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From October 2024, the Free Electricity Allowance is set at €35 per month or €1.15 per day. To apply, visit MyWelfare.ie to apply online through your MyGovID account. You can contact The Department of Social Protection on 0818 200 400 for any queries you have in relation to your application.
| 💸 How much is the Free Electricity Allowance? | From October 2024, the Free Electricity Allowance is currently set at €35 per month or €1.15 per day. |
| 🙋 Who is eligible for the free electricity allowance? | Anyone over the age of 70 automatically qualifies. Those under 70 can apply, but must meet certain criteria before applying. |
| 📝 How do I apply for the free electricity allowance? | You can apply for the Free Electricity Allowance online by using your MyGovID account. |
The easiest and most convenient way to apply for the Free Electricity Allowance is to go online to MyWelfare.ie and use your MyGovID account.
You will need to answer questions about your:
If you do not wish to apply online, you can also download the application and apply by post.
You can then send it to the following address:
Household Benefits Section
Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
Social Welfare Services
College Road
Sligo
From October 2024, the Free Electricity Allowance is set at €35 per month or €1.15 per day.
Payment can be made directly to your bank account or collected in person on the first Tuesday of each month at your local post office.
Your name does not need to be on the bill if the payment is in cash to facilitate those collecting the payment on behalf of others.
If you are an Electric Ireland customer, you can have their allowance paid as credit directly on your bill as long as it is in your name. The department will contact the supplier on your behalf to arrange the payment. The allowance will be automatically deducted from your electricity bill and will appear as a credit of -€1.15 per day.
To read more about other government schemes and programmes that could help you with your household bills, visit our schemes and grants guides.
€250 Winter Energy Credits
It was announced as part of Budget 2025 that each homeowner would receive €250 in energy credits to help with winter electricity bills.
Anyone over the age of 70 is automatically eligible for the Free Electricity Allowance. If you’re older than 70, you must also:
You can apply for the Free Electricity Allowance at any time of the year.
If you’re under 70, you can still apply for the Free Electricity Allowance, however the requirements depend on whether you’re between the ages of 66-70 or under 66.
Here’s a breakdown of what you need to apply:
Applicants between 66 and 70 years old can qualify for the Free Electricity Allowance if they receive one of the following:
Applicants under 66 must be receiving at least one of the following in order to get the Free Electricity Allowance:
If you are widowed or a surviving civil partner aged between 60 and 65 and your late spouse or civil partner was getting the Free Electricity Allowance before their death, you can still qualify.
To qualify, you must have lived together when the Free Electricity Allowance was first awarded and be in receipt of one of the following payments:
Free Electricity Allowance Means Test
If you are not in receipt of any social welfare payment and under 70 but still want to apply for the Free Electricity Allowance, you can request to be means tested as part of your application to see if your personal situation qualifies you.
As part of the Household Benefits Package, you can also apply for a free natural gas allowance. The rate is the same as the free electricity allowance at €35 per month or €1.15 per day.
The allowance does not cover the cost of installing a natural gas supply to your home, the allowance is designed to assist with energy bills, not home upgrades.
If you are a Bord Gais customers can have your payment applied directly as credit on your bill.
If you are interested in finding out if you qualify for a home improvement grant, visit our SEAI grants page to see what is available and how to apply.
Selectra's Electricity Allowance Tip
"You can only apply for a free electricity allowance OR a free natural gas allowance. You CANNOT receive both so make sure you consider which will be more of a benefit to you and your personal circumstances."
If you switch energy provider, then you must inform the Department of Social Protection and provide proof of the switch and the date it occurs. Any remaining allowance will be carried over to the new supplier.
If you don’t use all of your monthly allowance, it will be carried forward to your next bill. This may happen during the summer months when energy bills are often lower.
You can still receive the allowance if the electricity or gas bill is in your landlord’s name. However, you must be living in self-contained accommodation and your landlord will need to confirm, in writing, that you are a tenant and paying your own energy bills.
Any Irish resident who receives the Full-Time Carer’s Allowance and lives with the person they care for may apply for the Free Electricity Allowance. This includes occupants who qualify as priority vulnerable customers.
No, these are two completely different schemes. The living alone allowance is for citizens already on social welfare and gives a €3 a month increase in the monthly allowance received.
No. Anyone over the age of 70 is eligible for the Free Electricity Allowance, while the Fuel Allowance is paid to those already in receipt of a social welfare payment and be living alone.
The services and products mentioned on this website may only represent a small selection of the options available to you. Selectra encourages you to carry out your own research and seek advice if necessary before making any decisions. We may receive commission from selected partner providers on sales of some products and/or services mentioned within this website. Our website is free to use, and the commission we receive does not affect our opinion or the information we provide.
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