Deadline to apply to 2024 French energy aid could be extended – who is eligible and how to apply
Aid can be up to €277 and more than a million households have yet to claim
The vouchers can be used to pay gas and electricity bills
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The deadline to apply for France’s 2024 energy voucher (chèque énergie) is likely to be extended into next year, with up to one million eligible households yet to claim.
The original - and for the moment current - deadline for households to apply for this year's voucher is December 31.
However, the deadline is set to be extended to March 31, 2025 via drafted legislation from the energy ministry (presented to the French High Council of Energy).
The new government will need to sign off on the legislation, and include it in an upcoming 2025 budget, but this is expected to happen, as consumer watchdog Merci pour l'Info states.
‘Technical errors’ in 2024 resulted in some groups, including those newly eligible for the voucher, not receiving the aid automatically and instead needing to apply online.
Read more: French energy vouchers in 2024: you may need to apply online
The energy vouchers can be used to pay for bills or energy renovations and are usually sent out automatically to eligible households and for 2024 can have a value of up to €277.
How do I apply?
You can apply through the official website, providing you meet the eligibility criteria.
You must have a reference tax income (revenu fiscal de référence that can be found on your tax statement) per consumption unit (CU) of less than €11,000 for your household, the same threshold as for the 2023 voucher.
This applies to income declared on the 2023 tax return (for the 2022 calendar year).
You can use the government simulator to check eligibility by entering your numéro fiscal.
To officially apply, you must submit information including the numéro fiscal of all household members that have one, proof of ID, and a recent tax bill.
If eligible, you will receive the voucher within one month.
There is information on the website on how to apply via post. Vouchers can take up to two months to arrive in this case.
You can look at what the vouchers can be used for in the article below.
Read more: How can I use my French chèque énergie vouchers?
