How to Apply for the 2026 Energy Voucher: Eligibility, Household Support Amounts, and Bokjiro Process
Households that meet both the income and household member criteria for the 2026 Energy Voucher can apply from June 15 through December 31. This guide covers support amounts by household size, application procedures through Bokjiro or an administrative welfare center, and the difference between bill deductions and the National Happiness Card.
Check both whether you receive livelihood, medical, housing, or education benefits and whether your registered household meets the household characteristics criteria.
Prepare the required materials, including identification, a recent energy bill, your customer number, and documents for applying through a representative.
Apply online through Bokjiro by December 31, 2026, or visit the eup, myeon, or dong administrative welfare center for your registered address.
During the application process, choose the method that suits your household: deductions from electricity, city gas, or district heating bills, or use of the National Happiness Card.
Check the application result and usage period, and notify the administrative welfare center if you move, change providers, or your household membership changes.
The 2026 Energy Voucher application period is from June 15 to December 31, 2026. To apply, you must confirm that you meet both the National Basic Livelihood Security benefit recipient requirements and the household member characteristic requirements. Online applications are available through Bokjiro, while in-person applications can be submitted at the eup, myeon, or dong Administrative Welfare Center responsible for your registered address.
The support amount is not a monthly cash payment. It is an annual voucher limit that households can use during the designated usage period for energy bill deductions or payments with the National Happiness Card.
Quick Checks Before Applying
Checking the following four items first can reduce application rejections or requests for additional information.
· Application period: June 15–December 31, 2026
· Income criteria: Confirm whether the household receives livelihood, medical, housing, or education benefits
· Household member characteristic criteria: Confirm whether the recipient or any household member listed on the resident registration record belongs to an eligible category
· Application channel: Apply online through Bokjiro or in person at the eup, myeon, or dong Administrative Welfare Center responsible for your address
Even if you received support in the previous year, if your household members, address, energy source, or benefit eligibility have changed, do not assume that your application will automatically be processed in the same way. You should check your application status.
2026 Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for an Energy Voucher, households generally must meet both the income criteria and the household member characteristic criteria.
1. Income Criteria
Confirm whether the applicant household receives one of the following benefits under the National Basic Livelihood Security System.
· Livelihood benefits
· Medical benefits
· Housing benefits
· Education benefits
A household does not automatically qualify simply because it has a low income. Its recipient status at the time of application must be verifiable through administrative records.
2. Household Member Characteristic Criteria
The recipient or a household member included in the resident registration record must fall under an officially recognized category. Representative eligible categories include:
· Older adults
· Infants and young children
· Registered persons with disabilities
· Pregnant women
· People with serious illnesses, rare diseases, or serious intractable diseases
· People who belong to single-parent families
· People who belong to child-headed households
· Multi-child households recognized under the guidelines for the relevant year
The reference date for age, scope of recognized illnesses, method of pregnancy verification, and eligibility conditions for multi-child households are determined by each year’s program guidelines. If someone is near an age cutoff or there has recently been a birth, pregnancy, diagnosis, or change in family relationship, it is safest to check Bokjiro’s 2026 guidance or contact an Administrative Welfare Center.
How Is the Number of Household Members Determined?
The number of household members used to calculate the support amount is not simply the number of people living in the same home. It is the number administratively confirmed as belonging to the household eligible for the Energy Voucher. If there has been a separation of resident registration, admission to a facility, death, birth, move-in, or move-out, the household composition may be determined differently during the application process.
Support Amount by Household Size
Under the 2026 guidance, the total support amounts by household size are as follows.
Eligible household | Support amount
1-person household | 295,200 won
2-person household | 407,500 won
3-person household | 532,700 won
Household of at least 4 people | 701,300 won
This amount is not deposited monthly as cash for living expenses. It is a voucher limit that can be used for permitted energy sources during the designated usage period, and any unused balance may expire under the program rules. Because the application period and actual usage period may differ, you must separately confirm the usage deadline in the selection notice or official guidance.
Application Documents and Preparations
Documents that can be verified through the administrative information-sharing system may not need to be submitted separately. However, depending on the application method and household circumstances, it is advisable to prepare the following:
· Applicant’s ID
· Recent electricity, city gas, district heating, or other energy bill
· Customer number or payer number issued by the energy supplier
· Recent apartment maintenance fee bill if energy charges are included in the apartment maintenance fees
· Power of attorney and identification documents for both the applicant and representative when applying through a representative
· Supporting documents for pregnancy, family relationships, household changes, or other facts that cannot be verified through administrative records
· If using the National Happiness Card, documents confirming whether you have the card and the name of the cardholder
To select bill deductions, the supplier and customer number must be accurate. If the relationship between the name on the bill and the applicant household is unclear, or if you enter a customer number from before a move, the deduction may be delayed.
