After roughly a month-long pause caused by the exceptionally high number of applications received within just a few days, starting at 12:00 on Monday 13 April it is once again possible to apply for the Conto Termico 3.0, the energy efficiency incentive available to private individuals, businesses, public administrations and the Third sector. The Gestore dei Servizi Energetici (Gse) has worked through the more than 2,000 applications submitted so far — which, had they all been approved, would have exhausted the 900 million euros set aside for this year — and can now resume assessing new ones.

What the Conto Termico 3.0 is and what it is for

The Conto Termico has existed for more than ten years and has been updated several times over that period. At the end of 2025, version 3.0 came into force, with the aim of making the technological renewal of heating and cooling systems, domestic hot water production and building energy management simpler and more predictable — in other words, the infrastructure that generates heat and energy services every day.

We are not talking about radical building renovations, but rather more targeted interventions, such as replacing an end-of-life boiler with a solution that consumes less energy and integrates renewable sources. The incentive covers not only the purchase of the technology but the entire process of system replacement: removal of the existing system, installation of the new equipment, technical adaptations, design and professional services.

More specifically, Title II concerns the reduction of buildings' energy requirements. Eligible interventions include thermal insulation, window and door replacement, solar shading, and control and automation systems — measures that do not change the building's function but reduce the energy needed to keep it running.

Title III, on the other hand, concerns the replacement of heat generation systems with more efficient technologies or those powered by renewable sources. This category includes heat pumps, hybrid systems, biomass generators, solar thermal systems and connections to efficient district heating networks.

Who can access the Conto Termico 3.0

Unlike previous editions, which were heavily focused on public administration, the Conto Termico 3.0 is open to a broader range of users. Public bodies remain eligible for interventions on buildings and systems, but so are private individuals and businesses — including offices, shops, hospitality facilities, shopping centres and professional practices — as well as Third sector organisations, provided they are registered in the national single register (Runts) and wish to retrofit properties they use for their own activities. Applications may be submitted by building owners, tenants or managers, provided they have the necessary authorisation, as well as by parties participating in collective self-consumption schemes or renewable energy communities.

How the incentive works

Unlike other building bonuses, access follows an "open-window" logic: applications are assessed on a rolling basis as they arrive, and contributions are granted until the fund is exhausted. One of the new measures introduced following the temporary suspension is the splitting of the budget into equal parts: 450 million euros for public administration and the same amount for all other applicants.

So far, it has been predominantly public administrations that have submitted applications, typically through incentive reservation: this means they "ring-fence" the resources before work begins, securing the contribution ahead of budgeting for the expenditure or launching a tender. Since the volume of applications submitted through this route is already excessive, only direct access is now available: the intervention must be carried out, paid for and completed, and only once it is finished can a request for the incentive be submitted to the Gse.

In both cases, the Conto Termico is not a tax deduction but a capital grant that the Gse pays directly into the beneficiary's account. The amount awarded depends on the type of intervention, the system's performance and the scale of the works, with coverage potentially reaching up to around 65 per cent of eligible expenditure.

Would you like to know how to access the Conto Termico or receive support in managing the Gse application process? Write to [email protected]