Beneficiaries are natural persons who meet specific criteria: they must hold the status of beneficiary of the social electricity bonus through December 31, 2019, and the supply point where the social bonus is received must be located in the Valencian Community. This benefit is personal and non-transferable.
The amount allocated to each recipient depends on their level of vulnerability and the climate zone of their residence. The range varies from 37.68 euros up to 123.94 euros, depending on these factors and the applicable regulations in force.
Definitions for vulnerable beneficiaries, including vulnerable, seriously vulnerable, and at risk of social exclusion, follow the descriptions set out in articles 3 and 4 of Royal Decree 897/2017 of October 6, which governs the vulnerable consumer figure, the social bonus, and other protections for domestic electricity users.
The Thermal Social Bonus was established by Royal Decree-Law 15/2018 of October 5, aimed at urgent measures for energy transition and consumer protection. It is part of the broader effort to combat energy poverty and aligns with the National Strategy Against Energy Poverty for 2019-2024, guiding how support is delivered to households.
The funding for this benefit comes from the General State Budget, with administration and payments handled by autonomous communities since 2020. The program provides direct aid to reduce energy poverty for vulnerable consumers regarding heating, domestic hot water, or cooking energy needs.
In the Valencian Community, processing and payment of aid for 2021 and 2022 was carried out by the Valencian Institute of Business Competitiveness (Ivace), which operates under the Department of Innovation, Industry, Commerce and Tourism. The year with the highest processing activity was 2022, recording more than 163,500 cases.
Aid for 2020 faced a pause due to a court ruling that year, stemming from a Constitutional Court decision dated September 23, 2020, which addressed an objection to certain provisions of Royal Decree-Law 15/2018 raised by the Basque Government. This context helped shape subsequent steps to ensure continued support for households facing energy poverty.
Recognizing the scope of energy poverty in the Valencian Community, the advisory recommendations issued by the Ombudsman were considered, and the standard was deemed necessary to ensure assistance for the 2020 fiscal year, contributing to broader poverty reduction goals.
Consequently, the policy provides direct, one-time Thermal Social Bonus payments to those deemed eligible in 2020, specifically those who were beneficiaries of the social electricity bonus as of December 31, 2019, to help alleviate energy costs in the short term.