With energy bills rising again and Italian suppliers for the first time competing for new customers with a dazzling (and many say confusing) array of offers, you may be wondering whether it’s a good idea to make a switch.
And if you have managed to successfully find an energy contract that costs less than the one you're on now, how do you actually sign up for it? Will there be any hidden costs, and will the savings be worth the paperwork involved?
READ ALSO: How much can you really save by switching energy supplier in Italy?
Some rules are changing to make things fairer and easier for customers - though it isn't always that simple in practice.
Comparing deals
There are a lot of energy contract comparison websites out there, but the one we'd recommend starting with is the 'official' site run by Italy’s energy regulator Arera, the Portale Offerte.
Consumer group Altroconsumo publishes its own ranking of offers, which also rates suppliers on the quality of their service.
How to switch
You can usually ask to sign up to a new contract online, by phone or in person. Some offers are online only and the whole contract-signing process can be handled electronically.
To sign up, you’ll need the POD code identifying your electricity supply, or the PDR code for gas. This can be found on the latest bill from the current supplier.
The new supplier then arranges the switch and ends your old contract on your behalf, according to Arera, and your supply can't be interrupted. So in theory the process is pretty seamless from the customer's side, though it isn't especially fast.
For now, switches can only take effect on the first day of the month, and only if the new supplier files the request by the 10th of the month before - so it actually takes one to two months to switch, and the expected date should be written into your new contract.
This is supposed to be changing from December 1st, when suppliers must allow electricity switches on any day of the month.
For most households the technical part should take a single working day, and the whole switching process no more than three weeks. This doesn't apply to gas contracts.
Exit fees and admin charges
Since 2024, suppliers have been allowed to charge an exit fee if you leave a fixed-price electricity deal early. Gas and variable-price contracts still can’t carry one.
The fee must be spelled out in the contract and the scheda sintetica (summary sheet) that comes with every offer, and you have to sign to accept it.
READ ALSO: How much more expensive will your Italian utility bills get this autumn?
Not every fixed deal has one. However, you do need to read the small print as some suppliers have found more creative ways to add charges, as we noted in our previous article about comparing Italian energy contracts.
For example, in June, Arera fined AGF Energy 400,000 euros over a 99-euro “customer area” charge that applied to anyone who stayed less than a year, and it is investigating A2A over similar charges on final bills.
Voltura fees
If you move into a home where the gas and electricity are still connected, you take over the existing account, a process called a voltura (change of account holder) and this can come with a charge.
This is different from switching: if you’re staying put and only changing supplier, there’s no voltura, and Arera says switching is generally free, though some contracts ask for a deposit.
Until July this year, a gas voltura had to go through the previous occupant’s supplier, meaning you could not switch suppliers immediately when moving in. Now you can choose your own gas supplier when you take over the account, as you already could for electricity.
Taking over the account can come with a charge, and it's not always made clear upfront. For electricity, the local network operator no longer charges anything, but your supplier can still set its own fee: A2A, for example, charges 23 euros plus VAT, listed as a diritto fisso di vendita (fixed sales charge).
For gas, the network operator still charges a fee, which varies by area and supplier - this is currently 44.76 euros plus VAT where Italgas runs the network, according to A2A’s price list.
What to do if it goes wrong
In reality, switching can come with difficulties as complaints posted on consumer group Altroconsumo’s public forum over the past couple of years show - from a switch being blocked because the system flagged several recent changes of supplier as a problem, to large, unexpected exit charges on a final bill.
READ ALSO: How to save money on your energy bills in Italy
If you run into any problems when trying to switch supplier, Arera's advice is to start with a written complaint to the supplier via registered mail or PEC. If there’s no reply within 40 days, or the answer doesn’t resolve things, you can turn to Arera’s free conciliation service, which runs entirely online and is a required step before going to court.
Arera also runs a consumer helpline on 800 166 654, though the service appears to be available in Italian only.
What is your experience of switching to a new energy supplier in Italy? Do you have any more questions that were not answered in this article? Please let us know in the comments.
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