New €200 Electricity Bill Bonus Introduced Amidst Gas Price Declines
Vulnerable customers benefit from reduced gas costs while eligibility for the electricity bill bonus expands.
The Italian Energy Authority (ARERA) has announced a new €200 bonus for electricity bills amid record energy prices, alongside a nearly 10% decrease in gas prices for vulnerable customers starting in March.
The new contribution is aimed at mitigating the high costs of energy; however, it will only be available to a portion of those currently receiving the social electric bonus.
This includes approximately 3.4 million individuals, including the elderly over 75, economically disadvantaged households, people with disabilities, and those living in emergency accommodations due to natural disasters.
To qualify for the electricity bill bonus, households that do not currently receive it need to submit an updated Unique Substitute Declaration (DSU) for the ISEE (Equivalent Economic Situation Indicator) to the Italian National Social Security Institute (INPS).
If the updated ISEE is below €25,000, the households will receive an electricity discount from their energy provider starting this summer.
In March, wholesale gas prices saw a considerable reduction compared to those in February, with the raw material price falling to €42.52 per megawatt-hour for vulnerable customers.
Consumer associations have welcomed the decline, estimating an annual savings of €143 for consumers.
However, they have also highlighted that the overall annual expenditure on gas remains high, at approximately €1,292, which, when combined with electricity bills, totals around €1,903 for an average family.
This represents an increase of over 15% compared to the same period in 2024.
For vulnerable customers, the cost of electricity will also decrease by 2.4% in the second quarter.
Those currently receiving the social bonus can access the new electricity bonus, which is available for households with an ISEE of up to €9,530, or up to €20,000 for larger families.
Households with an ISEE between €9,530 and €25,000 must submit their updated DSU to qualify.
Consumer advocacy group CODACONS has called for a comprehensive information campaign to ensure that all eligible households are aware of the process and requirements, in addition to the guidance that energy providers must provide on their websites.
Additionally, the ARERA provision requires the INPS to send the list of eligible families to the Integrated Information System, managed by the Single Buyer, until January 2026.
Beginning in June, the Single Buyer will use information from the INPS to identify eligible households for the bonus and will notify energy providers, who are mandated to apply the discount to customer bills within three months, clearly indicated on the bills.
The new contribution is aimed at mitigating the high costs of energy; however, it will only be available to a portion of those currently receiving the social electric bonus.
This includes approximately 3.4 million individuals, including the elderly over 75, economically disadvantaged households, people with disabilities, and those living in emergency accommodations due to natural disasters.
To qualify for the electricity bill bonus, households that do not currently receive it need to submit an updated Unique Substitute Declaration (DSU) for the ISEE (Equivalent Economic Situation Indicator) to the Italian National Social Security Institute (INPS).
If the updated ISEE is below €25,000, the households will receive an electricity discount from their energy provider starting this summer.
In March, wholesale gas prices saw a considerable reduction compared to those in February, with the raw material price falling to €42.52 per megawatt-hour for vulnerable customers.
Consumer associations have welcomed the decline, estimating an annual savings of €143 for consumers.
However, they have also highlighted that the overall annual expenditure on gas remains high, at approximately €1,292, which, when combined with electricity bills, totals around €1,903 for an average family.
This represents an increase of over 15% compared to the same period in 2024.
For vulnerable customers, the cost of electricity will also decrease by 2.4% in the second quarter.
Those currently receiving the social bonus can access the new electricity bonus, which is available for households with an ISEE of up to €9,530, or up to €20,000 for larger families.
Households with an ISEE between €9,530 and €25,000 must submit their updated DSU to qualify.
Consumer advocacy group CODACONS has called for a comprehensive information campaign to ensure that all eligible households are aware of the process and requirements, in addition to the guidance that energy providers must provide on their websites.
Additionally, the ARERA provision requires the INPS to send the list of eligible families to the Integrated Information System, managed by the Single Buyer, until January 2026.
Beginning in June, the Single Buyer will use information from the INPS to identify eligible households for the bonus and will notify energy providers, who are mandated to apply the discount to customer bills within three months, clearly indicated on the bills.
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