Conto Termico 3.0 is Italy's direct grant for renewable heating, paid by the GSE and covering up to 65% of eligible costs for heat pumps, solar thermal and hybrid systems — up to 100% for public schools and hospitals. In force since 25 December 2025 with a permanent €900 million annual budget, it now admits businesses and pays grants under €15,000 in a single instalment.
Incentive rules change during 2026 — every figure in this guide was verified as of September 2026. Conto Termico 3.0 entered into force on 25 December 2025 and its operating rules are still maturing — confirm the current values at gse.it before applying.
What is Conto Termico 3.0 and how is it different from a tax deduction?
Conto Termico 3.0 is Italy's direct grant for renewable heat, paid by the state energy agency GSE as a bank transfer — not as a tax credit recovered over years. Established by DM 7 agosto 2025 (published in GU n. 224 of 26 September 2025), it entered into force on 25 December 2025; the upgraded application portal (Portaltermico) went live on 2 February 2026 and reopened on 13 April 2026 after further upgrades.
Three features distinguish it from Italy's tax-deduction routes:
- It is a permanent measure with a €900 million annual budget — there is no year-end cliff.
- It pays cash, fast: grants below €15,000 arrive in a single instalment (the threshold was just €5,000 under Conto Termico 2.0); larger grants are paid in two to five annual instalments.
- Coverage reaches up to 65% of eligible costs — and 100% for public schools, public hospitals and public buildings in municipalities under 15,000 inhabitants.
How much does Conto Termico 3.0 pay in 2026?
Support reaches up to 65% of eligible costs, calculated per technology:
| Intervention | Support level | Key conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Heat pumps (air, ground or water source) | typically 40–65% of cost | Energy-based formula; efficiency above Regulation (EU) 813/2013 minimums |
| Solar thermal (incl. solar cooling) | per-m² rates, up to 65% | Up to 2,500 m² gross collector area; Solar Keymark required |
| Heat pump water heaters | up to 65% | Replacing electric water heaters |
| Hybrid systems | up to 65% | Heat pump + boiler combinations |
| Public schools, hospitals, small-municipality public buildings | up to 100% | Municipalities under 15,000 inhabitants |
The heat pump incentive is computed from delivered thermal energy multiplied by a coefficient — in practice recovering roughly 40–65% of investment cost depending on size and climate zone. Solar thermal is paid per square metre by collector type, with the ceiling for a single standalone intervention raised from 1,000 m² to 2,500 m² of gross area — large enough for hotels, food processing and district networks, and a substantial widening of the commercial solar heat market.
Two design consequences follow. First, because solar thermal is paid per square metre rather than per invoice, high-performance collectors with certified yields convert the same roof area into a larger grant envelope. Second, the 100% band for public schools and hospitals makes solar thermal effectively free for those buildings — a procurement signal few public bodies have fully absorbed yet.
Who can apply — and what certifications do products need?
New in 3.0: businesses (imprese) now have access alongside private individuals and public administration. Private applicants and businesses access the renewable-heat interventions (Category II); public bodies additionally access the efficiency works (Category I); public administrations and third-sector bodies (ETS) can also reserve funds in advance through the "prenotazione" route, and businesses must file a preliminary request with GSE before starting works.
Certification requirements are strict and product-specific:
- Solar thermal collectors must be certified to UNI EN 12975/12976 with Solar Keymark, and must meet the minimum yield requirements set in the operating rules. Manufacturers publishing full Keymark test data — Solimpeks' Wunder collector range among them — meet the documentation burden by default.
- Heat pumps must exceed the seasonal-efficiency minimums of Regulation (EU) 813/2013, with higher-than-Ecodesign SCOP thresholds per size class set out in the operating rules.
- PVT hybrid collectors: Conto Termico has historically treated hybrid collectors within its solar thermal annexes — confirm the explicit PVT treatment in the current CT 3.0 regole operative at gse.it before designing a project around it.
How do you apply through the GSE Portaltermico?
