Korea's 2026 energy voucher pays KRW 295,200 to 701,300 a year to low-income households with elderly, infant, disabled or other vulnerable members. Eligibility, amounts, the December 31 deadline, and how rural homes with oil boilers buy kerosene with the card.
For rural Korean homes heated by oil boilers, October is when the kerosene bills start. A full drum costs hundreds of thousands of won, and a cold winter needs several. Low-income households can get help through the government’s energy voucher (에너지바우처), but only if they apply.
Bottom line: Households receiving livelihood, medical, housing or education benefits under the National Basic Livelihood Security Act qualify if a member is elderly (born on or before December 31, 1961), an infant, disabled, pregnant, or in another listed group. The 2026 voucher is KRW 295,200 a year for one person up to KRW 701,300 for four or more. Apply by December 31, 2026 at the local community service center or on Bokjiro. Homes with oil boilers should choose the physical National Happiness Card and pay for kerosene at participating fuel dealers. Helpline: 1600-3190.
1. Who qualifies
Both conditions must be met. The household must receive livelihood, medical, housing or education benefits, and the recipient or a household member on the resident registration must fall into one of these groups:
| Group | 2026 criterion |
|---|---|
| Elderly | Born on or before December 31, 1961 |
| Infants | Born on or after January 1, 2019, not yet in school |
| Disabled | Registered under the Act on Welfare of Persons with Disabilities |
| Pregnant | Pregnant or within six months of giving birth |
| Serious or rare disease | Covered by the special co-payment rules |
| Single-parent families | Eligible under the Single-Parent Family Support Act |
| Child-headed families | Including foster children |
| Multi-child households | A parent with two or more children under 19 |
Households whose members all receive benefits inside care facilities are excluded.
2. How much
| Household size | Summer | Winter | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | 40,700 | 254,500 | 295,200 |
| 2 people | 58,800 | 348,700 | 407,500 |
| 3 people | 75,800 | 456,900 | 532,700 |
| 4 or more | 102,000 | 599,300 | 701,300 |
Amounts in KRW, unchanged from 2025. Although split into summer and winter, the full amount can be used freely between July 1, 2026 and May 31, 2027, so anything unused in summer carries into winter. The voucher does not count as income for benefit calculations.
3. When and where to apply
Applications run from June 15 to December 31, 2026, at the community service center (읍·면·동 행정복지센터) or online through Bokjiro. Proxy applications by relatives must be made in person. Last year’s recipients with no change in eligibility are expected to be registered automatically, but anyone who moved, changed household members or switched heating fuel should update their details. Officials can also apply on a resident’s behalf with consent.
4. Buying kerosene with the voucher
In winter, households choose one of two methods. A virtual card deducts the voucher from one of the electricity, city gas or district heating bills. The physical National Happiness Card (국민행복카드), issued by BC, Lotte, Samsung, KB Kookmin, Shinhan or Hyundai, can pay for electricity, city gas, kerosene, LPG and briquettes. The physical card can be used from October 3, 2026.
Homes without city gas should pick the physical card. Kerosene, LPG and briquettes are bought at participating dealers, and the official guide says delivery fees can be included in the payment. Ask the dealer before ordering whether they accept the energy voucher. Households can switch between the two methods until May 31, 2027.
5. Overlap with other winter support
The winter portion cannot be combined with winter fuel aid under the Emergency Welfare Support Act, the 2026 briquette coupon from Korea Mine Rehabilitation and Mineral Resources Corporation, or the 2026 briquette-conversion voucher. Choosing one of those leaves only the summer amount. Whether other kerosene support programs can be combined is not stated in the 2026 guide, so check with 1600-3190. Extra kerosene and LPG support was reported for winter 2025–26; as of October 7, 2026, no official notice for a repeat this winter was found.
To make the fuel go further, see draft stoppers and window film for winter and frozen pipe prevention for farm sheds. The separate energy-saving reward scheme is covered in Carbon Neutral Point Energy 2026.
References
- Korea Energy Agency, Energy Voucher website: support criteria, 2026 amounts, application and usage periods, exclusions.
- Korea Energy Agency, Energy Voucher usage guide: bill deduction, National Happiness Card, kerosene/LPG/briquette purchases.
- Bokjiro, 2026 Energy Voucher notice (Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, June 14, 2026) and application guide.
- Financial News (December 29, 2025), report on additional kerosene and LPG support for winter 2025–26.
- Eligibility and amounts are confirmed by the local government’s benefit review.