What is the Social Rate?
The Social Rate is a discount on your electricity bill. It is regulated by the Government and its function is to protect households considered vulnerable or severely vulnerable that meet certain social-economic requirements (family, personal and income).
Being a beneficiary of the Social Rate also implies receiving the Thermal Rate Subsidy as defined by the Government.
Who can benefit from the new Social Rate?
In order to benefit from the Social Rate, you must have the PVPC electricity tariff.
In addition, you will need to fulfil certain requirements in order to be classed as a vulnerable customer, severely vulnerable or severely vulnerable customer at risk of social exclusion.
What are these requirements?
Vulnerable customers
Those who are holders of a regulated tariff contract (PVPC) and meet any of these 4 requirements are considered to be vulnerable customers.
1. The annual income of the applicant: Should be equal to or less than 1.5 times the Public Indicator for Income for Multiple Effects (IPREM) with 14 payments: €12,600.
Where the cohabitation unit consists of people other than the applicant, the annual joint income will be obtained by adding 1.5 times the IPREM:
- €2,520 (0.3 times the IPREM*) for each additional member of legal age.
- €4,200 (0.5 times the IPREM*) for each minor in the cohabitation unit.
*Annual IPREM 14 payments valid for 2024: 8.400 euros.
For example, a cohabitation unit composed of a couple and two children who are minors meets the income requirement if their annual income is equal to or less than: €23,520 (€12,600 +€2,520 + €4,200 + €4,200).
Cohabitation Unit:
A cohabitation unit is considered to be that constituted by all the people who reside in the same domicile and who are related to each other as follows:
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By marriage or as a domestic partnership.
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Related up to the second degree of consanguinity/affinity: Children, spouse, parents, parents-in-law, sons-in-law and daughters-in-law, grandparents, siblings, grandchildren and brothers/sisters-in-law.
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By adoption, and other persons with whom you live by virtue of guardianship for the purpose of adoption or permanent family fostering.
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In no case may the same person be part of two or more cohabitation units.
All these limits may be increased by €8,400 (1 x IPREM) if any of the following special circumstances are accredited:
- If any member of the cohabitation unit has a recognised disability equal to or greater than 33%.
- If a member of the cohabitation unit has been a victim of gender violence.
- If a member of the cohabitation unit has been a victim of terrorism.
- If a member of the cohabitation unit is in a situation of recognised grade 2 or 3 dependency.
- That the cohabitation unit consists of a single parent and, at least, one minor (single-parent families).
2. Pensioners: if the applicant (or in the case of a cohabitation unit, all members of the same) who have income, receive the minimum pension (for retirement or permanent disability) and do not receive any other income whose annual aggregate amount exceeds €500.
3. Large families: all without exception. Learn more about how can large families benefit from the Social Rate.
4. Beneficiaries of Minimum Vital Income: If the consumer or any member of the cohabitation unit accredits being a beneficiary of the Minimum Vital Income in accordance with the provisions of Law 19/2021, of 20 December.
Discounts for vulnerable customers
Customers who meet the above requirements are considered to be vulnerable and are given a 25% discount on their bill, subject to annual consumption limits. Currently, an extraordinary discount of 65% is being applied until June 30, 2024.
Severely vulnerable customers
The following are considered to be severely vulnerable:
- By income level: Those who meet the requirements to be considered vulnerable clients and also have income levels below 50% of the limits applicable to vulnerable clients.
- Those receiving the minimum vital income may request the Social Bonus for the income group by authorising it in the application form. The joint income for the cohabitation unit will be taken into account to verify whether it meets the requirements to be eligible for the discount.
- Pensioners: If all members of the cohabitation unit are Social Security pensioners, receive the minimum pension (for retirement or permanent disability) and also have an annual income less than or equal to €8,400 (1 x IPREM).
- Large families: With an income of less than €16,800 (2 x IPREM).
Discounts for severely vulnerable customers
Where they meet the requirements, severely vulnerable customers are entitled to a 40% discount on their bill, with limits to annual consumption. They currently benefit from an extraordinary discount of 80%, valid until June 30, 2024.
Severely vulnerable customers at risk of social exclusion
This category includes severely vulnerable customers who are being attended by the social services of an autonomous or local administration that finances at least 50% of the total amount for their invoice and pays the reference Retailer for this a maximum of 5 months after the invoice has been issued.
Limits on electricity consumption
Social Bonus discounts on the total bill are subject to a limit on energy consumption, as detailed in the list for each case. If these consumption limits are exceeded, the PVPC tariff for this will be applied without any discount.
- Cohabitation unit / individual person - Pensioners: 185 kWh electricity consumption per month and 2,222 kWh electricity consumption per year.
- Cohabitation unit / individual person: 132 kWh/month and 1,587 kWh/year.
- Cohabitation unit with one dependent child: 185 kWh/month and 2,222 kWh/year.
- Cohabitation unit with two dependent children: 224 kWh/month and 2,698 kWh/year.
- Cohabitation unit with three or more dependent children: 396 kWh/month and 4,761 kWh/year.
This limit for annual energy consumption corresponds to a limit for the billing period (monthly) that is calculated for each bill and is cumulative for all the periods, so for the amount of energy available in each billing period, the energy not consumed will be added and the customer will have the right to the discounts for the billing periods corresponding to the previous twelve full months.
Is there a quick and indicative way to know if I am entitled to the Social Rate?
Yes, you can use this calculator to obtain an estimate that in no case will guarantee that you are entitled, but it will help you to get an idea: go to the Social Rate calculator.
Prohibited to cut off supply
Beneficiaries of the Social Bonus have 4 months from the first notification of non-payment to pay unpaid bills.
