Heat pumps in Italy 2026 — Conto Termico and Ecobonus

Market snapshot

Italy combines a Mediterranean climate (the warmest in our coverage along with Spain, Greece, Cyprus and Malta) with the most expensive gas in Europe at around €0.15/kWh for households. Electricity is also relatively dear at €0.30/kWh, but the 2.0× ratio makes heat pumps competitive even before subsidies.

The catch is Italy's regional diversity. Bolzano-Trentino climbs to ~3 500 HDD; Sicily barely registers 800. National averages mask a factor-of-four range, so country-level economics are starting points, not the answer.

Conto Termico 2.0

Operated by GSE (Gestore dei Servizi Energetici), Conto Termico 2.0 reimburses 40–65% of project cost for residential heat-pump installation. Typical caps for single-family installations land at €2 000 – €5 000 depending on capacity, climate factor and heat-pump efficiency.

Reimbursement is paid in 1–5 annual instalments depending on grant size — small grants in one go, larger ones spread out. The amount is computed per kWh of useful heat output expected, with a regional climate-factor multiplier favouring colder northern Italy.

Alternative: Ecobonus 65%

For households that prefer a tax credit over a cash grant, the Ecobonus 65% lets you deduct 65% of high-efficiency heat-pump costs from income tax over 10 annual instalments. Cannot be cumulated with Conto Termico for the same intervention — pick one.

Ecobonus suits higher earners with sufficient tax liability to absorb the deduction; lower earners benefit more from the upfront Conto Termico path.

Climate by zone

Region	Climate zone	HDD₁₈
Sicily, Sardegna	Warmer	800–1 200
Roma, Napoli	Warmer	1 400–1 800
Milano, Torino, Bologna	Average	2 200–2 800
Bolzano, Trentino, Aosta	Colder	3 200–3 800

Conto Termico's regional factor compensates so northerners get more absolute support — the per-kWh formula does the work.

Recommended setup

Default: air-to-water HP with R32 or R290; warm climate keeps

SCOP excellent.

Reversible units worthwhile for cooling demand in central/southern

Italy (CDD ≥ 800).

DHW: high gas prices make standalone heat-pump water heaters

attractive even where space-heating stays gas.

Top brands

Ariston (Italian, third by EPREL listings continent-wide), Daikin and Mitsubishi dominate. Riello and Immergas (both Italian) round out the mid-market.

Sources

GSE — Conto Termico (verified 2026-05-07)
Eurostat nrg_pc_204 band DC, semester 2024-S2
Eurostat nrg_pc_202 band D2, semester 2024-S2
NASA POWER 30-year normal at Roma (41.90 °N, 12.50 °E)