Details
A direct domestic customer is a customer who is the direct holder of a natural gas supply contract (individual supply) for the household of residence. The holder of the contract is therefore always a natural person.
An indirect domestic customer is the customer who does not directly hold a natural gas supply contract for the home but uses a commonhold-type natural gas system (centralised supply) for domestic use. In this case, the applicant for the bonus does not necessarily have to be the holder of the centralised supply. The holder of the centralised supply contract can be either a natural person or also a legal person (the condominium).
Yes, the gas social bonus is also granted for mixed supplies (e.g. individual supply for hot water and cooking, central supply for heating, etc.) as long as the applicant meets the requirements to be accepted.
No, the bonus for centralised supplies can only be claimed if the supply is for a resident home.
No, the bonus is only granted for supplies served by natural gas transported by distribution networks.
The amounts provided for are differentiated with respect to the category of use associated with the gas supply, the climate zone of the supply point and the number of members in the registry family (persons linked by marriage, kinship, affinity, adoption, protection or emotional ties, cohabitants and having the same residence). The value of the gas social bonus is updated annually by the Authority by 31 December of the previous year.
You can calculate the average value of the gas bonus directly at site of Arera.
The supply takes place in different ways depending on whether the request concerns an individual system (direct customer) or a centralized system (indirect customer).
- For direct customers: the supply takes place through the gas bill. It does not take place in a single solution but the annual amount is divided into the various bills corresponding to the 12-month consumption. Each bill will report a part of the bonus proportional to the period to which the bill refers. When the bonus is being paid out, the relative amounts are shown in the bill in the specific expense item "Social bonus".
- For indirect customers: the delivery takes place through the issue of a domiciled bank transfer issued in a single solution.
For economic hardship, the bonus is recognized for 12 months (in invoices corresponding to 12-month consumption). From 1 January 2021, those who are entitled to the bonus for gas economic hardship will no longer have to submit a specific application to the Municipalities or CAF: it will be sufficient to submit only the Single Substitute Declaration (DSU) each year, for example through the Municipality, the CAF or the INPS site, in order to obtain the ISEE certificate, which will also allow automatic access to the social bonus for economic hardship, if the conditions exist.
In the event of a change of supplier or contract type (e.g. changing from a contract in a more protected market to one in the free market), the gas social bonus continues to be provided without interruption until the end of the validity of the right.
Yes, in some cases, when the municipality or the competent distributor finds that one of the conditions for entitlement to the supply is missing or has changed.
CAUTION: If the customer no longer meets the requirements for the gas social bonus (e.g. the person who is the owner of the supply changes) they must inform the supplier. Otherwise, if customers continue to receive the bonus without being entitled to it, a procedure will be activated to recover the sums paid out, for which they were no longer entitled.
The new method of disbursement of the bonus will be operational according to the timing provided for by ARERA resolution no. 63/21 starting from the second half of 2021 and, for direct customers, any shares already accrued relating to the previous months will also be recognized by the energy suppliers of the year. For indirect customers, the disbursement will take place as usual through a third party by domiciled bank transfer.
The bonuses currently being paid out at 31 December 2020 will continue to be paid out in the manner followed so far.
For information, visit the arera.it website or call the toll-free number 800 166 654.
