Solidarity billion will be reinforced and the process will be simpler. But there are still many Portuguese who don’t even know this program.
O Government or increase os support Program 10 euros for 15 euros (a 50%increase) and redesign the process to be simpler, today announced the Minister of Environment and Energy.
“The government is aware of and taking steps that allow to mitigate impacts, especially paying attention to the most vulnerable communities and at risk of energy poverty,” he began by explaining Maria da Graça Carvalho, which is being heard in Parliament in the Energy and Environment Commission.
In this sense, in the case of the Bilhan Solidarity Program, which has been in force since 2022, the executive decided to reinforce the allocation in 2.5 million euros For this year 2025, he recalled the official.
“We will still increase the level of support, rising from 10 euros to 15 euros the amount paid to beneficiaries in the purchase of gas cylinders”Announced Maria da Graça Carvalho.
Also, admitting that there are still “there are some ignorance From this program, ”the minister has announced that they intend to redesign process“ to be simpler and faster ”.
Requirements
In an order published in, it is read that this support is given to “home consumers, beneficiaries of social tariff of electricity or minimum social benefitsin the acquisition of bottled gas ”.
The beneficiaries are thus those who have a social tariff of electricity. If not covered by this tariff, one of the members of the household has to be involved In one of these supports: Solidarity supplement for the elderly, social income of insertion, social pension of disability of the special protection regime in disability, complement of social benefit for inclusion, social pension of old age, or social allowance of unemployment.
Interested parties have to go to the Parish Council’s headquarters to present several Documents: Light invoice, invoice/receipt with the NIF, citizen card – this if they are covered by the social tariff of electricity.
If they are not encompassed by the Social Electricity Tariff, they also have to go to the Board to present: proof of the minimum social benefits referred to, invoice/receipt of the purchase of the gas bottle, citizen card.
Numbers
According to the latest available data, of 2021, this market covers about 2.2 million accommodations, meeting the needs of approximately 5 million peopleespecially in areas not served by the natural gas network. This last service totaled about 1.2 million customers in the liberalized market at the end of last year and almost 500,000 in the regulated.
Last week, the National Association of Parishes (Anafre), responsible for the coordination of the program, announced that the platform that allowed the adhesion to this was suspended.
Asked by Lusa on the subject, Anafer’s official source justified this with the fact that he was “await order from the Ministry of Environment and Energy ”, not having advanced in more detail.
From the start of the measure in 2022, until the beginning of January this year, supports of the amount of 2,153,280 euros were paid, in a total of 215,328 beneficiariesaccording to data from Maria da Graça Carvalho’s office, representing 60% of the amount destined for the support program.
Although the amount was not fully subscribed, having been using 1.4 million euros, the Minister of Environment and Energy announced last year the renewal of support with a reinforcement of 2.5 million euros to 2025.
The start of this support aimed to mitigate the weight of energy prices in family budgets in 2022, following the war in Ukraine, and has been maintained ever since. But, according to Deco, it has been short of expectations due to lack of information and bureaucracy.
In recent weeks, with low temperatures that have been felt mainly in northern Europe, and the consequent reduction of gas reserves, natural gas prices have reached Historic maximums.