The supply may not be cut off in case of non-payment for households covered by the Social Bonus in which there are any of the following:
- At least one child under the age of 16 in the cohabitation unit,
- In which the consumer or one of the members of his cohabitation unit has a disability equal to or greater than 33% or with a II or III degree of dependence.
- In both cases they should present EXXI SLU with a certificate issued by the social services of the corresponding Public Administrations that accredits this.
Consumers classified as severely vulnerable and where the corresponding social services have agreed to finance at least 50% of an unpaid invoice and have credited this payment to EXXI SLU within a maximum period of 5 months from when the invoice was issued, are considered essential consumers, which means that their supply will not be cut off.
It is currently prohibited to cut off the electricity supply of vulnerable domestic consumers (beneficiaries of the Social Bonus), and this will remain in force until June 30, 2024.
New Energy justice rate
The government has approved the application of a 40% discount on the regulated electricity tariff (the Voluntary Price for the Small Consumer or PVPC) for households with workers who have low incomes and are particularly affected by the energy crisis. This energy justice rate will be temporary and will last until June 30, 2024.
All households whose income is between 1.5 and 2x the IPREM for 14 payments, with the multipliers applied to the conventional Social Rate, will be eligible.
This new rate is not compatible with the Social Rate for heating.
The retailers will calculate the income thresholds using the applicant's income declaration.
For example, in 2024 the following will be able to benefit from the new energy justice bond:
- Adults with an income of less than €16,800 per year.
- Families of 4 members with an income of less than €27,720 per year.
How to apply for the Social Rate
1. Gather the necessary documentation
The following chart illustrates the documents required for each circumstance:
| Social Rate Form completed and signed by the entire cohabitation unit. | |
|---|---|
| It is mandatory to present this document | |
| Photocopy of the NIF or NIE of the holder and all members of the cohabitation unit (including those above the age of 14 capable of working and those younger than 14 who have one). |
|---|
| It is mandatory to present this document |
| Where the holder is part of a cohabitation unit, is included in the official family registration book or has certification by means of an individual sheet from the Civil Registry for each of the members of the cohabitation unit. When applicable, certificate that certifies registration as a domestic partnership and/or judicial or administrative resolution that certifies foster care. If you do not have the official family registration book, a sworn statement confirming the civil status of the applicant should be provided, in accordance with the model that appears as annex III of Order ETU/943/2017. |
|
|---|---|
| It is mandatory to present this document |
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| Valid (non expired) City registration, individual or group, of the holder and all members of the cohabitation unit. | |
|---|---|
| It is mandatory to present this document |
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| Photocopy of a valid large family card. | |
|---|---|
| Only applicable to large families. |
|
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Certificate of the Social Services of the competent body, or of the body designated by the Autonomous Community, which accredits the Special Circumstances:
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|---|---|
| Only applicable to Special Circumstances. |
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| Accreditation that you are a recipient of the Minimum Vital Income | |
|---|---|
| Only in case of being a beneficiary of the Minimum Vital Income. |
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To expedite your application, we recommend you to attach a photocopy of your last electricity invoice.
- Changes of owner: it is necessary that the person requesting the Social Bonus is the holder of the supply point. If you are not, we recommend that you send us this authorization to make the change of owner.
- Supplementary aid plan in Galicia.
2. Complete the application and send it us along with the documentation
- Fill out and submit the Social Rate application form online. To be able to request it you must be registered in your Energy XXI Client Area.
- From your mobile device, using our APP (for iOS and Android). Download it now at:
If you do it through your mobile you can go making the photos on the fly. It is important that you check that all the documents look good.
- You can also download the form and send it to us along the necessary documentation:
- Attaching it to an email addressed to bonosocial@energiaxxi.com
- Sending it by post to Apartado de Correos nº1167, 41080 Sevilla.
- Delivering it in our offices.
If you have questions, you can contact us at the following telephone number: 800 76 03 33.
Please make sure that no documents are missing and that those that have an expiration date are in effect.
Once we verify the documentation that you send us, we will transfer your request to the Ministry of Energy, which will validate the fulfillment of the requirements to be a beneficiary of the social bonus, assigning the degree of vulnerability.
Within a period of approximately 15 days, we will inform you of their answer in the same way as you submitted your application.
When must I renew my Social Rate? What must I do?
You must renew your Social Rate every two years. We have prepared specific content you will find extremely helpful if you are in this situation. We explain what you need to renew your Social Rate here:
How to cancel the Social Rate
If you want to cancel the Social Rate, you need to send us this document.
You can email it to bonosocial@energiaxxi.com or post it to (Aptdo.Correos 1167, 41080 Seville). You can also hand it in at any of our offices.
How is the Social Bonus financed?
The Social Bonus has to be financed by whoever supplies the electricity. This includes production, transportation, distribution, and retailing.
In the case of retailers, the regulations state that the financing should be undertaken in proportion to the share of customers to whom the retailer supplies electricity.
Given that the financing involves a regulated cost for the retailers, it is transferred directly to the customer, without any change in the general contracting conditions. It appears on a separate line in the invoice, under the name of "Social Bonus Financing" with the corresponding amount.
For the year 2024, this cost is fixed at 2.299047 euros/year, which is equivalent to 0.00628155 euros per day. This cost is multiplied, on a transitional basis, by the adjustment factor (5.394483), resulting in a total cost of 0.03388571 euros per day (excluding taxes).
Content updated in accordance with RDL 8/2023, of December 27.
Content of interest
- How to subscribe a tariff
- How to register
- Customer Area benefits
- Change password
- Change contract holder
- APP Energía XXI
- Change electricity power
- PVPC rate for micro-enterprises
- How to make an inquiry
- How to withdraw from a contract
- Electricity-dependant application
- Arbitration system
- Producers representative