Utility bills, from increased protection to bonuses: here's how it works for the vulnerable and frail

For vulnerable and fragile bills, the conditions are different, although very often there is a tendency to confuse and use the two terms as if they were synonymous. In the energy market, however, the two categories have different perimeters and supplies with different characteristics. Let us start with the definition. With the category of vulnerable we identify domestic customers who fall into at least one of the following conditions: 1) they are over 75 years of age; 2) they are in an economically disadvantaged condition (e.g. bonus recipients) or a life-saving medical device powered by electricity is used at the utility; 3) they are disabled persons within the meaning of Article 3 of Law 104/92; 4) the utility serves an emergency dwelling following calamitous events; 5) the utility is located on a minor non-interconnected island. The category of fragile, on the other hand, falls under the more general category of vulnerable, but the two definitions do not totally coincide.

For the energy market, in fact, the frail, who are entitled to the discount on their bills (the so-called social bonus), are classified as such according to the Isee (the indicator of the equivalent economic situation) and the size of the household. To receive it, it is necessary to have an Isee not exceeding EUR 9,530 for families with up to three dependent children or not exceeding EUR 20,000 for large families with at least four dependent children. In addition, certain supply requirements must be met. In the case of direct supply, the electricity/gas/water contract must be in the name of one of the members of the Isee household. If the contract is in the name of another person (e.g. a homeowner, if the house is rented), the bonus is not recognised. The supply must then have a tariff for domestic use (for the water service it must be resident domestic use) and must be active (meaning that the service is being provided) or temporarily suspended for arrears. In the case of centralised supply, on the other hand, the condominium gas or water supply is used in residential premises and is active (service must be ongoing). For the water service, another requirement for obtaining the bonus is that the household must be the owner of an active, domestic electricity supply.

Up to this point, the conditions for accessing the benefit, which applies only, as mentioned, to households in conditions of economic hardship or, alternatively, to those with physical hardship, i.e. all domestic customers suffering from a serious illness or domestic customers with an electricity supply where a person suffers from a serious illness that requires the use of electro-medical equipment to maintain life. For these categories, therefore, access to the bonus is granted for 12 months, on a single supply for each type of service (electricity, gas and water). The first step to obtain the bonus, which is granted automatically, is to submit the Dichiarazione Sostitutiva Unica (DSU) and obtain a sub-threshold Isee certificate.

As for the amount, the value of the social electricity bonus is quantified by the Authority and depends, as already stated, on the number of components indicated in the Dsu. The discount applied is the same every month (for the 12 months of the year in which the customer is entitled to it) and, starting in April, will no longer include the extraordinary contribution that had been decided by the government with one of last year's energy decrees and that was guaranteed until the end of the first quarter of the year. The amount of the bonus, therefore, has returned to ordinary values and, as far as electricity is concerned, varies from 142.74 euro for the whole of 2024 for households with 1-2 members (11.7 euro as a monthly bonus) to 183 euro for households with 3-4 members (15 euro per month) up to 201.30 euro for large households (more than 4 members).

As far as the gas bonus is concerned, on the other hand, the cheque is not the same every month: the discount that households find in their bills is different according to the season in which it is granted. In fact, every three months the value of the gas bonus changes, and is higher in the winter period when more gas is consumed, and lower in the summer months when consumption is lower. In this way, winter bills become 'lighter'. The value of the social gas bonus depends on three elements: 1) the number of household members indicated in the Dsu; 2) the use of gas (domestic hot water and/or cooking, heating, or both types of use); 3) the climatic zone in which the supply is located.As for electricity, households that in 2023 obtained the bonus thanks to an Isee certificate whose value was between 9,530 ≤ 15,000 (with less than 4 children among the members) will receive the bonus at a reduced rate of 80% compared to the ordinary bonus. Since the bonus is recognised for 12 months, households that in 2024 still have the bonus recognised on the basis of the Isee of 2023 (between 9,530 and 15,000 euro) will find a value equal to 80% of the total bonus in their bills.