Home heating: when is it time to turn on the radiators?

The decidedly autumnal weekend across Italy, preceded by a significant drop in temperatures in recent days, inevitably raises the question of when Italians will be able to turn on their heating. The rules are set out in Presidential Decree 74/2013.

As every year, the timetable varies from area to area and allows for exceptions for specific situations, such as hospitals, private clinics, or nursing homes, which are free to decide on their hours and temperatures, as are childcare centers, nurseries, and swimming pools. Buildings used for manufacturing or artisanal activities may also be allowed to operate if specific technical or operational conditions are required.

For condominiums and private homes, the basic rule is a maximum of 20°C , with heating turned on only after 5:00 a.m. and turned off by 11:00 p.m. A tolerance of two degrees is permitted. Furthermore, depending on needs, condominium regulations, and any relevant municipal ordinances , the specified number of hours can be continuous or split: the important thing is that it does not exceed the total set by law.

The zones, from hottest to coldest

Zone A : In Lampedusa, Porto Empedocle, and Linosa, radiators can be turned on from December 1st, for a maximum of 6 hours per day, and must be turned off by March 15th.

Zone B : In Agrigento, Catania, Crotone, Messina, Palermo, Reggio Calabria, Syracuse, and Trapani, lights can be turned on from December 1st, for a maximum of 8 hours per day, with the switch-off date set for March 31st.

Zone C : In Bari, Benevento, Brindisi, Cagliari, Caserta, Catanzaro, Cosenza, Imperia, Latina, Lecce, Naples, Oristano, Ragusa, Salerno, Sassari, and Taranto, radiators can be turned on starting November 15th and remain on until March 31st for a maximum of 10 hours per day. The metropolitan city of Rome also falls within this zone.

Zone D : In the provinces of Milan, 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, Savona, Siena, Teramo, Terni, Vibo Valentia, and Viterbo, radiators may be turned on for 12 hours a day starting November 1st, with the heating shutting off by April 15th. This also includes the municipalities of Forlì and Forlimpopoli.

Zone E : covers the provinces of Alessandria, Aosta, Arezzo, Asti, Bergamo, Biella, Bologna, Bolzano, Brescia, Campobasso, Como, Cremona, Enna, Ferrara, Frosinone, Forlì-Cesena, 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. Within this zone, heating can be turned on for 14 hours a day from October 15th until April 15th.

Zone F : This zone covers the coldest areas of the country and includes the provinces of Belluno, Cuneo, and Trento, where there are no limits. Zone F also includes municipalities in the Apennine range, where the autumn and winter climate is particularly harsh. The areas are those in the province of Bologna: Lizzano in Belvedere, Porretta Terme and Granaglione, Castel d'Aiano, Loiano, and Monghidoro. Province of Modena: Frassinoro; Pievepelago; Fiumalbo; Riolunato; Montefiorino, Palagano, Lama Mocogno, Montecreto, Sestola, and Fanano. Province of Reggio Emilia: Reggio Emilia: Ramiseto; Collagna; Busana; Ligonchio; Villa Minozzo, Toano; Castelnovo ne' Monti and Vetto. Province of Parma: Corniglio; Monchio; Palanzano; Albareto; Borgotaro; Compiano; Bedonia and Tornolo. Province of Piacenza: Zerba, Cerignale, Ottone, and Ferriere.