Unlike most European schemes, Conto Termico is claimed after the works are complete:
- Check eligibility and certification of the chosen products (Solar Keymark certificate, heat pump efficiency data) before purchase — an uncertified product cannot be fixed retroactively.
- Complete the installation and keep every invoice, payment record and technical datasheet.
- Submit the application on the GSE Portaltermico within 90 days of works completion.
- Upload the documentation: invoices, proof of payment, product certificates and the installer's declaration. GSE's review compares the declared products against their certificates, so keep the manufacturer datasheets and Solar Keymark documents together with the invoices.
- GSE reviews and pays — one single instalment if the grant is below €15,000, otherwise two to five annual instalments.
Public administrations and third-sector bodies can instead lock in funds before works begin via the prenotazione route, and businesses must submit a preliminary request to GSE before works start — otherwise the application is inadmissible.
Conto Termico or the 50% Ecobonus — which should you choose in 2026?
You cannot claim both for the same expense, so every project faces the choice. The 2026 Ecobonus/Bonus Casa (extended by the Legge di Bilancio 2026) pays 50% on first homes and 36% on other properties — recovered as a tax deduction spread over ten years — with the planned drop to 36%/30% postponed to 2027. Fossil-only boilers, including condensing models, have been excluded since 1 January 2025.
| Factor | Favours Conto Termico 3.0 | Favours Ecobonus 50% |
|---|---|---|
| Cash flow | Single instalment below €15,000 | Ten-year recovery period |
| Tax position | No tax liability needed | Requires enough IRPEF to absorb the credit |
| Applicant type | Businesses and public bodies (no deduction route) | Homeowners with stable tax capacity |
| Support level | Up to 65%, technology-dependent | Flat 50% (first homes) / 36% (other) |
For a typical residential solar thermal or heat pump project where the grant lands under €15,000, a single cash instalment usually beats a decade of tax deductions. For second homes at 36%, the balance tilts even further toward Conto Termico.
What deadlines and changes come next?
Conto Termico 3.0 has no expiry date — it is a permanent mechanism — but three timing factors matter through 2026–27:
- The €900 million annual budget is monitored; sustained demand could prompt adjustments in future editions of the operating rules.
- The Ecobonus falls to 36%/30% in 2027, making 2026 the last year of the more generous comparison — a natural decision window for projects on the fence.
- The operating rules are still maturing after the April 2026 portal reopening: details such as the PVT annex treatment should be re-checked at gse.it at the time of application.
The exclusion of fossil boilers is structural, not temporary: under the recast EPBD, EU member states ended public incentives for stand-alone fossil-fuel boilers from 1 January 2025, and ETS2 will extend carbon pricing to heating fuels from 2028 — both push building owners toward exactly the technologies Conto Termico funds.
For the wider European incentive picture, see Germany's degressive BEG subsidies and the overview of which European countries offer heat pump grants in 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is Conto Termico 3.0 a grant or a tax deduction?
A direct grant: the GSE pays the incentive to your bank account, in a single instalment when the amount is below €15,000. This is fundamentally different from the Ecobonus, which is a tax deduction recovered over ten years and requires sufficient tax liability to absorb it.
Can businesses apply for Conto Termico 3.0?
Yes — business access is new in version 3.0. Companies can claim the renewable-heat interventions (heat pumps, solar thermal up to 2,500 m², hybrid systems) alongside private individuals, while public administrations also access efficiency works and a fund-reservation route.
Can Conto Termico be combined with the Ecobonus?
No — the two are not cumulable for the same expense. You choose per project: Conto Termico pays cash up front (up to 65%), while the Ecobonus deducts 50% (first homes) or 36% (other properties) from tax over ten years through 2026.
What certification does a solar collector need for Conto Termico?
Collectors must be certified to UNI EN 12975/12976 with Solar Keymark, and must meet the minimum yield requirements in the operating rules. Heat pumps must exceed the seasonal-efficiency minimums of Regulation (EU) 813/2013. Uncertified products are ineligible and cannot be fixed after installation.