The government signaled two months ago its plan to reform how large families access energy support. The aim is to adjust eligibility for the electric social coupon and the thermal social bond, set new income limits per household, and ensure that assistance goes to those who truly need it while preventing improper use of discounts on electricity, gas, and heating costs.
In mid-March, Enrique Ossorio, vice president of the Community of Madrid, learned that regional leader Mónica García from Más Madrid and other Madrid politicians were benefiting from social electrical and thermal bonuses for their family needs. The executive stressed that the reform would be carried out as soon as possible, but after two months the prospect of rapid changes faded. Teresa Ribera, vice president and minister for the Ecological Transition, urged approaching the reform with calm and broad consensus, engaging extended family associations in dialogue as she explained in an interview with TV3.
The government is preparing a reform to clarify the requirements for receiving the electric social coupon and the thermal social bond. The goal is to define a maximum income per household that allows large families to access this support and to adapt the criteria so it stays targeted toward those most in need.
Officials emphasize that discussions with associations representing extended families show concerns about energy use in bigger households. The aim is to reach wide agreement and keep the process moving forward without rushing deadlines for activating the changes.
After a first meeting with Vice President Ribera, the Spanish Federation of Extended Families asked the administration to reconsider the proposed income ceiling. They warned that enforcing a strict limit could exclude thousands of families who still need help to manage higher energy consumption and the larger power needs of bigger households.
Higher income thresholds for larger families
The government has sent messages of support to extended families. Ribera confirmed that given the characteristics of large family units and the number of cohabitants they may have, these households can retain access to social electricity and gas connections even if their income levels are higher than the typical threshold. The aim is to avoid labeling these families as non vulnerable when the consumption pattern and the household size clearly justify the support.
Officially the maximum income for large families has not been published yet, but the plan is to make the system more flexible while ensuring that each child in an extended family can receive assistance even with higher total household income.
In general, the added income limits for each additional child are calculated using a multiplier based on the public indicator of multi-impact income. This year it is set at 8,400 euros per year in 14 payments. For large families, the multiplier is higher so the system remains accessible to those with bigger households. The current figures show that a household with two adults and one minor qualifies for the electric social bonus at an annual income of under 19,320 euros, and a two-adult, two-minor household is capped at 23,520 euros. For extended families from the third child onward the ceiling will be around 26,500 euros, according to government data.
Electricity discounts range from 25% to 40% depending on the vulnerability level. As part of crisis measures, these discounts were temporarily raised to 65% and 80%, with extended families always receiving 25% off regardless of income. The electric bonus also grants access to the thermal social bonus, a one-time payment between 40 and 375 euros per year, depending on vulnerability and regional climate zone.
A new exceptional and temporary provision introduced a 40% electricity discount for middle-class families with two adults and two children who earn up to 27,700 euros per year, reflecting the energy crisis and ongoing geopolitical tensions affecting household budgets.
Future steps and timelines
When the reform is completed, extended families will either receive the social bonus or be excluded based on income and household size. A higher adjustment factor per additional child will be used, aligning the index with the realities of larger cohabitation units.
The government announced plans to urgently initiate a public consultation on the new regulation, but the step did not materialize. Extended families who have previously accessed assistance by proving their status will need to submit a new application for the electricity social bonus according to their income level to electricity suppliers and, in some cases, to their autonomous communities to receive the thermal social bonus.
The Ministry of Ecological Transition reassured that the new rules will include a reasonable transition period for families to complete all required documentation so they do not lose the social bonuses they currently receive. As Ribera stated in March, there will be ample time for submitting documents so that large families in need of help are not left without support during the process. These are measures intended to protect households while the administrative framework is updated and implemented. Source: Ministry of Ecological Transition and regional authorities