What this letter is
The bono social (social energy discount) is a discount on the electricity bill for vulnerable households. It is granted by your comercializadora de referencia (regulated supplier, the one selling the regulated PVPC tariff). Communications arrive by letter, by email or inside the bill itself: approval, refusal, request for documents, renewal or expiry notice. The bono social térmico (heating allowance) is a separate benefit: an annual payment for heating and hot water made by your regional government to whoever had the electricity bono on 31 December.
How to read it: the key parts
| What you see in the letter or bill | What it means |
|---|---|
| Comercializadora de referencia (Energía XXI, Curenergía, Baser COR…) | Who manages your bono. Only these companies can apply it. |
| CUPS (supply point code) | The code of your supply point. Check it’s your main home. |
| Resultado de la solicitud: concedido, denegado o inadmitido (application result: granted, refused or not admitted) | What they decided. If refused, they must state the reason. |
| Categoría: vulnerable / vulnerable severo / en riesgo de exclusión social (category: vulnerable / severely vulnerable / at risk of social exclusion) | Which discount you get (42.5 % or 57.5 % in 2026). |
| Fecha de vencimiento or fecha de renovación (expiry or renewal date) | Until when you have the bono. It’s granted for 2 years. |
| Límite de energía con descuento (kWh/año) (discounted energy limit, kWh/year) | The maximum consumption discounted. Anything above it is paid without discount. |
| Descuento bono social on the bill | The line proving it is being applied to you. |
| Letter from the regional government about the bono social térmico | The annual amount and the account it’s paid into. |
What deadline you have
- Reply to your application: the supplier has 10 working days from receiving the complete application to tell you the result.
- Renewal: at least 2 months before the 2 years end, the supplier must check whether you still meet the requirements and notify you on the bill.
- Changes in your household: you have one month to report any change (someone moves in or out, income changes, you lose large-family status…).
- Request for documents: the deadline stated in the letter. If none is given, reply as soon as possible.
Example: your bono expires on 30 November. On the September bill you should see whether it’s being renewed. If it says it’s expiring, don’t wait: apply for renewal now so you don’t end up paying the tariff without discount.
What you can do
| Option | When it makes sense | What happens next |
|---|---|---|
| Do nothing | If it’s granted or renewed and everything is correct | The discount stays on your bills. |
| Send documents | If they ask for padrón, family book or other papers | They review your application again. |
| Apply again | If refused for a missing document or detail | New answer within 10 working days. |
| Complain | If you think the refusal is a mistake | First with the supplier; then consumer services. |
| Report a change | If your household or income changes | They adjust or withdraw the bono as appropriate. |
| Check the bono térmico | If you had the electricity bono on 31 December and the payment hasn’t arrived | Ask your regional government. |
What happens if you do nothing
- If the bono expires without renewal, you stay on the PVPC but without the discount.
- If you don’t report a change and no longer meet the requirements, they can claim back the excess discount.
- If you don’t have the electricity bono on 31 December, you won’t receive the bono térmico the following year.
- If you have unpaid bills, being vulnerable gives you more protection: in 2026 cutting off electricity to vulnerable consumers is prohibited until 31 December.
Common mistakes
- Applying for the bono with a free-market company: only a regulated supplier with PVPC applies it.
- Not reading the bill that warns of the expiry.
- Not including everyone who lives at home, or including someone who no longer does.
- Thinking the bono térmico must be applied for separately: it’s automatic.
- Having more than 10 kW of contracted power: with that there’s no bono social.
How to respond step by step
- Find the result and expiry date in the letter or bill.
- If they ask for documents or you need to renew, go to your regulated supplier’s website, call its free phone line or visit an office.
- Gather the papers: DNI or NIE for everyone, certificado de empadronamiento (municipal registration certificate), libro de familia (family book) and, if applicable, large-family certificate or pension certificate.
- Send everything together and keep the dated receipt.
- If the refusal seems unfair, ask in writing for the reason and file a complaint.
Titular: [nombre], DNI/NIE [número]. CUPS: [código]. Solicito la renovación del bono social. En mi vivienda viven [número] personas: [nombres]. Adjunto [documentos]. Ruego me comuniquen el resultado por escrito.
Translation: Holder: [name], DNI/NIE [number]. CUPS: [code]. I request renewal of the bono social. [Number] people live in my home: [names]. I attach [documents]. Please inform me of the result in writing.
Cartamiga tip: put your bono’s expiry date in your calendar and check the bills for the two months before it. It’s the simplest way not to lose the discount or the next year’s bono térmico.