Bills, Arera fixes 2026 bonuses: what they are worth for electricity and gas

While waiting to see if the government will put in place a new bonus for the most vulnerable households, the Arera (the Authority for Energy, Networks and the Environment) has defined the fees to be paid in 2026 for the existing social bonus, i.e. the benefit intended for the economically disadvantaged or those with physical discomfort. It must also be said that, with the start of the new year, the disbursement of the extraordinary contribution on electricity supplies for domestic customers with Isee (the Equivalent Economic Situation Indicator) up to 25,000 euro provided for by Decree Law 19 of 2025 as a temporary economic support measure for eligible households comes to an end.

It is worth recalling that ordinary social bonuses are granted to citizens meeting certain requirements, i.e. households with an Isee not exceeding 9,530 euro for families with up to three dependent children and not exceeding 20,000 euro for large families (those with at least four dependent children). The first step to obtain the bonus is to present the Dichiarazione Sostitutiva Unica (Ds) and obtain a sub-threshold Isee certificate. If the value is that provided for by the regulations and the household's supplies meet the eligibility requirements, which are verified by Sii (Integrated Information System, the database that contains information on electricity and gas supplies and the data of the customers in whose name the supply contract is registered) or by the Water Manager, in the case of the water bonus, the benefit is recognised for 12 months. To communicate one's income condition, it is possible to acquire the pre-filled Dsu through the online service 'Portale unico Isee' of the Inps by consulting the appropriate website.

And now we come to the new values set by the Arera, starting with the electricity bonus for economic hardship. For households with 1-2 members, the ordinary benefit for the current year is 146 euro (with a daily compensation of 40 cents); for households with 3-4 members, the bar rises to 186.15 euro (the daily compensation, in this case, is 51 cents); for households with more than 4 members, the ordinary 2026 bonus is 204.40 euro (the daily compensation is 56 cents).

For the gas sector, as is well known, the bonus varies according to the number of household members indicated in the Dsu, the use made of gas (domestic hot water and/or cooking, heating use, or both types of use); the climate zone in which the supply is located. For climatic zone A (i.e. where temperatures are milder), they range from 39.16 euro insured to households with up to 4 components for domestic hot water and/or cooking use to 106.20 euro for larger households (0+ 4 components) for domestic hot water and/or cooking + heating use. For climate zone B, the range is identical (from 39.16 to 106.20 euro). For climate zone B, the range is between 39.16 euro for households of less than 4 members with domestic hot water and/or cooking use to 126.26 euro for larger households that also combine heating. In climate zone E, the lowest value remains unchanged, while the amount paid to the largest households rises to 156.43 euros (domestic water use and/or cooking + heating), which is almost the same in the higher climate zone (F): 156.45 euros.

The bonus values for households in a state of physical discomfort have also been set: in this case, the benefit may be obtained in the presence of domestic customers suffering from a serious illness or domestic customers with an electricity supply where a person with a serious illness lives, requiring the use of electro-medical equipment to maintain life. The bonus is differentiated into three bands that indicate the extraconsumption compared to a typical user (with consumption of 2700 kilowatt-hours per year): for the minimum band (up to 600 kWh per year), the bonus ranges from 142.35 euros per year for power bands up to 3 kilowatts to 208.05 euros (from 4.5 kW upwards); for the medium band (with extra consumption between 600 and 1200 kWh per year), it ranges from 284.70 euro per year (up to 3 kilowatts) to 335.80 euro per year (from 4.5 kW upwards); for the maximum band (over 1,200 kWh per year), the value ranges from 423.40 euro per year (up to 3 kW) to 463.55 euro (from 4.5 kW upwards).