Greece Opens Heating Allowance Early, With Up to EUR 1,560 for Cold-Climate Homes

Greece has opened its heating allowance early this year, and households have until 4 December 2026 to apply. The Independent Authority for Public Revenue, known as AADE, has launched the myThermansi platform ahead of the usual schedule, according to To Vima. The allowance is 30 percent higher than before and can reach EUR 1,560 for homes in the coldest areas.

About 1.2 million households are expected to qualify, and the advance payment is due to arrive by 23 December. The joint ministerial decision has been published in the Government Gazette, and EUR 225 million has been allocated from the Energy Transition Fund. The article does not say how the 1.2 million estimate was reached.

The amount depends on how a home is heated. Base amounts are EUR 380 for electricity, EUR 360 for pellets, EUR 350 for firewood and district heating, EUR 325 for natural gas, and EUR 300 for heating oil, blue kerosene and LPG. Payments range from EUR 100 to EUR 1,040. Where an area's climate coefficient is 1 or higher, the cap rises by 25 percent to EUR 1,300, and where it is 1.2 or higher a further 25 percent lifts it to EUR 1,560. These are ceilings, and the actual sum depends on location, fuel type, dependent children and purchases.

Purchases made between 1 October 2026 and 31 March 2027 count towards the allowance, with heating oil counted from 15 October. To receive the full amount, a household's qualifying purchases must total at least twice the allowance. If they are lower, the household receives half of what it spent, but never less than EUR 100. Heating oil is valued at a fixed EUR 1.56 per litre, whatever was actually paid, and each beneficiary can claim support for only one fuel type.

Eligibility is tied to residence and income. The home must be the applicant's primary residence at the time of application, whether it is owned, rented or occupied free of charge. Eligibility is based on the 2025 tax return and the 2026 ENFIA property tax assessment. Total family income must not exceed EUR 16,000 for single, widowed and separated people, EUR 24,000 for married couples plus EUR 5,000 for each dependent child, and EUR 29,000 for single-parent families plus EUR 5,000 for each child after the first. For married couples, the spouse who files the tax return applies.

For households, the practical point is timing. The platform is already open, applications close on 4 December, and the advance payment is expected before Christmas. Anyone planning to apply should check their fuel type, their area's climate coefficient and their 2025 income against the published limits before they start.

Why it matters

Energy poverty is a social issue before it is a climate issue. By scaling support to climate zone, fuel type and household size, Greece is measuring need rather than treating every household alike, which is the logic a fair energy transition depends on. The test, as with any such scheme, is whether the households that need it most can apply in time and receive enough to keep their homes warm.