More facilities to access the electricity social bonus. At the moment it is the only thing that has transpired. It is not known what specific conditions will be relaxed so that this help aimed at meeting the electricity bill reaches more families.
They did detail from the Executive of Pedro Sánchez that the objective is that 1.9 million households throughout Spain can benefit from the bonus. That is, about 600,000 more than today.
Along these lines, the estimate made by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Sustainability of Extremadura is that, with the new conditions, some 30,000 more bonuses will be paid in the region. The latest data indicates that there are already 65,862 households that receive this aid and with the new measures they will exceed 96,200.
This measure is approved in a context in which the price of electricity will close March at record highs. The average megawatt-hour (MW/h) in the wholesale market has not fallen below 200 euros on any day of the month. The consequence is that electricity bills paid by households will become more expensive. Already in February, according to the OCU (Organization of Consumers and Users), the receipt in the regulated market (PVPC) reached 110 euros per month for an average home, as those with a contracted power of 4.6 kW ( kilowatts) and a consumption of 292 kW/h per month.
The electricity social bonus is a discount of 25% or 40%, depending on the degree of vulnerability of the families, on the electricity bill, although due to the current situation of inflation these percentages were increased to 60% and 70%, respectively , Until April 30.
The request for this aid must be made by the consumer before the reference marketer in their territory. In Extremadura they are Endesa and Curenergía (Iberdrola’s marketer). These companies have the obligation to offer and finance the bond. This procedure “can be done by phone, email, ordinary mail, fax or directly to one of the reference marketers,” according to the Ministry of Ecological Transition.
Among the requirements, in addition to having a PVPC contract in the regulated market, customers must meet a series of conditions related to their income. Vulnerable consumers (who receive a 25% discount on their electricity bill; now 60%) are considered to be families with incomes below 12,159.42 euros per year (which is 1.5 times the IPREM) if they do not have dependent minors; 16,212.56 euros per year if there is a minor in the family unit, and 20,265.7 euros per year if there are two or more minors in the family.
Likewise, vulnerable consumers include large families and those who receive all their income through minimum pensions.
Severe vulnerable consumers (who can have a 40% discount; until April 30, 70%) are those who have an annual income of less than 50% of what is set to be a vulnerable consumer.
In addition, due to the pandemic, the categories to be able to request the social bonus were expanded and vulnerable consumers due to covid were included.
thermal bonus
The electricity bonus was complemented at the end of 2018 with a thermal social bonus planned for the payment of heating and hot water. This aid consists of a fixed amount that depends on the degree of vulnerability and the area in which the beneficiary’s municipality is located, since the climatic conditions are valued. Extremadura municipalities are part of the three highest categories there are.
The receiving families are the same ones that have been granted the electricity bonus, 65,862 in the region. “The processing of the payment of 21,302 beneficiaries who already have a bank account in the accounting system has already begun,” they report from Ecological Transition, to add that the rest of the payments will be made as the data is verified.
www.hoy.es
Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.