How to arrange utility services without registering at your place of residence?

According to Italian law, it is possible to register utilities in your name without having registration at your place of residence. Since 2017, Italy has had a new tariff system for utilities, which has eliminated differences in the cost of electricity and gas for registered and unregistered residents. However, the settlement system includes differences in the application of system fees for residents and non-residents.

What is the difference in the bill for residents and non-residents?

According to the Energy and Environment Regulatory Authority (ARERA), utilities can be issued to a customer for:

• Dwelling, whether or not it is the primary residence.
• Extensions or utility rooms (basements, garages, studios).
• Private charging points for electric vehicles.

Properties registered in your name but not listed as a residence (such as a cottage or mountain home) are considered non-resident housing and utilities for such properties are calculated differently, resulting in differences in final costs.

These differences are based on the residence registration of the owner of the contract for the supply of services and are important for the application of certain fees on the invoice. The difference concerns a portion of the electricity costs, including transportation, meter management, and especially system fees and taxes.

Cost of utilities for non-residents

Until 2016, the tariff depended on the contracted capacity, divided into residents and non-residents. Since 2017, a flat tariff has been applied, which has eliminated the progressiveness of consumption scheme, making no distinction between residents and non-residents. However, there are differences in system fees:

• For Residents : System charges are calculated based on actual energy consumption.
• For non-residents : fees consist of a fixed part and a consumption-based part.

Thus, the increase in billing costs mainly affects low-consumption non-residents, including owners of second homes and holiday homes. For residents, the share of the fixed part has increased, amounting to 15% of the total bill amount.

For gas bills, tariff differences are based only on the climate zone in which the property is located, without regard to resident status.

How to arrange utilities without registration or a lease agreement

Registering utilities in your name without residential registration or a formal lease can be difficult. However, if the services have already been activated, you can try to carry out the standard procedure for changing ownership or activating services.

If you own the property or have the legal right to use it, there will be no problem transferring utilities into your name. It is important to know that in the case of a new rental property, the procedures for activating services depend on the condition of the meters and the previous use of the house.

In case of residence without supporting documents, the supplier may refuse to transfer or connect services.