The government introduced a new type of app almost a year ago. electric social bonus as part of a shield of measures to confront the effects of the energy crisis. The new aid was not specifically aimed at vulnerable households, but rather a temporary 40% reduction.I electricity bill For customers with average income.
The government announced Up to 1.5 million households will be able to benefit from the new temporary discountA company that finances electricity companies in proportion to their market share and reflects this on the bills of all its customers. However, the number of beneficiaries fell far short of this request.
According to official records of the Ministry of Ecological Transition, There were 25,583 sheltered homes at the end of last July Discounts of 40% are less than 2% of the total number of beneficiaries of the electric social bonus. The number of beneficiaries of the new bonus for vulnerable people has been steadily increasing since it came into force, and in some months the number of accepted applications has even reached over 6,600.
Referring to the low number of subscribers, the Management argued that families were given the opportunity to benefit from a measure to protect themselves from price increases, and stated that the total number of beneficiaries was dramatically lower than the announced potential, but in general this was the case. where the request is voluntary.
They can benefit from this electricity discount for the ‘middle class’ – in principle only valid until the end of this year, unless the Executive decides to extend it – Households subject to the regulated electricity tariff with an annual income of less than €27,700 (for families with two adults and two young children) and €16,800 (for families with a single adult).
Record number of people receiving social bonus
For the first time, Spain has surpassed 1.5 million households covered by all types of social electricity bonuses. According to government data, the 1.52 million families who benefited from these rebates at the end of last July were surpassed after sharp increases in the number of beneficiaries throughout the energy crisis.
Electric social bonus provides: Apply a discount of 25% to 40% on electricity bills depending on the degree of fragility (vulnerable, seriously vulnerable or at risk of social exclusion), but as part of anti-crisis measures the Government has temporarily increased discounts Up to 65% and 80% of income for the majority of beneficiaries. The extraordinary increase in aid will in principle only apply until the end of the year, and the Administration must decide in the coming months whether to extend the aid.
The number of people benefiting from social bonuses increased by 21% in just one yearSince July 2022, 267,300 new homes have been added to benefit from discounts for vulnerable and seriously ill people. Since the beginning of the energy crisis, The number of bonus recipients increased by 31%According to a combined analysis of transitional Ministry of Ecological and Environment statistics, an additional 359,600 families have been added since May 2021 (just before the first emergency measures adopted by the Government in June of the same year to mitigate the increase in energy prices). National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC).
Neighborhood gas rate
Last year the Government also created a new subsidized gas rate for freehold communitiesIt is aimed to reduce the bill price in centrally heated neighborhood blocks.
Since the new collective last resort rate (neighbourhood TUR) was introduced last October with a discount of close to 50%, some 6,700 neighborhood communities benefited from this, As approved by the Ministry of Ecological Transition. When this neighborhood was approved for TOUR, the Government predicted that a total of 1.7 million households would benefit from it, but did not specify the number of potential recipient communities.
Access to this new subsidized regulated rate, which is set to expire at the end of the year unless the executive extends this period, means that home beneficiary communities must meet certain requirements, in particular having a separate meter installed in each home before then. We guarantee that the gas consumption of the month and society will not increase compared to the average of the last three years. Some requirements that make it difficult for neighbors to reach an agreement to narrow the new tariff.