The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, announced this Thursday in Congress a new package of energy measures to “protect 40% of households” that will mobilize 3 billion euros and will include the reinforcement of the electricity and thermal social voucher and the reduction of the gas bill for the resident’s community. The measures had been announced by the third vice president and minister for Energy Transition, Teresa Ribera, earlier this week, in the presentation of the contingency plan, but Sánchez has been in charge this Thursday of transmitting the details. These are some of the keys, in the absence of knowing more data, such as when they will come into force.
New category of electricity bonus
The main novelty is the creation of a new category of social electricity voucher for “working households with low income” that will benefit from a electricity bill discount of 40%. It is still unknown what low income means for the Executive, but the measure will reach 1.5 million households, according to Sánchez.
In order to benefit from the Electricity Social Voucher, in any category, consumers must have a regulated tariff, the so-called Precio Voluntario para el Pequeño Consumidor (PVPC), which is contracted through the so-called comercializadoras de referencia (Endesa Energía XXI, Curenergía, Gas & Power, Baser, Régsiti, Comercializador de Referencia Energético, Teramelcor and Energía Ceuta XXI). It is important to know that it is not an automatic aid, but must be requested.
It is not the first time that a new temporary category has been created. It was also done during the pandemic, to help those workers who as a consequence of the coronavirus were unemployed, receiving unemployment benefits, with reduced working hours, or with a family member in those circumstances and did not have a minimum monthly income.
More discounts for vulnerable consumers
Another novelty is the extension of the discount of the electricity and thermal social voucher which currently 1.3 million households in Spain receive. The first is a discount on the electricity bill (only for the regulated tariff aimed at small consumers) for vulnerable and severely vulnerable consumers of between 25% and 40% which with the energy crisis was temporarily raised to between 60% and 70%. Now the Government is again reinforcing it up to 65% and 80%.
The requirements depend on the income level of the family unit (from 1.5 times the IPREM in 14 payments) and the number of members of each family. In the case of large families, they can be beneficiaries of the social bonus for vulnerable consumers, that is, the current discount of 65%, regardless of their income.
To get an idea of the effect of this measure, according to Sánchez, these consumers paid in August a bill similar to that before the crisis.In addition, the amount of energy eligible for this discount, which depends on each of the categories, is increased by 15%. This aid is paid by the electricity companies which, in turn, pass it on to their customers.
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