KB Financial Group is pushing ahead with a 600 million won energy-saving facilities support programme to reduce local small merchants' energy cost burden and improve workplace environments.

KB Financial said on Monday it will 추진 the '2026 KB Financial Energy-Saving Facilities Support Programme' jointly with the Large & Small Business and Rural Cooperation Foundation.

The programme uses funds from the green transition (GX) portion of a co-prosperity cooperation fund contributed by KB Financial. It will select up to 4 metropolitan and basic local governments and provide 100 million to 300 million won in project funding by region. The support will be used in full for individual business operators such as local small merchants and self-employed people.

Participating local governments should plan an energy-saving project reflecting the characteristics of local commercial districts and submit a proposal with a specialised implementing agency.

Key areas of support include replacing old wiring and installing high-efficiency LED signboards. It also includes adopting eco-friendly heat pumps and devices to cut cooking fumes, as well as distributing smart meters (AMI) and IoT-based standby power cutoff outlets.

Local governments will receive 5 additional points in the selection evaluation if they add their own budgets as additional contributions to the co-prosperity cooperation fund. The application deadline is Oct. 11.

A KB Financial official said, "We hope this programme will serve as an opportunity to reduce the energy cost burden for small merchants and self-employed people and to improve workplace environments."