EasyTicket If you’ve ever sighed looking at your summer electricity bill, it’s worth checking out the Energy Voucher program first. Applications for the 2026 Energy Voucher opened on June 15, and a single-person household can receive more than 290,000 won a year in heating and cooling support. Here’s a quick rundown of who’s eligible, how to apply, and where to use it this summer.
What is the Energy Voucher?
The Energy Voucher is a government program that helps energy-vulnerable households pay for heating and cooling energy — electricity, city gas, district heating, kerosene, LPG, and briquettes. You can use it for cooling in summer and heating in winter, so it’s useful all year round.
The key point is that it’s not cash, but a voucher meant only for buying energy. It’s provided either as an automatic deduction from your electricity bill (bill-deduction type) or as a direct payment using the National Happiness Card (physical card type). Starting in 2026, the summer/winter distinction was removed, so you can now use it freely within the set usage period.
Any amount left over from summer automatically carries over to winter. Even if you only use part of it on summer cooling costs, the remaining balance won’t disappear — so feel free to apply.
Who’s eligible to apply?
To receive the Energy Voucher, you must meet both an income requirement and a household member requirement. The most important thing is that meeting only one of the two isn’t enough — you need to satisfy both at the same time.
① Income requirement — You must be a recipient of Livelihood, Medical, Housing, or Education Benefits under the National Basic Living Security Act.
② Household member requirement — You or at least one household member must fall into one of the categories below.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Elderly | Born on or before Dec. 31, 1961 |
| Infant/toddler | Age 7 or younger, born on or after Jan. 1, 2019 |
| Person with a disability | Registered person with a disability |
| Pregnant woman | Currently pregnant or within 6 months postpartum |
| Person with an illness | Severe, rare, or intractable disease |
| Other | Single-parent families, child-headed households, multi-child households (2 or more children) |
Keep in mind this doesn’t stack with other support — residents of state-run care facilities, and households that have already received the Korea Energy Agency’s kerosene-sharing card or briquette coupon, aren’t eligible.
How much do you get? Support amounts by household size
The 2026 support amount varies by household size. The figures below are the combined annual total for summer and winter (source: Korea Energy Agency).
| Household size | Annual total support |
|---|---|
| 1-person household | 295,200 won |
| 2-person household | 407,500 won |
| 3-person household | 532,700 won |
| 4-or-more-person household | 701,300 won |
The more household members, the larger the support amount. For a household of 4 or more, that’s over 700,000 won a year — a meaningful cut to the burden of summer cooling and winter heating costs.
You can split the support between summer and winter within the usage period, or use most of it in one season. If cooling costs are the bigger burden for your household, it’s fine to use most of it in summer.
How do you apply?
There are three main ways to apply. Pick whichever is most convenient for you.
- In person: Fill out an Energy Voucher issuance application at the eup/myeon/dong Community Service Center in your registered residential area.
- Online: Log in with a joint certificate (Korea’s digital signing certificate) on the Bokjiro website and apply there.
- By authorized official: If you have difficulty moving around, a caseworker can apply on your behalf with your consent.
If someone applies on your behalf, they’ll need a letter of authorization and their own ID. If you want the bill-deduction type, bringing a recent electricity, city gas, or district heating bill will speed up the application.
📋 Pre-application checklist
- Confirm you receive Livelihood, Medical, Housing, or Education Benefits
- Check whether an elderly person, infant/toddler, person with a disability, etc. is in your household
- ID (plus a letter of authorization if applying on someone’s behalf)
- If you want bill deduction, prepare a recent utility bill
- Apply within the application period (Jun. 15~Dec. 31)
If you’re curious about other government support for young people and vulnerable groups, this rundown of 2026 Youth Welfare Point eligibility and support amounts is worth a look too.
Summer usage period and where to use it
Here’s the summer usage info you’re probably most curious about. The summer usage period runs from July 1 to September 30, 2026, and the winter period runs from October 1 to May 31, 2027. New applications are accepted through December 31, but if you want to use it for summer cooling, you need to finish applying and spending before the end of September.
In summer, most people use the electricity bill deduction method. If you apply for the bill-deduction type, the voucher amount is automatically deducted from your electricity bill each month, so there’s no separate payment to make.
The physical card (National Happiness Card) type is paid at designated energy merchants, so for summer cooling, the bill-deduction type is more convenient. Here’s where each type can be used.
| Usage type | Where to use |
|---|---|
| Bill deduction (virtual card) | Automatically deducted from electricity, city gas, or district heating bills |
| Physical card (National Happiness Card) | Designated merchants such as kerosene/LPG/briquette dealers and electricity/city gas offices |
Any balance left after the usage period ends is returned to the national treasury. Unused summer balance carries over to winter, but if you miss the final usage deadline (May 31, 2027), you’ll forfeit the remaining amount — so keep track of the dates.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can I receive the Energy Voucher and the electricity bill welfare discount at the same time?
Yes, you can. The Energy Voucher is a separate program from KEPCO’s electricity bill welfare discount, so you can receive both. However, it can’t be combined with the Korea Energy Agency’s kerosene-sharing card or briquette coupon.
If I miss applying in summer, can I still get it in winter?
No problem. New applications are accepted through December 31, 2026. Even if you missed applying in summer, you can still apply within that window for winter heating support.
Does the support get deposited into my bank account?
No. It’s not a cash payment — it’s a voucher meant only for buying energy. The bill-deduction type is automatically subtracted from your bill, and the physical card type is paid using the National Happiness Card at energy merchants.
I’m not sure whether I applied — where can I check?
You can check your application and support status by contacting the Energy Voucher Integrated Counseling Center (1600-3190) or your local Community Service Center.
If your household is burdened by summer cooling costs, the Energy Voucher is a program worth checking out. If you meet the requirements, you can receive 290,000 won or more a year, and applying isn’t difficult — you can do it at a Community Service Center or through Bokjiro. The key is not missing the application period (Jun. 15~Dec. 31) and the summer usage period (Jul. 1~Sep. 30). Go check your eligibility today.