Housing

The social discount must be applied for by the person named on the electricity supply contract. The contract must be with one of the energy supply companies of the regulated market. The companies that offer the social discount in Catalonia are: 

• Energía XXI Comercialitzadora de Referencia, S.A. (Endesa Group)
• Comercialitzadora Regulada, Gas&Power, S.A. (Naturgy Group)
• Curenergia Comercializador de Último Recurso, S.A.U. (Iberdrola Group)
• Baser Comercializadora de Referencia, S.A.
• Régsiti Comercializadora Regulada, S.L.U.
• Comercializador de Referencia Energético, S.L.U. (CHC Group)
• Teramelcor, S.L.
• Energía Ceuta XXI Comercializadora de Referencia, S.A.

If you are not the account holder of the electricity contract or if the contract is not with any of the companies in the regulated market, these changes can be requested when applying for the subsidy and the change will be automatic and free of charge with the application of the social discount.  

To benefit from the social bonus, the consumer must meet the following general requirements:

• To have contracted a power equal to or less than 10kW and to be a domestic contract.
• To be included in one of the Voluntary Price for Small Consumers (PVPC) tariff modalities.
• To be registered in the dwelling that receives the supply.
• Income is a determining factor for declaring a situation of vulnerability and setting the discount rate. The reference is the IPREM, the public indicator of income of multiple effects of the State. See the IPREM here. Depending on this indicator, the person or Cohabitation Unit (UC) will be considered a vulnerable consumer (accessing the 35%* discount) or a severe vulnerable consumer (50%* discount).

* These discounts will be effective as of January 1, 2026. During 2025 the discounts to be applied are as follows:

• From January 1, 2025 and until June 30, 2025, the corresponding discounts will be 50% for vulnerable consumer and 65% for severe vulnerable consumer.
• From July 1, 2025 and until December 31, 2025, the corresponding discounts will be 42.5% for the vulnerable consumer and 57.5% for the severely vulnerable consumer.

Cohabitation Unit (UC) up to 2nd degree of consanguinity: to calculate the threshold, always start from the single person: 1.5 times IPREM of 14 payments (€12,159.42). When the UC is formed by more people apart from the applicant, the threshold will be increased with the following amounts:

• 0.3 times the IPREM for each additional adult member of the CU.
• 0.5 times the IPREM for each minor member of the CU.

In the applications for the social bonus by income group, the thresholds are increased by 1 times IPREM if any Special Circumstance is met (Special Circumstances are understood as when the consumer or one of the members of the CU has a recognized disability equal to or greater than 33%; accredits the condition of victim of gender violence; has a condition of victim of terrorism; or is in a situation of recognized dependency of degree II or III, or is in a situation of energy dependency).

Large families: all without exception.

Pensioners: when all the members of the UC receive the minimum pension (retired, people with permanent disability, etc.) and do not receive other incomes that exceed 500 euros.

Persons or members of the Cohabitation Unit who receive the Minimum Vital Income.

The state government is in charge of annually updating the value of the IPREM (Indicador Público de Renta de efectos Múltiples), therefore we must always use the value of the IPREM that is in force.

Persons or Cohabitation Unit (UC) up to 2nd degree of consanguinity*: with an income equal to or less than 50% of that required for vulnerable consumers (25% discount).

Recipients of the minimum living income can apply for the social voucher by income group by authorizing it on the application form.

*Increase of the threshold by 0.5 times the IPREM if a Special Circumstance is met (Special Circumstances are understood to be when the consumer or one of the members of the CU has a recognized disability equal to or greater than 33%; accredits the condition of victim of gender violence; has a condition of victim of terrorism; or is in a situation of recognized dependency of grade II or III, or is in a situation of energy dependency).

Large families: with income equal to or less than 2 times the IPREM (16.212,56€/year).

Pensioners: when all members of the UC receive the minimum pension (retired, permanently disabled, etc.) and have an annual income equal to or less than 1 times the IPREM.

The state government is in charge of annually updating the value of the IPREM (Indicador Público de Renta de efectos Múltiples), therefore we must always use the value of the IPREM that is in force.

• Completed social discount application form: available at company offices or on the website (see table). It must be signed by all the members of the family unit over 14 years old.
• Electricity bill.
• Account holder identity document.
• Identity documents of all the members of the family over 14 years old, if applicable.
• In case of Cohabitation Units the situation can be accredited with: Family Book or Birth Certificate/s and/or Marriage Certificate/s issued by the Civil Registry or competent authority or Fe de vida y estado for each member of the unit.
  In case of single persons who do not have a family book, the situation can be accredited with the document of Faith of life of the Civil Registry Office or by presenting the Responsible Declaration regarding the applicant's marital status.
  In the event that the interested person cannot travel to the Civil Registry, another person may make the request. This person must prove his or her identity with the appropriate document (DNI, NIE or passport); in any case, the original, a copy of the identity document of the person concerned and a medical certificate must be provided. The medical certificate must not be older than 15 calendar days, the medical certificate must be dated, stamped and signed by the doctor.
• Account holder registration certificate. If the account holder is part of a family unit, the joint or individual certificate(s) of all the members of the family unit must be presented. The document or registration can be requested at the Citizens’ Services Offices. Book an appointment by calling 010 or via Internet by clicking here.
• Certificate of special circumstances, if applicable. You can request it at the Energy Advice Point in your district.
  Special Circumstances are understood as when the consumer or one of the members of the CU has a recognized disability equal to or greater than 33%; accredits the condition of victim of gender violence; has a condition of victim of terrorism; or is in a situation of recognized dependence of grade II or III, or is in a situation of energy dependence. In case of being in a situation of energy dependency, the corresponding medical certificate must be presented.
• Person or member/s of the Cohabitation Unit receiving the Minimum Vital Income: Certificate of receipt of the Minimum Vital Income issued by the National Institute of Social Security (INSS).
• Unmarried couples: Certificate accrediting their registration as unmarried couples and/or judicial or administrative resolution issued by the Civil Registry or competent authority.
• In the case of single-parent families with a minor, it will be necessary to present the family book and the census certificate.

The social bonus is applied from the next bill after having requested it, or it is applied immediately to the next bill if it arrives less than 15 days after the request.

All social vouchers applied for will be valid for two years. One month before the end date of the social bonus, an automatic check will be carried out to verify that the requirements are still met. If so, the voucher will be renewed automatically.

In the case of large families, they will enjoy the social voucher until the validity of the certificate.

The social bonus has some exceptions that prevent automatic renewal:

• If there have been changes in income or in the cohabitation unit.
• If the title of large family has expired.
• Any of the minors is 14 years of age or older and did not give their consent by signing the application for the social voucher.

In these cases it will be necessary to provide again all the necessary documentation required for the application of the social voucher.

With the bono social we are also entitled to the bono térmico:

• The Bono Térmico is a single payment state subsidy.
• To access this bonus will be necessary to have applied, before December 31, the electricity social bonus.
• This amount is used to cover the economic costs of air conditioning. It does not matter which system is used (gas, electric, diesel, etc.).
• This subsidy will be paid during the following year.

Electricity, water and gas are a basic right which everyone enjoys guaranteed access to. This is stated in the Act, which bans companies from cutting off supplies to vulnerable households and obliges them to maintain their services for as long as the situation of financial difficulties lasts. If you can’t afford to keep a comfortable temperature at home or to use running water, contact an Energy Advising Points, a Barcelona City Council service.