The thermal social bonus is a government measure aimed at reducing energy poverty by providing an annual payment to help households maintain comfortable indoor temperatures during winter and summer. This subsidy supplements the electricity social bonus, offering a discount of up to 40% on the electricity bill. The thermal bonus itself ranges from 35 to 149 euros per year and is paid in a single instalment, applying to consumption rather than to the total bill.
Around December 31, 2022, the number of electric social bonus beneficiaries in the Valencia Community stood at 188,011, according to information provided by energy suppliers. The Ivace+i, which operates under the Department of Innovation, Industry, Commerce and Tourism, allocated 24.18 million euros for these subsidies, as published in the Official Journal of the Valencian Government (Diari Oficial de la Generalitat Valenciana, DOGV). Beneficiaries of the thermal bonus continued to grow in 2023, with 14,864 new recipients (nearly 8%), bringing the total to 188,011. In 2022, 173,147 individuals benefited, and in 2021, 161,457 people were identified as vulnerable. Social organizations warn that energy poverty is rising, affecting roughly 9.1% of the population.
That means about 450,000 families in the Valencian Community may experience energy poverty, according to Red Cross data. In this context, the thermal social bonus reaches only about four out of ten affected families (41%).
Names and amounts
The DOGV also provides a link enabling individuals who think they may qualify for the thermal social bonus in 2023 to check their eligibility and the amount they would receive. This information is available on the Ivace+i website.
The thermal bonus is an initiative launched by the Government in October 2018 to offset heating, hot water, and cooking costs for vulnerable households, regardless of the energy source used.
The amount received by each beneficiary is determined by their level of vulnerability and by the climate zone where their home is located. The support clearly distinguishes three consumer categories: vulnerable, severely vulnerable, and severely vulnerable with risk of exclusion.
Vulnerable households are defined as those with no children and an annual income not exceeding 11,279 euros; households with one child and income up to 15,039 euros; and households with two or more children and income up to 18,799 euros per year. Severely vulnerable households include large families with income up to 15,039 euros; individuals on a minimum pension with income up to 7,520 euros; and those with income up to 50% of the vulnerable threshold. Severely vulnerable households at risk of exclusion have income levels matching the severely vulnerable category, receive social services support, and cannot have their utilities interrupted even if payments are missed.
Additionally, families headed by a single parent, households with a recognized disability of 33% or more, victims of domestic violence, individuals with degree II or III dependency, and victims of terrorism may also qualify for the benefit.