ENERGY CHECK. A project to increase the number of beneficiaries of the energy voucher will be debated in Parliament this autumn, as part of the 2023 draft budget.
[Mis à jour le 8 septembre 2022 à 10h55] The energy check could benefit from an extension by 2023. In other words, the government is considering the possibility of opening up the payment of the energy check to more beneficiaries, so as to support the most modest households in the face of the increase in the Cost of life. The surge in energy prices could therefore be offset by this extension of the energy check which, let us remember, allows you to pay your energy bill with your electricity, gas, heat, heating oil supplier, or other heating fuels (wood, etc.). For the time being, 6 million people receive the energy check in France. Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire has not ruled out the option of going further, a possibility that will be debated in Parliament for the 2023 draft budget this fall.
This year, a new bonus, or discount, will also appear. Group CEO Engie announced on July 28 in an interview granted to the Parisian, the payment of a “complement” to all of the firm’s customers benefiting from the energy voucher. A bonus of 100 euros paid from November 2022. A maneuver estimated at 90 million euros for Engie. This bonus will therefore be added to the amount of the energy check received between March 30 and April 29 this year. Catherine MacGregor also said she wanted to set up a support fund of 60 million euros for small and medium-sized businesses. As a reminder, the energy check is an aid to the payment of housing energy bills. It is awarded subject to means testing. If you are eligible, you will automatically receive your energy voucher, in your name, by post to your home (it is sent to you at the last address you gave to the tax authorities).
The energy check is awarded each year, depending on your income and the composition of your household. It is sent to you, automatically, on the basis of the information transmitted by the tax services, and provided that you have made your tax return within the deadlines set by the tax authorities. You must also live in accommodation subject to housing tax (even if you are exempt).
The payment of the energy check is made by department. The check will be sent automatically between March 30 and the April 29, 2022 depending on your department of residence.
The amount of the energy check depends on the resources and composition of your household. To determine this, the government has established a scale. Here is the scale that applies in 2021, revealed by the decree of February 24, 2021 :
| RFR / UC < 5,600 euros | 5,600 euros < RFR / UA < 6,700 euros | 6,700 euros < RFR / UA < 7,700 euros | 7,700 euros < RFR / UA < 10,800 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 CU | 194 euros | 146 euros | 98 euros | 48 euros |
| 1 < UC < 2 | 240 euros | 176 euros | 113 euros | 63 euros |
| 2 or more CUs | 277 euros | 202 euros | 126 euros | 76 euros |
As you can see, a single person can receive an energy check for a maximum amount of 194 euros in 2021. Note that the energy check can be combined with the Ma Prime Rénov aid, the device that replaces the energy transition tax credit (CITED).
You are sure and certain to meet the conditions of the energy check, and yet there is no trace in your mail? In this case, contact support, either via the contact form on the dedicated site, or by telephone. Remember to bring your tax notice. “To be able to benefit from the energy check, you must have declared your income to the tax services (even if your income is low or zero)”, we recall in the Frequently Asked Questions. “After having regularized your situation, you will be able to apply for an energy check. On the other hand, if you have still not declared your income for the following year, you will no longer be able to claim the benefit of the energy check”.
To determine your eligibility for the energy check scheme, you can go to the site dedicated to the energy check. There is no simulator in the strict sense of the term. On the other hand, we invite you to enter your tax number to determine if you are eligible for the device. By entering your tax ID, the site tells you whether or not you are concerned. If this is not the case, the following message is displayed: “If you nevertheless think that your household fulfills the conditions of income and composition to benefit from the energy check, or, if you are an approved operator for housing in rental intermediation and you wish to check the eligibility of a sub-leased household for the energy check, you can nevertheless continue with the eligibility test”. You are then invited to complete a questionnaire comprising three questions.
The energy check is reserved for the most modest households. Its allocation depends on the resources of the household and the composition of the household: your reference tax income is taken into account. Please note that it must be less than 10,800 euros per consumption unit (CU). As an indication, a person represents a CU. The second person is counted at 0.5 and each person at 0.3 CU. To find out if you can benefit from the energy voucher, you must therefore divide your reference tax income by the number of consumption units in your household. Very concretely, this means that the reference tax income must not exceed 10,800 euros for one person only.
You don’t have to do anything. The energy voucher is allocated in such a way automatique. In practice, it is the tax administration that sends the list of eligible households to the Services and Payment Agency (ASP). The latter is in charge of editing and sending the check by post. Eligible households therefore receive it automatically, without having to fill out any form. There is therefore no point in contacting the services in charge of the energy check if you are not eligible.
Energy check assistance can be reached on 0 805 204 805 (freephone number), Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. “In case of heavy traffic, we recommend that you call in the morning from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., or at the end of the day from 5:00 p.m.”, we warn on the energy check site.
Yes ! EDF is one of the electricity suppliers that accepts the energy check to pay your electricity expenses directly online. “No need to wait for your next bill: you can use your energy check now, it will be credited directly to your customer account”, we explain. on the official site of the energy check. To do this, simply enter the number of your energy voucher.
The energy check can be sent by Postal mail Where rissued in clean hand to the energy supplier. In this case, you must attach a copy of a document showing your customer references and report them on the back of the check. But you can also use it directly online, on the chequeenergie.gouv.fr website.
Note that in the case of carrying out work, the check can be used directly to pay the invoice. On the other hand, please note that this work must be carried out by a professional “Recognized guarantor of the environment” (RGE). You will find the list of RGE professionals on the website renovation info service. If you are the beneficiary of the energy check, know that its expiry date is listed. It usually occurs at March, 31st of the calendar year following the year of issue.
You are asked to report the loss or theft of your energy voucher. To do this, you have two options:
- Online at the following address: https://chequeenergie.gouv.fr/beneficiaire/cheque/declarer-perdu-vole
- Contact energy check assistance by telephone (read above) or by post, providing your contact details, tax number and the number of your energy check.