With the arrival of autumn and the sudden drop in temperatures, the question that arises spontaneously is: When can the heating be turned on? The use of heating in Italy is regulated by a decree of the President of the Republic (16 April 2013) which establishes specific dates, maximum temperatures and daily operating hours, all differentiated based on the geographical area in which one is located.
Italy is in fact divided into six climatic zones, determined on the basis of average seasonal temperatures. A Milan, for example, which is located in Zone E, you can turn on the radiators from October 15th to April 15th, for a maximum of 14 hours a day. Roma, in Zone D, radiators can heat rooms from November 1st to April 15th, with a limit of 12 hours per day. And for those who live in milder places, such as Lampedusa, which belongs to Zone A, the ignition is allowed only from December 1st to March 15th, with a maximum of 6 hours per day. These differences reflect the different climatic needs of the Italian territory, favoring a more responsible and efficient use of heating.
However, municipal administrations can derogate to these rules, as has already happened in the past in case of emergency related to cold or heat.
Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy and Piedmont: when can you turn on the heating?
For the period 2024-2025, radiators can be turned on from October 15 to December 1, depending on the zone. The closure is scheduled, barring any exceptions, between March 15 and April 15, 2025. Here are the six climate zones and their dates:
- Zone A: includes Lampedusa, Porto Empedocle and Linosa. Here, the radiators can be turned on from December 1st to March 15th (6 hours a day)
- Zone B: includes the provinces of Agrigento, Catania, Crotone, Messina, Palermo, Reggio Calabria, Syracuse and Trapani. In these locations, heating can be activated from December 1st to March 31st (8 hours a day)
- Zone C: includes the territories of Bari, Benevento, Brindisi, Cagliari, Caserta, Catanzaro, Cosenza, Imperia, Latina, Lecce, Naples, Oristano, Ragusa, Salerno, Sassari and Taranto. In these areas, radiators can be turned on from November 15th to March 31st (10 hours a day)
- Zone D: includes the provinces of Ascoli Piceno, Avellino, Caltanissetta, Chieti, Florence, Foggia, Forlì, Genoa, Grosseto, Isernia, La Spezia, Livorno, Lucca, Macerata, Massa Carrara, Matera, Nuoro, Pesaro, Pescara, Pisa, Pistoia, Prato, Rome, Savona, Siena, Teramo, Terni, Vibo Valentia and Viterbo. In these locations, ignition is permitted from November 1st to April 15th (12 hours a day)
- Zona E: includes the provinces of Alessandria, Aosta, Arezzo, Asti, Bergamo, Biella, Bologna, Bolzano, Brescia, Campobasso, Como, Cremona, Enna, Ferrara, Frosinone, Gorizia, L'Aquila, Lecco, Lodi, Milan, Modena, Novara, Padua, Parma, Pavia, Perugia, Piacenza, Pordenone, Potenza, Ravenna, Reggio Emilia, Rieti, Rimini, Rovigo, Sondrio, Turin, Treviso, Trieste, Udine, Varese, Venice, Verbania, Vercelli, Verona and Vicenza. In these areas, radiators can be turned on from October 15th to April 15th (14 hours a day)
- Zone F: includes the territories of the provinces of Belluno, Cuneo and Trento. In these locations, there are no limitations on turning on radiators.
Heating, can it be turned on earlier? Previews and exemptions
In the last few days, the early arrival of the cold has hit much of the Northern Italy, especially Milan, Turin, Bologna, Trento and Aosta, where temperatures have dropped significantly, increasing the desire to turn on the heating. Even though there is still a week to go, a Milanese municipal ordinance from last October specifies that the systems can also be activated “outside the permitted ignition period and without any further provision from the authorities", but for a maximum 7 hours per day. Last year, the “Octobertide” and the energy emergency linked to the crisis in Ukraine forced the Municipality to reduce the switching-on period by 15 days, starting only on October 22 and ending on April 8, 2024.
Heating, what temperature should there be in the house? And what are the risks?
As regards temperatures at home, the law provides a maximum of 19 degrees, having a tolerance of ±2 degrees. In buildings intended for industrial activities, the limit drops to 17°C. Before switching on, it is essential to check the correct functioning of the systems, carry out maintenance on the boiler and vent the radiators. Until 31 December 2024, it is possible to take advantage of the bonus boiler for extraordinary maintenance interventions.
Finally, those who do not comply with heating regulations risk fines ranging by 500 3.000 in euros, with additional fines of up to 200 € for violations of municipal or condominium regulations, which can increase up to 800 € in case of relapse.