2024 show that the Energy Vulnerability Reduction Fund, through which energy compensations are provided, consistently contributes to improving the well-being of refugee households. Thanks to the compensation received, energy poverty incidence decreased by 7%, and monetary poverty by 18%.
Energy compensations – essential for households led by women and the older people
Energy compensations were also essential for other vulnerable groups, especially households led by women and the older people. This support significantly contributed to reducing poverty rate. Moreover, its impact on monetary poverty extended beyond the cold season. However, in rural areas, energy poverty remains high, according to the study.
Malina Grisman, a 69-year-old pensioner living on the outskirts of Bălți municipality, survives on a pension of less than 1,500 lei. For her, the energy compensation was vital. “This winter was very difficult, it would have been even harder without help,” says Malina. She shares the household with her daughter and seven school-aged grandchildren. They live in two houses and heat two stoves, both with the help of the compensation received by their grandmother. Some of the grandchildren sleep at grandma Malina’s and she makes sure they’re warm not only at night but also in the morning before school, always preparing at least a warm cup of tea on the stove.
“We’d rather not eat, but we pay the utilities, we don’t want debts”
Vera and Iurie Boțolin, two pensioners from Chișinău, are among the 17.7% or 127,332 of compensation beneficiaries connected to centralized heating. While centralized heating offers comfort, it also comes with the obligation to pay the bill, regardless of the amount. For the Boțolin couple, paying in installments or accumulating debt has never been an option. “We’d rather not eat, but we pay the utilities, we don’t want debts. We’ve never had any. That’s just how we are. But many people in our building are in arrears—most are pensioners and struggle to get by. Electricity is more expensive for us, and hot water costs a lot in winter. We use little gas. But heating—whether you want it or not—we pay as it comes. There’s no way to save on that. But we manage with the rest,” says Vera.
Vera worked practically her entire life in retail, from salesperson to store manager. She says she knows all too well the value of honest money and the importance of every penny. In February, they received the highest heating bill since moving into their home—almost an entire pension went to cover it. They gathered with other tenants in front of the block, as they often do when they want to socialize or discuss common problems. “We complain to each other and calm down. What else can we do? Life must go on,” concludes Vera, thankful that at least part of these costs was covered by the compensation.
“With so many of us, it is impossible to give millions to everyone”
Ștefan Croitoru, a 73-year-old pensioner from the village of Dezghingea in the Găgăuzia region, also reached this conclusion, to be grateful. Ștefan heats his house with gas, electricity, and solid fuel.
Ștefan appreciates even the small help that allows him to buy half a sack of coal each month. Ștefan spent his life building houses with his wife—a very hard job, he says—and says that no one gives you money just to make your life easier. That’s why he’s thankful for what he received: “Without being a hypocrite, I’ll say this: the state offered a certain number of opportunities. With so many of us, it is impossible to give millions to everyone. A little to everyone, others definitely need it more.”
Every second application was submitted with the help of registrars
Elena Ceavdari, the community social worker from Dezghingea village, is the one who encouraged and helped Ștefan apply for the energy compensation. Elena is the registrar with the highest number of applications recorded in the system - 820. “Most villagers need help. Mainly older people are left in the village. There are no jobs, it’s complicated,” explains Elena. She says the large number of applications isn’t just her merit; all her colleagues worked hard during that period. She was the one who entered the forms online after her colleagues filled them out by hand. It wasn’t easy at all, she even took applications home and worked at night and on her days off. Several times she felt so exhausted, but then kept going, bacuase she remembered many villagers need her help and have placed their trust and hopes in her.
To receive compensation, households were required to register and fill out an application on the government platform compensatii.gov.md. In the 2024–2025 cold season, almost every second application was submitted with the help of 1,367 registrars—specialists from the unified service delivery centers (CUPS) and social workers, who represent the vast majority. In localities with higher volumes, mobile teams also helped register applications, and community social workers visited some beneficiaries at home.
The results of the compensation programme - the success of teamwork
Elena’s case is not unique, most community social workers experienced similar challenges and concerns. Another Elena, a community social worker from the village of Sipoteni, Călărași district, confirms that intense periods such as the registration for energy compensation are like a trial by fire for both the social workers and their teams. These moments demand dedication, patience, and teamwork. She also observed that not only beneficiaries with less digital knowledge or those without electronic devices sought help, but also those with minor doubts or uncertainties—just to “make sure everything was okay with their application.” Both Elenas agree that support from the call center operators was extremely helpful—they reached out whenever they had questions.
The call center: the human voice of a digital programme
“Hello! You are speaking with the call center of the government programme ‘Ajutor la contor.’ My name is Ella. How can I help you?” Whether Ella, Ana, Elena, or Alexandru, in Romanian or Russian, the 38 operators answered daily to nearly 2,000 calls and emails, providing assistance for the “Ajutor la contor” energy compensation programme. During peak periods, early November and when the first results were published, the number of calls doubled.
“People need to understand that behind the computer there isn’t a robot—it’s us. And we truly try to help them,” says Alexandru Purcel, email operator.
For the third consecutive year, UNDP supported the operation of the call center. In the third cold season, the funding was provided by the Government of Italy; in the previous two, support came from the European Union.
In the 2024–2025 cold season, the call center operators answered over 136,000 phone calls to the toll-free number 0 8000 5000 and nearly 32,000 emails sent by citizens to suport@compensatii.gov.md.
Every second household in the country received “Ajutor la contor”
“Ajutor la contor” is the largest government program. 60% of households in the country—almost 720,000—where approximately 1,466,000 people live, received energy compensation for five months, from November to March. The average monthly compensation was 778 lei, with the most energy-vulnerable families receiving nearly double that amount.
For nearly half of the beneficiaries, solid biofuel is the main energy source.
The total budget for the 2024–2025 energy compensation season was 2.69 billion MDL. More than half of the amount was covered by the national budget of the Republic of Moldova, and the rest was provided through the prompt and generous support of ten partner countries.
The Energy Vulnerability Reduction Fund, managed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, has been operational for three consecutive winter seasons. This season, subsidies were provided with the support of Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Italy, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, and Poland, which jointly donated 1.15 billion MDL, with the remaining 1.54 billion MDL covered by the Moldovan national budget.
During the 2024–2025 cold season, UNDP and the Government of Italy supported the operation of the call center and the modernization of the IT system underpinning Moldova’s largest government program, “Ajutor la contor.”
For tens of thousands of households across Moldova, “Ajutor la contor” was not just financial support during the cold season—it was a tangible expression of care, solidarity, and dignity. Through a collective governmental and international effort, Moldova showed that systems can be human. And with each passing season, the programme becomes more accessible, better organized, and closer to those who need it most.
