Energy Voucher 2026 Eligibility and Amounts by Household

To qualify for an energy voucher, you must meet both the benefit eligibility requirements and the household member criteria. Check your eligibility first with the official self-assessment. If applying for bill deductions, have a recent utility bill ready. You can apply through Bokjiro or your local administrative welfare center by December 31, 2026.

The amounts and dates are based on the Korea Energy Agency's 2026 program guidance.

Check your eligibility with the official self-assessment

You can check whether you may qualify through the eligibility calculator on the official website. Answer based on your benefit eligibility on the application date. The results are for reference only and may differ from the actual selection decision.

1. Check which benefits you receive: livelihood, medical, housing, or education benefits.
2. Check the characteristics of yourself and your household members listed on your resident registration certificate.
3. Check whether you receive benefits through a welfare facility and whether you receive other heating assistance.
4. Answer the self-assessment questions and check the results.
5. If any conditions are unclear, ask your local administrative welfare center to confirm your exact eligibility.

The self-assessment does not replace an application. Even if the results suggest you may qualify, you must apply separately. These limitations are stated in the Korea Energy Agency's self-assessment guidance.

Energy voucher eligibility requirements

You must meet both the benefit eligibility requirements and the household member criteria. People receiving at least one of the following benefits are eligible: livelihood, medical, housing, or education benefits. The benefit recipient or a household member listed on the resident registration certificate must also have one of the characteristics below.

The multiple-child criteria also count children in foster care listed on the same resident registration certificate. For infants and young children, check both the birth date and the requirement that the child has not yet started school. Having children or being older does not, by itself, qualify you for this program. Detailed criteria are available in the official eligibility questions.

Exclusions and overlapping winter assistance

Households are excluded if all members receive benefits through welfare facilities. In winter, you cannot receive the voucher together with the assistance listed below. If you receive other heating assistance, tell the staff member before applying.

If you want to apply for other winter assistance after using the voucher in summer, check the procedure for stopping voucher support. You must also separately check the permitted period for switching to other assistance. Restrictions on overlapping assistance and the rules for changes are listed in the support guidance.

How much energy voucher support can you receive?

The support amount depends on the number of household members listed on your resident registration certificate. The amounts below are the annual totals per household for 2026. They are not monthly payments or separate additional winter payments.

Any amount left after summer use can be used in winter. If you have already used part of the support, your current balance will differ from the total. If you choose a program subject to restrictions on overlapping assistance, the totals above do not apply as listed.

For example, an eligible 2-person household receives an annual total of 407,500 won. Do not calculate this as a monthly payment. Check Bokjiro for the balance you can actually use in winter. The amounts in the table are based on the Korea Energy Agency's 2026 support guidance.

Application period and required documents

The application period is June 15 through December 31, 2026. You can apply online through Bokjiro. In-person applications are accepted at the administrative welfare center for the eup, myeon, or dong where your registered address is located.

1. Check whether you need to submit a new application or qualify for automatic application.
2. Choose bill deductions or the National Happiness Card for winter use.
3. Prepare the documents required for your chosen method and the person applying.
4. Apply through Bokjiro or your local administrative welfare center.
5. Check whether you have been selected and the approved support amount.

A representative must be an authorized household member listed on the resident registration certificate or a relative within the specified range. This includes blood relatives within the 8th degree and relatives by marriage within the 4th degree. If applying is difficult, ask whether the responsible public official can apply on your behalf. An application initiated by an official requires the eligible person's verbal or written consent.

Application methods and documents are based on the application guidance. Applications and reapplications may be suspended for 2 to 3 days in late December 2026. Check official notices or ask your administrative welfare center for the exact suspension dates.

Automatic applications and reapplications after moving, by situation

The application category depends on whether you have moved and when your information changed. Receiving support last year does not, by itself, mean you will be automatically registered. Check your current application status with your local administrative welfare center.

The deadline for new applications differs from the deadline for updating information for households already selected. The permitted period also varies by the type of information being changed. The following table lists the information update periods in the official guidance.

If you move while receiving support, check which information can still be updated even after the application deadline. If your household size has decreased, ask the staff member how it should currently be handled. The categories are based on the application guidance, and the update periods are based on the support guidance.

Check your application status and bill linkage after moving

After moving, check both your application status and the utility account information for your new home. It is best not to stop after simply confirming that you can view your balance. The following checklist brings together the official application, update, and usage rules.

1. Ask your administrative welfare center to confirm your current application category and whether your update has been submitted.
2. Check the address, customer number, and energy supplier on your new home's utility bill.
3. Ask whether the information registered for bill deductions matches your new home's bill.
4. Check both your Bokjiro balance and the deductions shown on your actual bill.

The official guidance lists customer numbers and suppliers, as well as addresses, as information that can be updated. Bill deductions also require bills to have been issued within the usage period. You therefore need to check your voucher information separately from reporting your move. This is based on the guidance on information updates and usage periods.

Comparing bill deductions and the National Happiness Card

For winter, choose either bill deductions or the National Happiness Card. Choose based on your heating energy source and payment method. The two methods have different start dates but the same end date.

The Korea Energy Agency's Energy Voucher Usage Guide specifies the summer method as follows.

Summer energy vouchers can only be used through bill deductions.

Only electricity bill deductions are available in summer. The summer usage period is July 1 through September 30, 2026. You can check the winter dates in the usage period table on the official website.

Bill deductions cover only bills issued and billed within the usage period. The supplier must also submit its deduction request by May 31, 2027 (South Korea). The official usage guide explains that automatic deductions begin in the month after you apply.

For the National Happiness Card, accepted payment methods and cards may differ by supplier. Check with the supplier or merchant before paying. The card cannot be used at bank counters or utility bill payment machines. You must keep and use the card yourself and must not lend it to anyone else.

Card payment conditions are based on the usage guidance. You can change your usage method at your local administrative welfare center before the winter usage period ends. This is also confirmed in the Korea Energy Agency's September 30, 2026 press release.

How to check your balance and usage history

You can check your remaining support amount in My Welfare Wallet on Bokjiro. You must log in with identity verification to view it. Balance checks are available only during the voucher usage period.

1. Visit Bokjiro and log in using simple authentication, a joint certificate, or a financial certificate.
2. Open My Welfare Wallet under Welfare Wallet.
3. Check the balance for the relevant voucher.
4. Ask the official chatbot or integrated consultation center for a detailed usage history.

The integrated consultation center's phone number is 1600-3190. If your balance does not match your actual billing details, ask about your usage history. These steps are based on the Korea Energy Agency's balance inquiry guidance.