The new contribution for electricity is intended for families with ISEE up to 25 thousand euros. The requirements, the limits on consumption, when the discount arrives and what changes depending on the supplier
A new bonus on your bill is about to arrive against expensive energy costs. It is an extraordinary contribution, valid for 2026 and 2027, that can arrive up to 60 euros, for those with an ISEE not exceeding 25 thousand euros. Unlike the ordinary social bonus, it does not cover all households with medium-low income and is not even automatically guaranteed by the State: in fact it depends on the choice of each individual energy supplier to join the initiative or not.
Electricity bill bonus 2026: what it is and who the new discount is intended for
The measure concerns exclusively domestic and residential electricity supplies, not gas, and is designed to intercept those who remain outside the social electricity bonus, which is instead reserved for households with ISEE up to 9,796 euros (threshold which rises to 20 thousand euros for families with at least four children). The new bill bonus is divided into three income brackets. The following are entitled to it: families with fewer than four children and ISEE between 9,796 and 15 thousand euros; households with fewer than four children and ISEE between 15 thousand and 25 thousand euros; families with at least four children and Isee between 20 thousand and 25 thousand euros. Other requirements are that the supply is active in the home of residence, that the owner of the bill coincides with the person who presented the DSU and that he is part of the family unit indicated in the ISEE. Those who have recently activated the user must have done so by May 31, 2026.
The consumption limits that can cause you to lose the 2026 bill bonus
It’s not just income that matters. There are also two caps on electricity consumptionboth mandatory. The first concerns the two-month period January-February 2026 (or the first full two-month period of supply for those who activated after), which must not exceed 500 kWh. The second is calculated over the twelve months preceding the end of that two-month period and cannot exceed a total of 3,000 kWh. It is enough to break even just one of these two thresholds to lose the right to the discount, regardless of your ISEE.
How much is the discount worth and when does it arrive on the bill
The bonus does not involve a single figure for everyone: the calculation is based on the greater protection tariff applied to actual consumption in the reference two-month period. With the parameters of January-February 2026 the discount is around, as an indication, around 18 euros for 150 kWh consumed, around 36 euros for 300 kWh and reaches almost 60 euros for 499 kWh. However, once the 500 kWh threshold is exceeded, the benefit disappears. There is no need to submit the application: the mechanism is automatic and arises from the intersection between the Dsu-Isee data, the INPS archives and the integrated information system managed by Acquirente Unico. Once the eligible users have been identified, Arera transmits the data only to participating suppliers, who then apply the discount directly to the invoice. The first applications of the bonus concern bills for August, with visible effects between August and September.
But supplier participation remains voluntary
The real obstacle concerns energy sellers. The cost of the discount is in fact borne by the supplier and is not reimbursed by Arera, which is why each operator is free to participate in the initiative or not. Those who decide to join, however, cannot select customers at will: they are obliged to grant the discount to all users who meet the requirements. The updated list of participating suppliers can be found on the Arera website. However, be careful for those considering changing managers. The right to the contribution is linked to the continuity of supply with the same seller for the entire reference period; therefore, a switch to another company between the beginning of 2026 and the disbursement of the discount may cause the benefit to be lost.
