Italian
The Council of Ministers has approved a decree-law to provide economic support to families and businesses facing the increase in energy costs.
ROME. The provision foresees temporary measures lasting three months, with an allocation of approximately three billion euros.
Decree details
According to what was announced by the Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in a video released on social media and by the Minister of Economy Giancarlo Giorgetti in a press conference, the decree allocates 1.6 billion euros to families with an ISEE lower than 25,000 euros and 1.4 billion to companies.
For families, the assistance materializes in a discount on bills proportional to the ISEE:
- Up to 500 euros for those with an ISEE lower than 9,530 euros
- Up to 200 euros for those with an ISEE up to 25,000 euros
It is estimated that about 8 million families will benefit from this aid. However, the discounts will not be structural, but applied only for a quarter: the second quarter of 2025 for those who have already submitted the ISEE, or the first available quarter for those who will submit it later.
Companies will receive benefits based on their size and energy needs. For microenterprises, the exit from the regulated electricity market will be postponed by two years, protecting them from price fluctuations. The discounts will also only be valid for three months for businesses.
Other planned measures
The decree introduces a maximum energy price threshold, beyond which the State will forgo collecting VAT, with the aim of reducing bills. VAT is indeed calculated as a percentage of the energy price, and with the increase in tariffs, state revenues have also grown.
Furthermore, €8 billion has been allocated for the period 2026-2032, intended for potential future discounts on bills in case of new price increases.
From a structural point of view, the decree provides criteria to standardize gas and energy contracts, making operators’ offers more transparent and understandable for consumers.
Financial coverage
According to Giorgetti, the funds to finance these measures will be drawn from the Environmental and Energy Services Fund (CSEA), a public entity operating in the energy sector. This means that the decree will not lead to an increase in public debt, avoiding the need to turn to financial markets to obtain additional resources.
Critics and reactions
The government’s approach has been criticized by opposition parties and consumer associations, who consider temporary measures to be inadequate. The main requests concern the introduction of structural interventions to counter the increase in energy prices in the medium to long term.
