Power bonus for economic hardship

The power bonus for economic hardship is a discount on the bill, provided by the Government and made operational by the Regulatory Authority for Energy, Networks and the Environment, to ensure savings on energy spending for families experiencing economic hardship.

The power bonus is paid both to customers who have signed up to an offer on the free market and to those served in protection services, but will also be automatically recognized in the event of a change of supplier.

For the first quarter of 2024, the 2024 Budget Law has provided for an extraordinary contribution to be granted to customers in the electricity sector who are in a state of economic hardship, to be added to the regular bonus. Starting from the second quarter of 2024, the electric social bonus returns to the levels prescribed for the regular scheme.

For customers with bonuses currently being paid, the benefit for 2024, if the requirements are met, will run continuously from the day following the end of the benefit period for the 2023 social bonus.

In the event of deactivation/transfer of the supply, before the end of the concession period, the residual portion of the basic bonus and the supplementary bonus/extraordinary contribution, where applicable, is recognized in the closing invoice upon completion of the entire concession period.

How to obtain the power bonus: the requirements

To access the bonus for economic hardship, one of the members of the ISEE family unit must be the holder of an active electricity supply contract (the supplies temporarily suspended due to arrears) with a tariff for domestic uses, (i.e. which supply rooms used for family homes); furthermore it must belong to one of the following categories:

  • family unit with indicator ISEE not exceeding 9,530 euros (*);
  • family unit with at least 4 dependent children (large family) and ISEE indicator not exceeding 20,000 euros.

Each family unit is entitled, for the relevant year, to only one bonus for economic hardship for each type of supply (power, gas).

How to obtain the power bonus: the documents

From 1 January 2021 (as provided for by the legislative decree of 26 October 2019 n. 124, converted with amendments by law 19 December 2019, n. 157), to obtain the bonus for economic hardship it is sufficient to present every year (for example at the Municipality , CAF, INPS) the Single Substitute Declaration (DSU) in order to obtain a sub-threshold ISEE certification.

The Single Self-Declaration presented to access subsidized social benefits (school canteen, maternity allowance, baby bonus, etc.), also allows automatic access to the bonus for economic hardship, if necessary the conditions exist.

If the income requirements are met, INPS sends the family unit data to the Integrated Information System (SII**).

The SII has a central role, as it acquires information from INPS, identifies the supplies to be facilitated and communicates them to sellers and distributors of electricity and gas, indicating the period of validity of the relief.

(*) during 2024, any residual portions of the bonus relating to that year will continue to be recognized to families with a 2023 ISEE certificate between €9,530 and €15,000.

(**) Integrated Information System (SII) managed by the Single Buyer company. The SII is an IT database that contains information useful for identifying power and gas supplies.

To maintain the continuity of the benefit it is necessary to present the Single Self-Declaration at least one month before the expiry of the previous bonus (the start date of the benefit starts from the first day of the second following month to that of the presentation of the DSU or the first day of the month in which the SII carries out its checks and sends notifications to sellers and distributors).

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