By Chrysostomos Tsoufis

With the provision of a 20% increase in the allowance for the coldest regions of the country and an expansion of its beneficiaries, the KYA was published regarding the procedure for granting the heating allowance.

Amount of allowance

Each beneficiary is subsidized for a single source of heating and the amount of the subsidy is obtained by multiplying the reference amount (which is different for each type with electricity having the highest -380- and oil the lowest -300- with the current weather factor conditions of each region – which shows how cold it is – The resulting amount is increased by 20% for each protected child of the beneficiary.

The allowance cannot be less than €100 and more than €800.
However, in areas where the climate coefficient is equal to or greater than 1 (eg Kozani, Kalloni, Siatista) the amount increases by 25% with a maximum of €1000.
In areas with a coefficient equal to or greater than 1.2 (e.g. Velouchi, Nymfaio, Samarina) an additional 25% increase is foreseen with a maximum limit of €1000.

Based on the above, a family with 3 children in Velouchi that is heated with electricity will get 1.62x380x60%x25%=€1236, it will get the maximum amount of €1200. If it were heated with heating oil, it would cost €972.
A single person in Achladeri who uses electricity will get €150. If he lived in Soufli he would get €282.

The allowance is granted on the condition of purchasing a quantity twice the value of the entitled allowance for the period from October 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025.
(The period starts from October 15 for heating oil with a reference price of €1.2/liter and from June 1 for firewood and pellets).

Beneficiaries – Criteria

Income

The annual income for the single/widower must not exceed €16,000
For couples, the limit is €24,000 and €5,000/child is added
The income for a single-parent family is set at €29,000 with an increase of €5,000/child after the first child.

Assets
€200,000 for the single/widower
€260,000 for the couple and single-parent family
+€40,000/child

Those who carry out business activity
Their turnover must not exceed €80,000

They are excluded from the allowance
Dependent members
Guests
Those who pay luxury living tax
Foreign tax residents

Especially for natural persons who apply for allowance for electricity consumption, beneficiaries of the Social Household Tariff are excluded from the grant on the deadline for submission of applications by the beneficiaries of this decision.

Administration process

An application is required in AADE’s MyHeating until December 6. The IBAN is also required.

The administration is done in 2 doses:
Previous Recipients : Advance payment equal to 60% of last year’s allowance and 40% based on weather conditions in the recipient’s area from 1/10/2024 to 31/3/2025
Non-last year recipients: Advance payment of 50% as derived from the product of the reference rate and the climate factor and 50% based on the weather conditions in the recipient’s area from 1/10/2024 to 31/3/2025
Advance payments are made by December 23, 2024 and repayment is made by May 30, 2025.

The heating allowance is tax-free, non-seizable and is not offset against any debts to the State.

Restrictions

The heating allowance is given for properties that are main residences
In order to receive a heating allowance for firewood, one must live in a settlement with up to 10,000 inhabitants whose climate coefficient does not exceed 0.8. The resident of Kavala does not receive an allowance for firewood.
In order to get a heating allowance for pellets, one must live in a settlement with up to 25,000 inhabitants whose climate coefficient does not exceed 0.8. The resident of Katerini does not receive an allowance for pellets

All settlements included in the metropolitan areas of Athens – Piraeus and Thessaloniki, as well as the settlements included in the Municipality of Ioannina, are excluded from the granting of a heating allowance for the consumption of firewood and biomass (pellets). Especially for the granting of a heating allowance to consumers of thermal energy through district heating, it is an additional condition that the property is located in one of the municipalities of Serres, Eordaia, Kozani, Amyntaio or Megalopolis.