Gov't to Base 2026 Targeted Energy Aid on Level of Need for It

Bratislava, 3 December (TASR) – Targeted energy assistance in 2026 will be provided according to how deserving of such assistance a household is, with the upper threshold for receiving aid set at €1,930 per calendar month, according to a bill drafted by the Finance Ministry that was approved by the government on Wednesday. The new regulation will take effect as of 8 December. A new mechanism assessing the need for aid for specific households will be introduced under the aforementioned system. Calculations will take into account the number and composition of household members, their incomes, pension benefits and service pensions. Energy assistance for electricity and gas will be provided at prices determined by the government regulation. Assistance for heat supplied from central heating systems will take the form of an energy voucher. It will be paid out in January and July, each time amounting to half of its annual value, delivered via postal order. The maximum electricity price set by the Regulatory Office for Network Industries (URSO) will drop by €31.24 per megawatt hour next year. The maximum gas supply price will remain at the 2025 level. Rules limiting increases in final heating prices and compensating suppliers, already applied for 2023–2025, will remain in force. According to the Economy Ministry, the regulation will have negative impacts on public finances amounting to €370 million, which is already budgeted for, while also bringing positive social effects. Without the regulation, end electricity prices for eligible energy households would rise by approximately 22 percent, and gas supply prices by nearly 30 percent. Energy vouchers for heating will cover almost 30 percent of the increase in the cost of centrally supplied heat for all households entitled to assistance, the ministry stated. mf/df