After the stop due to a boom in requests, the platform restarts without exclusions. Contributions of up to 65% (and 100% for small municipalities) for interventions on plants and renewables
The Thermal Account 3.0 starts again. At the beginning of March there was a sudden stop, due to too many requests, especially from small municipalities. And now, after weeks of uncertainty, the platform for requesting incentives for energy efficiency will be operational again from 13 April and, good news, it should be without exclusions. That is, a green light, once again, for everyone: citizens, businesses and public bodies.
Thermal Account 3.0: what it is and why it is important
The Thermal Account 3.0 is a key instrument of Italian energy policy to accelerate the transition towards more efficient and less energy-intensive buildings. It is a direct incentive that does not pass through tax deductions, but provides a reimbursement paid directly by the Energy Services Manager (GSE) to the beneficiary’s current account. This way, interventions on existing buildings are financed, both to improve energy efficiency and to produce thermal energy from renewable sources. Unlike other construction bonuses, the mechanism is quicker: once the application is approved, the contribution can arrive in a single solution or in annual installments. The overall ceiling is equal to 900 million euros per year, divided between 500 million intended for private individuals and businesses and 400 million reserved for the public administration.
Reopening of the Thermal Account on 13 April after the stop: what happened
The reopening of the Portaltermico portal next April 13 It arrives after a sudden stop on March 3, caused by a real boom in requests. In fact, in just a few weeks, applications for around 1.3 billion euros have arrived, with over 3,300 procedures initiated. A surprise, especially considering that in the past the available limit had never been fully used. Driving the race this year was in particular a novelty in version 3.0: the possibility for municipalities with less than 15 thousand inhabitants to obtain up to 100% of the costs for energy requalification interventions on public buildings. This measure alone concentrated around 85% of requests in just a few weeks. And so it stop was necessary to allow checks on the admissibility of the practices and their financial sustainability. In fact, not all questions will be valid and some could have impacts spread over subsequent years. And now we start again, for everyone. In recent weeks there had been fears of limited access to private individuals only, but current indications confirm that citizens, businesses and public administrations will be able to submit applications again without restrictions.
How it works and who can access it to the Thermal Account 3.0
The Thermal Account 3.0 has different beneficiaries and changes depending on the type of applicant. For private individuals, the permitted interventions concern changes to the heating system with a more efficient or renewable one. The green light is therefore given to heat pumps, hybrid systems, heat pump water heaters and solar thermal panels. However, construction works such as coats or fixtures are not included. Businesses they can access both for interventions on the systems and for work on the building envelope, such as thermal insulation or replacement of fixtures. In this case the procedure is more complex and involves a preliminary phase before starting the works. Public administration has access to the widest range of interventions: from the insulation of buildings to the replacement of systems, up to the installation of renewable technologies. A particularly favorable position is that of small municipalities (up to 15 thousand inhabitants), which in some cases can obtain full reimbursement of expenses. Also Third sector bodies can benefit from the incentives, provided that they work in social, educational or healthcare fields and do not carry out commercial activities.
A restriction is common for all: the interventions must concern existing and completed properties. Work on new buildings or uncompleted interventions is not permitted.
How much you can get and how to apply
The amount of the contribution varies based on several factors, including the technology installed, the efficiency achieved and the climate zone. In general, the reimbursement can reach up to 65% of the expense, but can rise up to 100% in specific casesespecially for public administration and for interventions on schools or healthcare facilities. The incentive, for amounts up to 5 thousand euros, is paid in a single payment, while for higher amounts, annual installments are paid up to a maximum of five years. The application is submitted exclusively online, through the Portaltermico portal accessible from the GSE customer area via digital identity. The timing and methods change depending on the beneficiary: private individuals must request within 90 days of the end of the works; companies must go through a preliminary phase; the public administration and the third sector can instead book the incentive before the start of the interventions, also obtaining an advance of up to 50%.
