  The measured occupancies of valence orbits in $^{76}$Ge and $^{76}$Se are
used as a guideline for modification of the effective mean field energies that
results in better description of these quantities. With them, in combination
with the selfconsitent renormalized quasiparticle random phase approximation
(SRQRPA) method that ensures conservation of the mean particle number in the
correlated ground state, we show that the resulting $0\nu\beta\beta$ nuclear
matrix element for the $^{76}$Ge $\to$ $^{76}$Se transition is reduced by
$\sim$25% compared to the previous QRPA value, and therefore the difference
between the present approach and the interacting shell model predictions
becomes correspondingly smaller. Analogous modification of the mean field
energies for the A=82 system also results in a reduction of $0\nu\beta\beta$
matrix element for the $^{82}$Se $\to$ $^{82}$Kr transition, making it also
closer to the shell model prediction.
