The Social Residential Tariff (KOT) is a special electricity tariff, which is provided by all electricity suppliers according to the relevant decisions of the Minister for Energy, granted for the protection of vulnerable consumers’ groups. Its implementation started in 2011, pursuant to the Ministerial Decision Δ5-ΗΛ/Β/Φ29/16027/6.8.10, and it was subsequently amended by the Ministerial Decisions Δ5-ΗΛ/Β/Φ29/6713/24.3.11, Δ5-ΗΛ/Β/Φ1.20/ οικ.878/17.1.13, Δ5/ΗΛ/Β/Φ29/οικ.21235/20.11.13, Δ5/ΗΛ/Β/Φ29/οικ.23823/23.12.2013, Δ5/ΗΛ/Β/Φ.29/οικ.10205/12.6.14 and ΥΠΕΝ/ΥΠΡΓ/892/152/08.01.2018. The Social Residential Tariff  is granted to low-income individuals, parents with three children, long-term unemployed, people with disabilities and people need of life support using medical devices at home. By Ministerial Decision No. Δ5 / ΗΛ / Β / Φ.29 / οικ.10205 / 12.6.14, the short-term unemployed were added to the beneficiaries, as well as the households disconnected from the network because of unpaid depts. The Social Residential Tariff is provided strictly for electricity consumed at the principle residence of the beneficiary, as this is included in the statement of income tax on an annual basis, whereas the price of the Social Residential Tariff is the same across all electricity suppliers.

The cost of the Social Residential Tariff is covered by the Public Service Obligation (PSO) levies that are included in the electricity bills and are charged to the rest of the consumers, as the Social Residential Tariff beneficiaries are exempted from this charge.

For any consumer to be included in Social Residential Tariff, the following conditions need to apply:

1. The electricity consumed covers the needs of the beneficiary’s principle residence.
2. The electricity meter in registered either under the beneficiary’s name or that of his/her legal partner.
3. The electricity consumption is at least 200 kWh per 4 months and does not exceed the maximum consumption thershold set for his/her Residential Social Tariff category. Any consumption during nighttime does not count towards the above thresholds, with the exemption of the Z’ (7^th) KOT category.
4. To fulfill the conditions of at least one of the following consumer categories based on the latest statement of income tax payable.

Applications to join the Social Residential Tariff are submitted online via the special section of the IDIKA website (www.idika.gr).

A requirement for the submission of the application is the electricity bill to be issued either in the applicant’s or his/her spouse’s name.

Everyone included in the Social Residential Tariff, following their application submitted to IDIKA SA, is required to re-submit an application once a year, within one (1) month from the expiry of the deadline, set in the applicable provisions or extended in any way, for the filing of income tax declarations for natural persons. In this case the inclusion requirements for the Social Residential Tariff are reviewed.  

The beneficiaries of the Social Residential Tariff must satisfy the following requirements for each category:
 
a) CATEGORY A – Social Residential Tariff Beneficiaries:

The discount beneficiaries of the Social Residential Tariff Category Α must satisfy all income, property and residence criteria of article 235, Law 4389/2016 (Α 94) and the decision, delegated under its article 6, of the Ministries of Finance, Interior Affairs, Administrative Reconstruction and Labour, Social Security and Social Solidarity, No Γ.Δ.5οικ.2961-10/24.1.2017 (Β 128), on the “Determination of the terms and conditions for the application of the Social Solidarity Income program”, as each time in force.

b) CATEGORY B – Social Residential Tariff Beneficiaries:

The discount beneficiaries of the Social Residential Tariff Category B must satisfy the following criteria:

aa) Based on the definitions of article 2, decision No Γ.Δ.5 οικ.2961-10/24.1.2017 on the “Determination of the terms and conditions for the application of the Social Solidarity Income program”, the beneficiaries and their household members should have an annual total real (taxable, specific individualized taxable or specially taxed or tax-exempt ) or presumptive income as shown in the last cleared income tax declarations of the household members for which the filing deadline, either set in the applicable provision or extended in any way, has expired, up to the limits of the following table:

For a household including a member or members with over sixty seven percent (67%) disability, the above income thresholds increase by EUR eight thousand (8,000).

For a household including a member or members in need of life support using medical devices at home, the above income thresholds increase by EUR fifteen thousand (15,000).

 
For any additional adult member, the amount of EUR 4,500 is added and for any additional underage member, the amount of EUR 2,250, up to the total of EUR 31,500, irrespective of the number of household members.

