The decree has arrived on how much and when we can turn on the heating

Minister Cingolani signed the heating decree:this winter systems turned on for 15 days less, with a limit of 19 degrees.

Winter is coming.And so yesterday, October 6th, the Minister of Ecological Transition Roberto Cingolani, signed the heating decree which defines the new time limits for the operation of the systems natural gas and the reduction of one degree in the maximum temperature values ​​of heated environments, to be applied for the next winter season.

Just as expected national plan to contain natural gas consumption, published exactly one month ago, according to the heating decree this year the period for switching on the systems is reduced by one hour per day and the period of operation in the winter season 2022-2023 is shortened by 15 days:the heating will come on 8 days after the usual start date and will turn off 7 days before.

The measurements in detail 

There is no one-size-fits-all date in the heating decree:as usual the ignition varies based on the climatic bands into which Italy is divided from north to south, according to this table.

• Zone A:5 hours daily from 8 December to 7 March;
• Zone B:7 hours daily from 8 December to 23 March;
• Zone C:9am daily from November 22nd to March 23rd;
• Zone D:11am daily from 8 November to 7 April;
• Zone E:1pm daily from 22 October to 7 April;
• Zone F:no limitations.

Naturally, there are exceptions in the heating decree:in the presence of particularly severe climatic situations, individual Municipalities will be able to authorize the switching on of gas-fired heating systems even outside the periods indicated in the decree, as long as for a reduced daily duration.

Furthermore, the air temperature values ​​are reduced by one degree centigrade.In order to facilitate the application of the new provisions, Aeneas has published a handbook with the essential indications for correctly setting the heating temperature that the condominium administrators can make available to the condominiums.

To save money, he explains later Nicolandrea Calabrese, responsible for the laboratory of energy efficiency in buildings and urban development, there are both measures a zero cost, that is daily behaviors that allow you to save up to 10 percent on the bill (for example, unplug appliances and advertising monitors during closing hours of offices and shops), and measures which provide for initial investment (for example, energy consumption for lighting can be more than halved thanks to the installation of LED lamps low consumption with integrated presence detectors).“And among the most effective moves to cut consumption and expenses there is certainly the installation of intelligent control systems, which allow a savings of between 7 and 20 percent for winter heating and between 2 and 4 percent for summer cooling".

The reductions contained in the heating decree apply to public and private buildings, with very specific exemptions:in particular, buildings used as healthcare facilities, nursery schools and nurseries, swimming pools, saunas and similar are excluded.Buildings used for industrial, artisanal and similar activities for which the municipal authorities have already granted exemptions from the air temperature limits are also not covered by the decree.

Well done and lucky, finally, to those who have already equipped themselves with renewable plants:in fact, buildings powered mainly by clean energy will not have to comply with the limits imposed by the Mite decree.

The Italian and European savings plan

The new measures, contained as mentioned in the National Plan to contain gas consumption of 6 September, were necessary, the Ministry of Ecological Transition recalls in the decree, to strengthen the security of the national energy system in light of the natural gas supply risks, after the cuts in flows from Russia, and to fulfill the European Union's forecasts, according to which Italy must reduce gas consumption by 8.2 billion cubic meters.