The end of the boiler bonus from 2025 raises several questions. Last March, the European Parliament approved the Green Homes Directive, marking an important step towards energy sustainability in homes. This regulation imposes a series of restrictions on the use of boilers powered by fossil fuels and on the related economic incentives, starting from 2025.
The aim of the directive is to reach zero emission in all buildings (residential and non-residential) by 2050. This is an objective for which steps have been set.
The road will open from 2025, prohibiting any form of economic incentive for the installation of boilers powered by fossil fuels. This ban on the boiler bonus concerns all forms of economic support provided by public bodies, including contributions for the purchase, installation and tax breaks. In practice, the boiler bonus will be affected by the new regulation.
Boiler Bonus 2025: The Definition of Fossil Fuel Power
To understand the scope of the changes on heating in 2025, it is necessary to focus on the definition of “boiler powered by fossil fuels”.
A concept that, as also highlighted by the specialized press, can be interpreted in different ways.
The European Commission is therefore developing guidelines to clarify the application details of the directive. These indications, although not having the force of binding legislation, outline the direction that the EU intends to pursue.
Boilers and fuels: clarifications from the EU Commission
The crucial point of the green homes directive concerns the classification of gas boilers. According to the current version, the EU Commission specifies that a gas boiler is considered to be powered by fossil fuels based on the mix of fuels present in the network at the time of installation. In other words, if the local distribution network mainly carries natural gas, the installation of such boilers will not be incentivized. On the contrary, if the network mainly transports renewable fuels, such as biomethane, incentives will be possible.
Therefore, the 2025 boiler bonus ban will not be absolute. It will be possible to obtain the boiler bonus only if the home is connected to a network that uses at least 51% renewable fuels. This detail is essential to understand how the directive will impact the different member countries.
Boiler bonus ban: impacts of the directive in Italy
As reported by the specialized press, for Italy, the implementation of these measures could lead to the complete end of incentives for gas boilers. Currently, in fact, biomethane represents only a small part of the gas transported by the Italian network. Even with the planned efforts, the aim is to reach only 10% in the long term, far from the 51% required by the directive.
This scenario will force the Italian government to review incentive policies for home heating. Various incentives for construction, including eco-bonuses for boilers, are due to expire at the end of the year, and the green homes directive will need to be considered in future reforms.
Furthermore, a question that everyone is asking is: who will pay the costs of the works to comply with the green directive?
Stop boiler bonuses from 2025: towards sustainable energy transition
Discussions on the European Commission’s draft guidelines will continue in the coming weeks. The aim is to arrive at a final version that can be applied uniformly in all member states. If the current proposals are confirmed, Italy will have to adapt quickly to comply with the new standards.
The transition to a more sustainable energy system will require significant commitment from government and citizens. It will be necessary to invest in renewable technologies and infrastructure that can support a greater percentage of renewable fuels in the distribution network.
The impact of the regulation will be significant, especially for countries like Italy, where the current gas infrastructure does not yet sufficiently support renewable fuels.
Will Italians really have to say goodbye to the boiler bonus from 2025?
The directive also provides for a definitive ban, starting in 2040, on installing boilers powered exclusively or predominantly by fossil fuels.
summing up
- From 2025, stop to incentives for boilers powered by fossil fuels
- the green homes directive aims for zero emissions by 2050
- the boiler bonus will remain in 2025 only for boilers powered by networks with at least 51% renewable fuels
- The EU Commission will provide non-binding guidelines for implementation
- In Italy, biomethane is insufficient to maintain the current boiler bonuses
- necessary adaptation of infrastructure and investments in renewable energy for new incentives.