Bokjiro Online Application Process
· Access Bokjiro and log in using a joint certificate, financial certificate, or supported simplified authentication method.
· Find services for low-income households under the Service Application > Welfare Service Application menu.
· Select the Energy Voucher and verify the applicant and household member information.
· Enter your contact information, residence, preferred usage method, and energy supplier information.
· Submit any required supporting documents as files.
· Agree to the use of personal information, administrative information inquiries, and other required terms, then submit the application.
· Check the submission confirmation screen or application history to confirm that the application was submitted successfully.
If your benefit eligibility or household members are displayed incorrectly during the online application, contact the Administrative Welfare Center responsible for your address rather than changing the information yourself to make it match. If you need a National Happiness Card, you can separately check whether a new card must be issued or whether an existing card can be used after voucher approval.
In-Person Application Process at an Administrative Welfare Center
If online access is difficult or your household information differs from your actual circumstances, you may visit the eup, myeon, or dong Administrative Welfare Center responsible for your registered address.
· Prepare your ID and a recent energy bill.
· Tell the staff at the relevant service counter that you wish to apply for an Energy Voucher.
· Complete the application form and required consent forms.
· Confirm household member characteristics, benefit eligibility, energy usage method, and customer number.
· Obtain an application receipt or the contact details of the responsible department so that you can check requests for additional information and the selection result.
If you have mobility difficulties or cannot apply in person, you may ask the Administrative Welfare Center whether an application through a representative or an ex officio application by the responsible public official is possible. An ex officio application requires the applicant’s consent and administrative procedures, so it does not mean that support is paid automatically.
Differences Between Bill Deductions and the National Happiness Card
Category | Bill deduction | National Happiness Card
Usage method | Deduct the voucher amount from the energy bill | Pay by card at permitted retailers
Key information to check | Supplier, customer number, name on the bill | Cardholder name, card status, participating retailers
Suitable for | Households that regularly receive electricity, city gas, or district heating bills | Households that need to purchase kerosene, LPG, briquettes, or other fuels directly
Caution | Deductions may be delayed if the customer number is incorrect or the supplier changes | Cash withdrawals and payments for unauthorized items are not allowed
Bill deductions do not involve receiving cash and then paying the bill. Instead, the support amount is applied during the billing process. The National Happiness Card is also not a cash-equivalent card that can be used freely. It may be used only for energy sources and at merchants designated by the program.
You should choose based on your type of housing and heating method. For example, if district heating charges are included in apartment maintenance fees, first confirm the supplier information with the management office. If you purchase kerosene individually, it is advisable to check whether nearby retailers accept payments with the National Happiness Card.
Restrictions on Duplicate Support and Briquette Conversion Applications
Energy Voucher support may be restricted to prevent recipients from receiving duplicate energy assistance for the same purpose and period. Programs that typically require confirmation include:
· Winter fuel assistance under the Emergency Welfare Support System
· Briquette coupons operated by the Korea Energy Agency or related institutions
· Support programs for heating or fuel purchases during the same period
Receiving other support does not necessarily mean that all Energy Voucher support will automatically be denied. Because the applicable periods and scope of duplicate support restrictions vary by program, you must accurately list existing support on the application and receive a determination from the Administrative Welfare Center.
Applications for the 2026 briquette conversion Energy Voucher opened on August 7. This is not a program that provides an additional duplicate payment on top of the general Energy Voucher. It should be understood as a process for reviewing the relationship with existing briquette-related support and determining whether conversion is available. Before applying, confirm the eligibility conditions, required supporting documents concerning heating equipment and fuel, and how existing briquette coupons will be handled through the official notice and the Administrative Welfare Center.
Changes That Are Easy to Miss After Applying
Completing the application does not mean that the bill will be deducted immediately. Eligibility verification, household confirmation, a benefit decision, and linkage with supplier information may be required.
If any of the following occurs, ask the Administrative Welfare Center whether the change must be reported and processed.
· You move and your address and energy supplier change
· Your electricity or gas customer number or the name on the bill changes
· A household member is born, dies, moves in, or moves out
· Your benefit type or eligibility changes
· You change your heating method from city gas to kerosene or another fuel
· You need to use the National Happiness Card instead of bill deductions
In particular, after moving, the customer number from your previous address may not automatically carry over to the new bill. Prepare the new supplier’s customer number and bill, and check whether the information can be updated.
Final Checklist
· I confirmed that the household receives one of the following: livelihood, medical, housing, or education benefits.
· I confirmed that someone in the registered household meets the household member characteristic criteria.
· I checked the support amount based on the number of household members.
· I made plans to apply before December 31, 2026.
· I checked the supplier and customer number on the most recent bill.
· I selected the appropriate method between bill deductions and the National Happiness Card.
· I checked existing support, such as briquette coupons or Emergency Welfare fuel assistance.
· I recorded how to check the application receipt, selection result, and actual usage period after applying.
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