The highest threshold of the above section increases by EUR 8,000 for a household including a member or members with over sixty seven percent (67%) disability, and by EUR 15,000 for households including a member or members in need of life support using medical devices at home.

24. 
    bb) Based on the definitions of article 2, decision No Γ.Δ. 5 οικ.2961-10/24.1.2017 on the “Determination of the terms and conditions for the application of the Social Solidarity Income program”, the beneficiaries and their household members should have property in Greece or abroad of a total taxable value, based on the calculation of the Single Property Tax (ENFIA) shown in the last tax determination act, up to the amount of EUR 120,000 for single-member households, increased by EUR 15,000 for each additional member, up to the highest limit of EUR 18,000.
25. 
    cc) Their household members should not fall under the luxury tax provisions and not declare living expenses for the payment of fees of yacht crews, fees for private schools and domestic helpers, car drivers, teachers and other personnel, based on the last cleared tax income declarations of the household members for which the filing deadline set in the applicable provisions or extended in any way has expired.

The discounts of the following Table are the Social Residential Tariff discounts:  

The above discount applies in the supply charge for the daily consumption of the electricity provider.

For the rest, the charges of the supplier’s applicable residential tariff and the regulated charges imposed by the applicable law on the residential customers apply, with the reservation of the more specific provisions related to the exemption of the Social Residential Tariff from part or all of certain categories of regulated charges.

Especially the Category A Social Residential Tariff beneficiaries are also fully exempted from use-of-system and use-of-network charges for electricity consumption within their quarterly consumption thresholds.

The Social Residential Tariff is applied for the part of the quarterly consumption up to the consumption threshold, provided:

1. 
   the electricity consumption covers the needs of the beneficiary’s principle residence;
2. 
   the consumption is higher than or equal to 200kWh per four months;
3. 
   the total quarterly consumption (120-day daily consumption) based on actual readings does not exceed the consumption thresholds, as set for each beneficiary. If these quarterly consumption thresholds are exceeded:
4. 
   aa) for over 10% excess, and provided the average quarterly consumption on an annual rolling basis, based on actual readings, exceeds the consumption thresholds set for each beneficiary, the Social Residential Tariff does not apply for the specific quarterly period;
5. 
   bb) for over 10% excess, provided the average quarterly consumption on an annual rolling basis does not exceed the consumption thresholds set for each beneficiary or for up to 10% excess, the Social Residential Tariff applies for the consumption within the set thresholds and the Supplier’s applicable residential tariff applies for the excess consumption according to the scales of total consumption.

In order to calculate the excess of the consumption limits of each category of beneficiaries, the electricity consumption of night tariff is not taken into account.

In the case of a Social Residential Tariff beneficiary with a night electricity consumption meter:

aaa) If the sum of the day and night consumption lies within the daily consumption thresholds of the beneficiary, the Social Residential Tariff discount applies for the night consumption as well as the exemptions from the regulated charges of the Social Residential Tariff and the night tariff.

bbb) If the sum of the day and night consumption exceeds the daily consumption thresholds of article 2, the Social Responsibility Tariff discount and the exemptions from the regulated charges of the Social Residential Tariff and the night tariff apply for the night consumption within the above limits and the excess night consumption is charged with the Supplier’s applicable residential night tariff using the scales of total consumption.

To apply the Social Residential Tariff discount on the night consumption, according to the above, the supply charge for the day consumption of the Supplier is taken as electricity supply charge.

 
If the consumption is less than 200 kWh on a quarterly basis, the Social Residential Tariff does not apply for the specific period.

Especially for the beneficiaries that are in need of life support or have a member/members of their household in need of life support, the Social Residential Tariff is used up to the thresholds of the beneficiary’s quarterly consumption irrespective of the consumption excess.

The limits of quarterly (120 days) consumption for Social Residential Tariff, categories A and B are the following:

For a household including a member or members with over sixty seven percent (67%) disability the above consumption thresholds increase by 300 kWh.

For a household including a member or members in need of life support using medical devices at home, the above consumption thresholds increase by 600 kWh.

For any additional adult member, 200 kWh are added in the consumption threshold and for any additional underage member, 100 kWh, up to the total of 2,400 kWh, irrespective of the number of household members.

The highest limit of the above section increases by 300 kWh for a household including a member or members with over sixty seven percent (67%) disability, and by 600 kWh for households including a member or members in need of life support using medical devices at home.