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The Average Czech Household Payment for Energy Will Increase by 940kc/Month

16 December, 2021

The number of Czech households entitled to housing allowance will increase by approximately 200,000 due to rising energy prices. These estimates come from PAQ Research's and think-tank IDEA’s analysis, financially supported by the Czech Academy of Sciences.

About 16% of Czech households are entitled to the housing allowance, but only approximately 4% use it. The reasons are different. For some of the households, the contribution is too low. Others may mistakenly believe that they do not meet the criteria for the allowance. They do not know about the allowance or how to apply for it. People may also refuse to abide by the administration associated with applying for the allowance. It may change in 2022 due to the rise of energy prices.

According to sociologist Daniel Prokop, the Czech government could help these households by increasing the maximum amount of eligible expenses while applying for the allowance: "Such a measure would be helpful. Another problem is that subtenants and people with a mortgage are not entitled to the allowance. In addition, households that run into problems in January will often not be eligible for help until April."

Find the complete analysis in Czech here.