The electricity subsidy: who qualifies, and how to register with the National Subsidy System
Many eligible families never claim the electricity subsidy because they don't know they qualify, or they registered once and lost it without noticing. This article collects what the National Subsidy System officially publishes about it: who qualifies, how income is counted, and how to register and keep the subsidy.
Before you read: everything here comes from the electricity page and the FAQ on the National Subsidy System website (nss.gov.om), as we read them on 2 October 2026. We don't quote the discount percentage itself, because the committee sets it every year. Only the National Subsidy System decides eligibility — not Saned, and not any office.
What is the electricity subsidy?
The government, through the National Subsidy System (نظام الدعم الوطني), gives eligible Omani citizens a reduction on the electricity bill of their family home. Registration opened on 20 December 2020 and payments began in January 2021.
The FAQ says the bill is reduced "by a certain percentage set annually by the National Subsidy System committee", up to a consumption ceiling of 4,000 kWh a month. The subsidy starts from the month after you apply, and there is no registration deadline.
As for water, the site says a water subsidy will come "at a later stage"; what exists today is the electricity subsidy.
Who qualifies?
- An Omani citizen with a valid electricity account.
- Residential accounts only, not commercial. And the account must be one billed on the citizen tariff.
- It is registered by the head of the household who supports the family; other family members cannot register directly — they become part of the head of household's application.
- One electricity account per household, and neither the head nor a member of one household can apply as the head of another.
Then income and household size are assessed together:
| Household monthly income | Household members | Eligible? |
|---|---|---|
| 500 rials or less | any number | yes |
| 750 rials or less | 5 or more | yes |
| 1,000 rials or less | 7 or more | yes |
| 1,250 rials or less | 9 or more | yes |
| more than 1,250 rials | any number | no |
What counts as income?
- The total income of the household: the head of household, the spouse, and everyone in the household who earns.
- Before any deductions — rent and loan instalments are not subtracted.
- Seasonal or irregular income is added up over the year, divided by 12, and added to the monthly income.
- Not counted: the social-security pension, the job-security benefit (منفعة نظام الأمان الوظيفي), and student subsistence allowances.
Who counts as a household member?
People related to the head of household who live with them in the same home that will receive the subsidy. Domestic workers are not counted.
How to register
- Register on the National Subsidy System website (nss.gov.om) or its mobile app. If you already have a fuel subsidy card, you apply for the electricity subsidy straight from your dashboard.
- Enter the household's details — monthly income and number of members — and link your electricity account.
- The system checks the data electronically, and the subsidy starts the month after you apply.
Can't link your electricity account? The FAQ says this can happen when the account isn't registered in your name with the electricity distribution company, and advises updating your details with the company that supplies your electricity first.
Don't lose it after registering
This is the step people miss most:
- The system asks beneficiaries to confirm they still meet the conditions once every 6 months, with a 30-day grace period. If you don't confirm, the subsidy is cancelled.
- You must also update your details whenever the household's income or size changes.
If your subsidy stopped and you don't know why, start with your dashboard on the system, or call the National Subsidy System hotline on 24174000 (Sunday to Thursday, 8am–5pm).
Registering through Saned
You can register directly on the system's website or app. If you'd rather a licensed Sanad office did it for you — or you're stuck linking your electricity account — send us your ID card and electricity bill, with the household's monthly income, the number of household members and your phone number, and the office takes the steps and follows up with you in the same conversation.
- The office fee currently listed: 2 OMR — for the office's work only; it does not mean the system will accept the application.
- You pay nothing before the office confirms your request.
Start from the application page · Message us on WhatsApp
Sources
- National Subsidy System — electricity and water subsidy: nss.gov.om
- National Subsidy System — FAQ (eligibility, how income is counted, household members, the discount and consumption ceiling, compliance confirmation, hotline): nss.gov.om (Arabic)