Social bonus for electricity, gas and water bills 2024: how the discount works and ISEE limit

For several years now, the social bonus for electricity, gas and water bills has become a structural benefit which those who fall within the ISEE limits established by law automatically benefit from.
What news is there for the 2024 social bonus? The discount directly on the bill for electricity and gas has also been confirmed for next year with an important change regarding the ISEE value.
The group of beneficiaries returns to the ordinary one, after the increase in ISEE expected in recent years.
In fact, at the end of December, the enhanced social bonus which allowed those with an ISEE of less than 15,000 euros to receive a discount on their electricity and gas bills (raised to 30,000 euros for families with at least four dependent children) will definitively expire.
In the period between January and March 2024, in any case, users will also have the opportunity to benefit from an additional contribution on their electricity bill thanks to the 2024 electricity bonus proposed in the Budget Law with limitations.
Social bonus for electricity, gas and water bills 2024: the guide Electricity bonus 2024, what is it? Differences between social bonus and electricity bonus Social bonus 2024, what is it Who is entitled to the 2024 bill bonus What requirements must the supply have? How to request the discount on the bill and with which documents How does the bill bonus work in condominiums How much is the discount on electricity and gas Social bonus also for those who live in rent? Electricity bonus 2024, what is it? The 2024 electricity bonus is a relief designed to help families in economic difficulty who are unable to pay household utilities, but it has been refinanced to a limited extent and limited to the first quarter of 2024.
For the months of January, February and March 2024 it was the additional contribution for the electricity bill has been extended which allows the use of the same families who were able to enjoy it during 2023 (i.e.
those with ISEE up to 15,000 euros or 30,000 euros if with four dependent children).
In short, these are the beneficiaries of the enhanced social bonus.
Nothing changes for the request: to be able to benefit from it, no request is needed but only having presented a DSU valid for 2024.
Differences between social bonus and electricity bonus.
In this regard, a clear distinction must be made between the Arera social bonus and its upgrade which had been planned for 2023, and the 2024 electricity bonus.
These are two distinct measures which can also be cumulated with each other, but with different deadlines.
While the Arera social bonus concerns both electricity and gas and water bills, the electricity bonus foreseen for the first quarter of 2024 refers only to the electricity bill with a diversified amount based on the core components familiar.
Social bonus 2024, what is it To have access to the social bonus you must be in possession of a series of requirements, starting from a situation of economic hardship: it is therefore necessary that the ISEE does not exceed a certain threshold.
This threshold was raised during 2023, but from 1 January 2024 it returns to the ordinary one (with the exception of the electricity bonus for the first quarter of 2024).
How do you request the 2024 bill bonus and who is entitled to the discount directly on the invoice, therefore automatically, on electricity, gas and water utilities? In reality, obtaining the social bonus is very simple, because it is an automatic discount directly on the bill: technically, therefore, it is not necessary to submit any application.
Let's go into detail about the bill bonus in the guide below.
Who is entitled to the 2024 bill bonus The bill bonus is available in conditions of economic hardship or in the case of large families.
Specifically: an ISEE of up to 9,530 thousand euros; families with at least 4 dependent children (large family) and ISEE not exceeding 20,000 euros; Furthermore, bills (electricity, gas or water) must be made out to one of the members of the Isee family unit.
Each family unit is entitled to only one bonus per type (therefore, only one electricity bonus, only one gas bonus and only one water bonus) per year of competence of the DSU (Single Replacement Declaration, the document that is presented to proceed with the calculation of the ISEE) according to the so-called uniqueness constraint.
read also low ISEE, concessions and bonuses to request in 2023.
What requirements must the supply have? The bill bonus is due in the presence of certain requirements not only of the family unit, but also of the supply.
In particular: the tariff must be for domestic use (therefore the supply must serve premises used for family homes); to access the social water bonus, the supply must be for active resident domestic use (i.e.
the provision of the service must be ongoing) or temporarily suspended due to arrears.
Alternatively, one of the members of the Isee family unit must use a condominium (centralized) supply of natural gas and/or water for civil and active use, always in rooms used as family homes.
How to request the discount on your bill and with which documents There is no real procedure to request the bill bonus, because from 1 January 2021 everything happens automatically.
What does it mean? In practice, it is enough to annually present the DSU, necessary for the preparation of the ISEE, and if you meet the requirements you will find the discount on your bill.
The automatic recognition of the measure occurs not only for the discount on utilities, but also for other subsidized services, for example that on school canteens or supports for families.
To activate the process of automatic recognition of social bonuses to those entitled, it is therefore necessary and sufficient to present the DSU every year and obtain an ISEE certification within the threshold for access to the bonuses, or to be the holder of a citizenship income/pension.
The implementation details can be found in Annex A of the resolution.
Specifically, the application of the discount on electricity and gas bills will start from October.
What makes the difference is the date of presentation of the ISEE form, if it is not already present in the INPS database.
The transmission of information for the application of the discount on the bill will be carried out by November for the DSU sent by INPS by September.
For DSUs sent later, the discount will be applied from the month following the reference month.
How the utility bill bonus works in condominiums Even citizens/families in conditions of economic hardship who live in condominiums and who benefit from centralized supplies of natural gas and/or water can access social bonuses.
The supplies must comply with the following requirements: for gas: the PDR (redelivery point) must relate to a condominium in which there are residential units that use natural gas in rooms used as family homes; the gas must be used for heating and/or cooking food and/or producing domestic hot water; the supply must be active; the gas supply must be used by the domestic customer in rooms used for family homes; for water: it must be active; registered in the name of one of the members of the Isee family unit.
How much is the discount on electricity and gas? The data relating to bill discounts for the fourth quarter of 2023, therefore from 1 October to 31 December, are available on the Arera website.
To find out what the amounts will be for 2024, we will have to wait a few more weeks.
The value of the social gas bonus depends on the number of members of the Isee family unit, the category of use associated with the subsidized supply (only use of domestic hot water and/or cooking food, only use of heating, both types of use) and the area climate where the supply is located.
Social bonus also for those who live in rent? You can take advantage of the social bonus on bills only if you have an electricity/gas/water supply contract (without prejudice to the other requirements relating to economic hardship).
Therefore, if the utilities are registered in the name of the owner of the property, you cannot benefit from the relief.
The situation is the same if you decide to go and live, for example, in your grandparents' house, with the bills still in their name.