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: the benefit application can only be made by the holder of the contract.
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 benefit 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 commonhold).
Yes, the gas social benefit 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 benefit for centralised supplies can only be claimed if the supply is for a resident home.
No, the benefit 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 benefit is updated annually by the Authority by 31 December of the previous year.
You can calculate the average value of the gas benefit directly at site of Arera.
Supply takes place in different ways depending on whether the request concerns an individual system (direct customer) or a centralised system (indirect customer).
- For direct customers: the supply is made through the gas bill. It does not occur in a single amount, but the annual sum is divided into the different bills corresponding to consumption in the 12 months following submission of the application. Each bill will carry a portion of the benefit in proportion to the period to which the bill refers.
- For indirect customers: the payment is made through the issuance of a single payment by bank transfer. The bonifico domiciliato (wire transfer) is a payment system whereby benefit holders, upon acceptance of the benefit application, by going to a post office with their identity document and tax code, withdraw the amount of money to which they are entitled.
For economic hardship, the bonus is recognized for 12 months (in invoices corresponding to 12-month consumption). From 1 January 2021, those 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 o the INPS website, in order to obtain the ISEE certificate used to access the various subsidized social services (eg: maternity allowance, school canteen, baby bonus, etc.).
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 benefit 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 benefit (e.g. the person who is the owner of the supply changes) they must inform the supplier. Otherwise, if customers continue to receive the benefit without being entitled to it, a procedure will be activated to recover the sums paid out, for which they were no longer entitled.
The application methods for the automatic disbursement of the benefits are being defined, which will be subject to specific measures by the competent administrations.
Regardless of the time required for the definition and implementation of the rule, the 2021 bonus will in any case be recognized to those entitled to it for the entire period of facilitation, including through the recognition of any bonus shares already accrued.
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.