The government has set out its fuel subsidy plans for the next 15 days following yesterday’s announcement of a two-pronged intervention — a heating allowance and a subsidy at the pump — aimed at easing the heavy pressure the energy crisis is putting on households and businesses.
Heating oil will go on sale today at around €1.55 a litre, following a 40-cent reduction resulting from a “partnership” between the government and refineries, with the two sides sharing the cost of the subsidy equally.
In practice, the price will fall further — to around €1.35 a litre — for about 1.2 million households eligible for the heating allowance, regardless of the type of fuel they use, following a 30% across-the-board increase in payments.
PUMP SUBSIDY
€1.55/litre
Initial price: ~ €1.95 | Discount: -€0.40 (20 cents from the state + 20 cents from refineries)
HEATING ALLOWANCE (+30%)
€130 – €1,560
Price after allowance: ~ €1.35 / litre for ~ 1.2 million households
TIMELINE AND ADVANCE PAYMENTS
| Stage / Date | Details & amounts |
|---|
| 15–31 October | €0.40/litre flat-rate subsidy at the pump (cost: €46 million) |
| By 10 November | Opening of the AADE’s myHeating online platform |
| By 23 December 2026 | Payment of the allowance advance (increased by 30%) |
| Existing recipients (2025-2026) | ~80% of last year’s allowance as an advance |
| New recipients | 65% of the eligible amount as an advance (up from 50%) |
INCOME AND PROPERTY CRITERIA
| Household category | Annual income (limit) | Property (limit) |
|---|
| Single / Widowed / Separated | €16,000 | €200,000 |
| Married / Civil partnership | €24,000 (+€5,000 / child) | €260,000 (+€40,000 / child) |
| Single-parent family | €29,000 (+€5,000 / child after the first) | €260,000 (+€40,000 / child) |
| Business activity | Gross revenue of up to €80,000 (total household) |
Eligible heating types: Heating oil, natural gas, electricity, firewood, pellets.
October budgetary cost: €46 million (pump subsidy) + €52 million (increase in allowance) = €98 million
Recipients and amounts
The support will range from €130 to €1,560 for people living in parts of the country that experience severe cold.
The online application platform is expected to open by 10 November, while the advance payment is scheduled to be made by 23 December.
As the 2026-2027 winter season approaches, consumers should bear the following in mind:
- Heating oil goes on sale today, 15 October, with the starting price estimated at around €1.95 a litre before discounts. Depending on the area and the course of international prices, it may range from €1.90 to €2 a litre. The combined intervention by the state and refineries is expected to bring the final price down to about €1.55 a litre.
- The state is subsidising heating oil by 20 cents a litre from 15 to 31 October. The state support is supplemented by a 20-cent-a-litre discount from refineries, bringing the total reduction to 40 cents a litre. The subsidy is applied directly to the sale price, with no application or income criteria required.
With an initial price of €1.95 a litre and a total discount of 40 cents, the price is expected to be around €1.55 a litre.
Examples and criteria
For an order of 1,000 litres, the cost without discounts would be €1,950. With the total reduction of 40 cents a litre, the consumer will pay about €1,550, saving €400.
Following the 30% increase in the heating allowance, payments range from €130 at the lower end to €1,560 at the upper end for the coldest areas of the country (Metsovo, Velouchi, Nymfaio, Nevrokopi and Pertouli).
The increase applies to all eligible heating types, including heating oil, natural gas, electricity, firewood and pellets.
Households that meet the income and property criteria, which remain unchanged, are eligible for the allowance. Specifically, annual household income, both actual and imputed, must not exceed:
- €16,000 for a single person.
- €24,000 for a married couple, with an additional €5,000 for each child.
- €29,000 for a single-parent family, with an additional €5,000 for each child after the first.
For people engaged in business activity, the total gross revenue of the taxpayer, their spouse or civil partner, and their dependent children must not exceed €80,000.
As for property, its total value must not exceed €200,000 for single, widowed or separated people, and €260,000 for married couples, civil partners and single-parent families. The thresholds rise by €40,000 for each dependent child.
The amount of the allowance varies according to the area of residence, family status and type of heating. With the 30% increase, a household that would have been entitled to €500 under the previous calculation will receive €650. Similarly, an allowance of €800 rises to €1,040.
The myHeating platform
The myHeating online platform of the AADE is expected to open by 10 November. Applicants will need to submit an application and state the type of heating for which they are seeking support, as well as the required details of their main residence.
The allowance advance is expected to be paid by 23 December 2026. The advance payment is 30% higher. Those who apply through the myHeating platform will receive an advance of about 80% of the allowance they received in the 2025-2026 winter season. For new recipients, the advance rises from 50% to 65% of the amount to which they are entitled.
Many households will benefit “twice over”, receiving both the pump subsidy and the heating allowance. These are two separate measures that nevertheless complement each other.
The discount at the pump lowers the price for all consumers buying heating oil during the period in which it applies, with no income criteria.
The heating allowance is provided separately, following an application, to those who meet the prescribed conditions. Eligible households can therefore benefit from both forms of support.
Fuel subsidies for the second half of October will cost €46 million, while the 30% increase in the heating allowance requires an additional €52 million, bringing the total cost to €98 million for the current month alone.