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A full guide to the Conto Termico 3.0

New incentives arriving to increase energy efficiency and for the production of thermal energy from renewable sources.

On 25 December 2025, Conto Termico 3.0, the new state incentive worth €900 million, provided by the Gestore dei Servizi Energetici (GSE) and regulated by Ministerial Decree 07/08/2025is scheduled to come into force. Introduced for the first time in 2012, the Conto Termico was created with the aim of incentivising the production of thermal energy from renewable sources and facilitating energy efficiency measures in existing buildings. 

 

This is a non-repayable grant, not subject to expiry, and therefore valid for any energy efficiency project. With the new update, the Conto Termico 3.0 introduces important new features in 2026. But what does this actually mean for those who want to improve the energy performance of their building?

What are the new features introduced by Conto Termico 3.0?

Conto Termico 3.0 introduces regulatory, technical and operational improvements concerning beneficiaries, eligible small-scale interventions and eligible expenses.

Expanding the number of beneficiaries
New eligible interventions
Extent of Eligible Expenditure

As well as to public administrations, the incentive is also extended to:  

  • Private entities for interventions on buildings belonging to the tertiary sector, i.e. non-residential buildings for economic activities or services for energy efficiency measures. With regard to thermal energy production from renewable sources, interventions for residential buildings are also accepted.  

  • Renewable Energy Communities (RECs), i.e. collective self-consumption configurations of which private applicants are members. 

  • Third-sector entities (such as voluntary and social promotion organisations, philanthropic bodies, mutual aid societies, etc.), which are comparable to public administrations.

Among the main recipients of the new interventions included in the Conto Termico 3.0 are:

  • Photovoltaic systems with storage systems and charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, only in combination with the replacement of the old heating system with electric heat pumps. Eligible beneficiaries are public administrations, third sector entities (comparable to PAs), and private entities for interventions on tertiary (i.e. non-residential) buildings. CERs are only eligible if they are among the eligible private entities and intervention is on a tertiary building. 

  • Bivalent heating systems, i.e. combined heating systems (heat pump + condensing or gas boiler, or heat pump + biomass generator), incentivised as a replacement for existing systems.   Eligible beneficiaries are public administrations, third sector entities (comparable to PA), and private entities for interventions on both tertiary and residential buildings. 

  • Add-on heat pumps, i.e. installed in addition to an existing heating system. Eligible beneficiaries are public administrations, third sector entities comparable to PAs, and private entities for both tertiary and residential buildings.

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Conto Termico 3.0 provides up to 100% of eligible expenses for energy retrofits on public buildings owned by small municipalities of up to 15,000 inhabitants, in particular schools and healthcare and hospital facilities, including residential care, treatment or hospitalisation facilities of the national health system. 

 

In all other cases, the expenses eligible for support are extended, including those for:

  • installation of building automation for heating and electrical systems in buildings; 

  • related infrastructure costs (photovoltaic systems with storage and charging stations, only if combined with the thermal system)

  • ancillary works (e.g. electrical panels and thermal storage systems) and building works for the installation of the systems. 

  • Energy diagnoses and APEs (Energy Performance Certificates)

    • spese relative a progettazione, direzione lavori e spese tecniche e amministrative.

How the Conto Termico 3.0 works

According to the changes introduced by Conto Termico 3.0, all beneficiaries mentioned in the previous paragraph can access the incentive. However, it is a general condition that the intervention is small and concerns an existing building, i.e. not a new construction. The technologies installed must then comply with minimum performance requirements (e.g. efficiency class, emissions) set out in the decree and related technical standards.

Permitted interventions

Discover what's new for the energy efficiency of buildings and the production of thermal energy from renewable sources.

Energy Efficiency
Production of Thermal Energy

For the energy efficiency of buildings, the following interventions are allowed: 

  • Insulation of opaque surfaces and replacement of door and window frames;

  • Solar shielding;

  • Efficient indoor and outdoor lighting;

  • Building automation and monitoring systems;

  • Demolition and reconstruction of buildings as NZEB (nearly zero energy buildings);

  • Photovoltaic systems with storage (only if combined with replacement with heat pump);

  • Private electric charging stations (only if combined with heat pump).

For the production of thermal energy from renewable sources, interventions are allowed on:

  • Electric or gas heat pumps (add-on, bivalent, hybrid);

  • Biomass generators;

  • Solar thermal systems;

  • Heat pump water heaters;

  • Micro-cogeneration units powered by renewable sources (< 50 kWe);

  • Connection to efficient district heating networks.

For more details on eligible interventions please consult the Ministerial Decree. 07/08/2025.

After ensuring that the building and the requested intervention are eligible for the incentive, all that remains is to apply for the Conto Termico 3.0 through two possible methods: direct access or booking. In both cases, the GSE will check requirements and eligibility and, in the event of a positive outcome, disburse the contribution by bank transfer to the current account, in a lump sum or in instalments.