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Large families on good incomes taking advantage of Spanish government’s energy subsidies

By Linda Hall • 22 March 2023 • 12:51

DISCOUNTS on power bills are reaching only 30 per cent of the large Spanish families that they are aimed at. In contrast they are reaching 55 per cent of families with three children or more who earn medium-to-high incomes, found a survey by the EsadeEcPol thinktank that was published on March 22. Fewer than one in three large families who were among the poorest 20 per cent of households received the deduction, EsadeEcPol said. The percentage rose to 38 per cent for medium-to-low incomes, reaching more than 50 per cent for medium-to-high. Unlike many other government measures introduced to counteract the cost of living crisis, the reductions were not linked to income and the EsadeEcPol analysists concluded that families with more time and information at their disposal were more likely to obtain them. “The energy reductions have insufficient coverage, something that is especially serious for families that are structurally vulnerable. In their present form there is a misalignment between who need them and those who receive them,” said the authors of the study, Angel Martinez, Natalia Collado y Jorge Galindo. They recommended “lowering the barriers” for accessing energy reductions by introducing an already-completed application form for families meeting conditions “or even moving to a system that automatically granted the Bono Social. This could be applied through the families’ energy bills or as part of the Minimum Living Wage scheme, the report suggested. The EsadeEcPol study also found that only 8.3 per cent of all Spanish households now received some kind of energy subsidy, compared with 14.3 per cent in 2021, “a clear indication” of energy poverty, the authors warned.

ENERGY DISCOUNTS: Reductions for large Spanish families Photo credit: Pexels/Pok Rie

DISCOUNTS on power bills are reaching only 30 per cent of the  Spanish families with three or more children that they are aimed at.

In contrast they are reaching 55 per cent of large families who earn medium-to-high incomes, found a survey by the EsadeEcPol thinktank that was published on March 22.

Fewer than one in three large families amongst the country’s poorest 20 per cent of households received the deduction, EsadeEcPol said.  The percentage rose to 38 per cent for medium-to-low incomes, reaching more than 50 per cent for medium-to-high.

Unlike many other government measures introduced to counteract the cost of living crisis, the reductions were not linked to income and the EsadeEcPol analysists concluded that families with more time and information at their disposal were more likely to obtain them.

“The energy reductions have insufficient coverage, something which is especially serious for families that are structurally vulnerable.  In their present form there is a misalignment between those who need them and those who receive them,” said the authors of the study, Angel Martinez, Natalia Collado y Jorge Galindo.

They recommended lowering the barriers for accessing energy reductions by introducing an already-completed application form for families meeting conditions “or even moving to a system that automatically granted the Bono Social.

This could be applied through the families’ energy bills or as part of the Minimum Living Wage scheme, the report suggested.

The EsadeEcPol study also found that only 8.3 per cent of all Spanish households now received some kind of energy subsidy, compared with 14.3 per cent in 2021, “a clear indication” of energy poverty, the authors warned.

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Written by

Linda Hall

Originally from the UK, Linda is based in Valenca and is a reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering local news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

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