5.5 million households are beneficiaries of the energy voucher, a financial aid from the State which makes it possible to cover part of their energy expenses and energy renovation work. The energy voucher system is aimed at low-income households and concerns in particular seniors in this case who live in a specialized establishment for the elderly. No specific procedure is required to benefit from the energy check. It is indeed the tax administration which is responsible for identifying among the taxpayers those who can benefit from the energy voucher, which is then sent to them directly.
An “energy voucher” is a system put in place by the State to help households pay their expenses related to their energy consumption. The energy check is intended for households subject to means:its purpose is to provide financial assistance to households with the lowest incomes. The amount of the energy check granted to them is at least 48 euros and at most 277 euros.
Concretely, the energy check takes the form of a paper document where the name of the beneficiary is mentioned. It has a maximum validity period:depending on the date of its issue, until March 31 of the following year.
Household energy expenses that can be partially covered by the energy voucher are as much electricity bills as natural gas, liquefied petroleum, heating oil, wood, biomass, or any other fuel needed to produce hot water or heating.
The energy check also concerns energy renovation work carried out by certified professionals "Recognized guarantor of the environment" (RGE). In this case, the beneficiary must request the exchange of his energy check for a works check of the same value, valid for 2 additional years compared to the initial validity period of the energy check, by calling 0 805 204 805 or by sending an email to the website of the Ministry of Ecological Transition dedicated to the energy voucher.
In addition to the deduction of its energy expenses, the energy check gives its beneficiaries the possibility of not having to pay for their energy supplier contract, as well as its commissioning. In addition, the beneficiaries of the energy voucher are also entitled, in the event of non-payment of invoices, to an 80% reduction on the travel rate of their supplier in the event of an interruption in their energy supply. These measures are activated by presenting your certificate of beneficiary of the energy voucher.
The beneficiary uses the energy check in the same way as a bank cheque, by sending it or hand-delivering it to his energy supplier. Since this year, it is now possible to ask your energy supplier to take energy vouchers into account for the following years, if the conditions for benefiting from them are still met, without having to take any steps in the following years. All you have to do is tick the “pre-assignment” box mentioned on the energy check or apply online on the chequeenergie.gouv.fr website.
It is also possible since this year to use your energy check to pay your bills directly online to certain electricity or gas energy suppliers by entering the number of your energy check on a page of the website dedicated to this. financial boost.
Note: if the beneficiary of the energy check has unpaid bills with his energy supplier, this aid will be used as a priority to absorb them.
People, and in particular seniors, who live in nursing homes, independent residences, establishments or long-term care units (ESLD, USLD) can also benefit from the energy check which comes, in this case, as a deduction from the costs thus incurred by the person, i.e. it is deducted from their fee. These beneficiaries of the energy check must submit their document to the manager of the establishment which accommodates them, who then obtains reimbursement from the State via the Services and Payment Agency (ASP).
The energy voucher is granted subject to means testing for low-income households. The annual reference tax income (RFR) of the latter must be less than 10,800 euros by what is called a “consumption unit (UC)”. The CU determines the energy consumption per person present in the household:one person constitutes 1 CU, the 2 e person 0.5 CU, and each additional person is 0.3 CU.
As a reminder, the term "household" refers to all the occupants of the same dwelling without necessarily having a family relationship between them. A household can consist of only one person.
The amount of financial aid allocated thanks to the energy voucher varies according to the reference tax income of each beneficiary and their consumption calculated in UC.
For example, a 2-person household (i.e. 1.5 CUs) receives an energy check worth 240 euros if its reference tax income is less than 5,600 euros per CU, with a value of 63 euros if it is between 7,700 euros and 10,800 euros per CU.
Households wishing to benefit from the energy check do not have to take any steps. Indeed, it is the tax administration, on the basis of the income declared by each household, which targets the people concerned by this device.
A file of people eligible for the energy check is thus compiled and then sent to the Services and Payment Agency (ASP) which sends each beneficiary this energy check.
The sending of energy checks by the State to the beneficiaries is done according to a well-defined schedule, in principle in April, since this year.
