Gas boilers banned in Italy from from 2029: what are the alternatives?

In the wake of the Green Homes Directive, the EU is also taking action to introduce a ban on gas boilers from 2029. This is a measure contained in the draft revision of the Ecodesign Regulation 813/2013/EU, which sets the specifications for the ecodesign and marketing of space heating appliances. This means that gas boilers will be banned in Italy from from 2029. Let's find out what the new rules state and what the alternatives are.

Ban on gas boilers in Italy and in the EU: the latets news

According to the EU directive, the phase-out of gas boilers will have to be gradual, starting in 2025, when the energy downgrading and the end of any subsidies linked to them is foreseen, and ending with the total decommissioning in 2029, which could lead to a ban on the sale of new installations. People will then theoretically have six years to bring their systems up to the new standards.

Ban on gas boilers: what are the consequences?

What will the consequences of banning gas boilers from 2029 be? The aim of this regulation is included in the RepowerEu plan, i.e. to make the EU independent of Russian gas. Operationally, this could translate into a ban on sales and conversion to non-fossil fuels or the development of new technologies for operating heating systems.

However, the feasibility, energy sustainability and economic consequences of these choices have yet to be quantified. The risk is, for example, that in the absence of economic possibilities to renew the systems, a second-hand market of gas appliances will be created, on the safety of which there is no doubt.

In response, a joint communiqué by Proxigas, Assogasliquidi, Assotermica, Federcostruzioni, Ance and Applia Italia clarified: "The prescription that the European Commission is approving, setting an efficiency index of 115% for gas boilers, represents a de facto ban on the marketing of all boilers.

What are the alternatives to gas boilers in Italy?

But what are the alternatives to gas boiler heating in Italy? Alternatives include heat pump boilers, electric or biomass systems

Heat pump boiler

Heat pump heating consists of a system that 'draws' energy from outside and transmits it to the internal heating system. Electricity consumption here is reduced as it is only concentrated in the activation of the compressor and accessories. This can be done in various ways:

• Air-water system: heats (or cools) the water fed into the heating system by exchanging heat with the air outside. It can cost up to 10,000 euros.
• Air-to-air system: again exchanging air with the outside, it brings hot or cold air into the house. The cost varies from 2,000 to 8,000 euros.
• Geothermal system: heats (or cools) water circulating in a system by taking heat or cold from groundwater or the soil. The cost can be as high as 20,000 euros.

Biomass boiler

These are boilers that draw energy for heating and domestic water by burning wood or pellets. Depending on the type, prices can vary from convector heaters, with prices ranging from 1,000 to 4,000 euros, to systems with a radiant system, which can run up to 9,000 euros.

Electric boiler

Heating a house with an electric boiler means installing a boiler that heats the water needed for the system not using gas but electric resistances. A kind of boiler, but more powerful as it serves the needs of an entire house. The pro is that it uses no gas and costs less than a gas boiler. The cons is that it uses a lot of electricity, 3-4 times as much as a gas boiler, especially if installed in a large house. This can be remedied by installing a solar thermal system, the costs of which are, however, considerable, reaching well over 20,000 euros.

Ionic boiler

The ionic boiler is a new technology that produces thermal energy through ion exchange (always activated by electricity). It is a new technology that does not need 'connections' with the outside and can also produce high temperatures, but consumption is also higher, about 1.5 times that of a heat pump boiler.