Housing and Energy Subsidies in Czechia: What Are You Entitled To?

Government Assistance

• Housing Allowance
• Energy-Saving Tariff (Energy Allowance)
• One-off Support for Children (CZK 5,000 or approximately € 205)
  
• Immediate Emergency Assistance

  
  

How to Save Money at Home

• Put Aerators in your Bathroom and Kitchen 

• Wash your Clothes at 30°C
• Dry your Laundry Outside
• Buy More Economically (if possible)
• Finally, Heat Sensibly and Efficiently

Government ASSISTANCE

Two main ways in which the Czech government helps citizens are with the housing allowance and energy-saving tariff (energy allowance).

In addition, you can also apply for one-off support for children (CZK 5,000 or approximately € 250), and in crisis situations, you can also apply for immediate emergency assistance.

Housing Allowance

You are entitled to a housing allowance if your housing costs (rent, electricity, gas, water, etc.) are higher than 30% (35% in Prague) of your net income. At the same time, however, this net income must not exceed a “normative income.” The norms are set based on average household expenses, according to the number of people in the house and the size of your community.

The application required to apply for a housing allowance has been greatly simplified and, because of this, allows you to receive your allowance much faster. You can apply for it up to three months in advance and the average amount distributed is CZK 4,100 (about €168) per month. You can learn more about housing allowance here (available in Czech).

Energy-Saving Tariff (Energy Allowance)

There is no need to apply for the energy-saving tariff — this allowance will be reflected as a discount on your bill from the energy company. This should appear on the first bill you receive after October 1, 2022.

Of course, the final amount that you'll pay depends on the energy consumption usage within each household, but the average amount of savings per heating season is expected to be around CZK 15,000 (€ 610). The renewable energy fee will also be waived. Everyone is entitled to this allowance regardless of whether they use gas, electricity or heat through central heating or a domestic boiler. 

The tariff does not apply to holiday homes, electric vehicles, or businesses. Learn more about on the energy-saving tariff here (available in Czech).

One-off Support for Children (CZK 5,000 or approximately € 205)

Children born between August 2, 2004 and December 31, 2022 in a household with an annual gross income of less than CZK 1,000,000 (€ 41,000) are entitled to this allowance. The allowance is CZK 5,000 (around € 205) per child.

No proof of income is required, you just need to confirm that in 2021 your gross income did not exceed CZK 1,000,000 (€ 41,000). Everything else will be verified by the state administration. Read more about this one-off support for children here (available in Czech).

Immediate Emergency Assistance

Immediate emergency assistance is a one-time allowance in the event of an unexpected life event, for example, in the case of the loss of a house and/or destruction of its furnishings. You can apply for this assistance, even if you do not have money to cover the cost of basic household equipment or the necessary back-to-school supplies.

In some cases, this allowance can be given out repeatedly. The amount of this allowance varies each time, but it can be well over CZK 10,000 (€407). The claim arises when the relevant Labor Office recognizes that the person in question is in need of material assistance. Read more about immediate emergency assistance here (available in Czech).

Still Need Help? Call our helpline!

If the increase in energy prices or other circumstances have put you or someone you know in a difficult situation and you do not know what to do, you can contact our helpline at: +420 770 600 800. We are available from 09:00 – 17:00, Monday – Friday.

How to save money at home

Do you want to reduce water and electricity consumption at home? Take advantage of our suggestions presented in our international Act for Planet campaign:

Put Aerators in your Bathroom and Kitchen 

By using aerators or savers on water taps, you can save up to 50% on water.

Wash your Clothes at 30°C

When you wash clothes at a lower temperature, you not only protect their appearance, but you also save electricity. Simply by reducing the washing temperature from 40° to 30°, you can save up to 38% on electricity. You can also use "ECO mode", built into most of today's washing machines.

Dry your Laundry Outside

Tumble drying your clothes might make them look fluffy, but it also wears them out faster. If you do your laundry outside, or air dry your clothes on a drying rack, you will extend their life and, at the same time, save electricity.

Buy More Economically (if possible)

If you are going to buy a new electrical appliance and you have the financial means, be sure to choose the most economical option. Today, individual models are marked with the letters A to G, where A is the most economical and G is the least economical. Read more about how different appliances are categorised on the CEZ Group website.

Finally, Heat Sensibly and Efficiently

Another option to significantly save on energy is with energy-efficient heating. It's not just about reducing the temperature at which you heat your apartment or house, but about heating smarter. To start, follow these simple guidelines:

• when you're at home, don't overheat — the optimum temperature is 20 °C
  
• when you're asleep or away from home, the optimum temperature is 18 °C
• close the doors to the rooms you're not using
• do not place furniture or draw the curtains in front of radiators
  

Read more on the PRE website (available in Czech) for more information about how to efficiently heat up your home this winter.