2026 Energy Voucher Eligibility, Self-Check and Amounts

To qualify for an energy voucher, you must meet both the benefit eligibility and household member criteria. Check the official self-assessment first. If you plan to apply for bill deductions, have a recent bill ready. Applications for 2026 are accepted through December 31 (South Korea) at local administrative welfare centers or on Bokjiro.

Amounts and dates are based on the Korea Energy Agency’s 2026 program guidance.

How to complete the energy voucher self-assessment

Use the official self-assessment to check your benefit eligibility first, then work through the remaining questions. Answer based on the benefits you receive on the application date. Check household members against a copy of your resident registration record.

1. Go to “Energy Voucher Guide > Simulation Calculator” on the official website.
2. Indicate whether you receive livelihood, medical, housing, or education benefits.
3. Select whether you or a household member meets any of the household member criteria.
4. Check whether every household member receives benefits in a residential welfare facility.
5. Indicate whether you receive winter fuel cost or coal briquette support, then check the result.

The Korea Energy Agency’s “Self-Assessment Guidance” describes the result as follows.

Please use the result you have viewed for reference only.

A result indicating that you may qualify does not mean your application has been submitted. Confirm your actual eligibility with the administrative welfare center responsible for your area. Selecting an incorrect answer can change the assessment result.

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After approval, check your household’s total support amount and remaining balance, then review how you will use it.AI-generated image

Energy voucher eligibility criteria

You must meet both the income and household member criteria. You must be eligible for at least one of the following: livelihood, medical, housing, or education benefits. Check whether you or a household member listed on the resident registration record meets a condition below.

Children in foster care listed on the same resident registration record also count toward the multiple-child criterion. Households in which every member receives benefits in a residential welfare facility are excluded from support. Being older or having children does not, by itself, meet the benefit eligibility requirement.

Restrictions on receiving other winter support

Receiving the following support restricts eligibility for the winter voucher at the same time.

• Fuel costs under the 「Emergency Welfare Support Act」 from October 2026 through March 2027
• The Korea Mine Rehabilitation and Mineral Resources Corporation’s 2026 coal briquette coupons
• The 2026 coal briquette conversion energy voucher

If you have used the voucher in summer and want to apply for other winter support, seek advice first. The official guidance says to have the voucher stopped at an administrative welfare center before applying. Check with the center when you can switch and how the change will be processed.

Energy voucher application period and usage dates

The 2026 application period runs from June 15 through December 31. Applications and reapplications will be temporarily suspended from October 1 through October 2. Checking a self-assessment result is separate from submitting an application.

Applications are suspended to generate voucher points. Another suspension lasting 2 to 3 days is planned for late December. Check the official website again for the exact dates. (Confirmed detail: Applications and reapplications are expected to be suspended for 2 to 3 days in late December 2026; exact dates have not been announced · Source: energyv.or.kr · Checked 2026-10-01)

Even after the October suspension ends, you must visit a center on a day it is open. Do not assume that the start date for using the National Happiness Card is a date when you can apply in person.

2026 energy voucher amounts and the balance available for winter

The support amount is an annual total for each household, not a monthly payment. The amount depends on the number of household members included on the resident registration record. The usage period for standard support is July 1, 2026 through May 31, 2027.

The last column applies when choosing coal briquette coupons, a coal briquette conversion voucher, or emergency welfare fuel costs. It is not an additional amount on top of the total support. This amount can be used only in summer.

Standard support does not divide the amount into separate summer and winter allocations. If you used some in summer, check the remaining amount for winter. Do not assume the total is replenished when winter use begins.

Automatic applications versus new applications

Even if you received support last year, you need to submit a new application if your information has changed. Changes during this year’s support period require a reapplication under the guidance. Compare your situation with the table below.

The periods in which changes can be processed vary by item, including changes in household size. When reporting a change, also check the processing deadline. If you are unsure whether your application is automatic, contact the center responsible for your area.

Where to apply and what to prepare

Apply at the administrative welfare center for your registered address or on Bokjiro.

1. For an in-person application, complete the application for issuance of an energy use voucher.
2. For bill deductions, prepare a recent paid bill for the energy you want deducted.
3. If the charge is included in your apartment maintenance fees, bring the maintenance fee statement.
4. If someone applies on your behalf, prepare the benefit recipient’s letter of authorization and the representative’s ID.

A public official may also apply on your behalf with your consent. If visiting or applying yourself is difficult, ask the center responsible for your area for advice.

Bill deductions versus the National Happiness Card

For winter, choose one method that fits the energy you use. Eligible energy types are electricity, city gas, district heating, kerosene, LPG, and coal briquettes. Not every energy type can be paid for in the same way.

Buy kerosene, LPG, and coal briquettes from participating merchants. Card payment methods for electricity and city gas vary by supplier. Check which cards and payment methods are accepted before use.

Mistaking the usage start date for the bill issue date

Bill deductions are not determined solely by when you used the energy. The official guidance uses bills issued during the usage period as its basis. Check the usage month and the bill issue date separately.

The usage guidance says deductions begin the month after you apply for bill deductions. If you have just applied, check the first bill to which the deduction applies. The program’s usage start date may differ from the date of your first deduction.

How to check your actual balance

Check your balance on Bokjiro to see how much you can use in winter. The official balance-check guidance directs you to “My Welfare Wallet” on Bokjiro. You can check your balance during the voucher usage period.

1. Log in to Bokjiro using simple authentication, a joint certificate, or a financial certificate.
2. Go to “Welfare Wallet > My Welfare Wallet.”
3. Check your voucher balance.
4. If you need a detailed usage history, contact the official chatbot or consultation center.

If your balance differs from what you expected, check your actual usage history first. The self-assessment checks whether you may qualify. For questions about your balance or detailed usage history, contact the Integrated Consultation Center at 1600-3190.