Household energy equipment - Year 2024

In 2024, 99.4% of households resident in Italy lived in dwellings equipped with space heating (98.6% in 2021): coverage was almost total in the Central and Northern regions, whereas in the South and Islands 1.7% of households lacked a heating system.

43.2% of households had multiple heating systems. The individual heating system was dominant and increased (79.0% of households, 72.2% in 2021); fixed or portable space heaters were widespread but declined (44.8%, down from 48.1%); central heating systems were less common (15.4% compared with 18.0% in 2021).

Domestic hot water was available in the main dwelling of 99.7% of households; 80.7% had an individual water heating system. For 70.4% of households, the water heating system coincided with the space heating system.

At least one space cooling system was present in 56.0% of households, up from 48.8% in 2021: 24.4% had a central or individual cooling system and 35.4% had single air-conditioning (AC) units. Additionally, 40.4% of households were equipped with a system that provides both space heating and cooling.

National and European policies and the internationally defined targets promote, along other measures, the energy efficiency to tackle climate change and the depletion of natural resources. Considering the expanding role of the residential sector in total energy consumption, Istat conducts a triennial Household Energy Consumption Survey to provide data on household energy equipment, its usage patterns, and domestic energy consumption.

This report analyses the survey results concerning the main dwelling equipment of households resident in Italy for space heating, water heating and space cooling, as of the interview date (2024). It also presents data on biomass consumption (firewood and wood pellets) by households during 2023, in accordance with European Regulation No 1099/2008. Quantitative data on the consumption of other energy sources and related expenditures will be presented in a subsequent analysis. Comparisons are also made with the results of two previous survey editions, conducted in 2021 and 2013.

Heating and domestic hot water almost universal

In 2024, 99.4% of households resident in Italy had at least one space heating system in the main dwelling (98.0% in 2013). Coverage was nearly universal in the Central and Northern regions, while in the South and Islands 1.7% of households lacked a heating system (3.4% in 2021 and 5.3% in 2013). In Sicilia, 4.0% of households did not have heating, although this share had decreased over time (6.4% in 2021 and 11.6% in 2013).

Domestic hot water was also widely available, reaching 99.7% of households, with homogeneous values across the national territory. 70.4% of households had a system capable of both heating the home and producing hot water.

Increasing share of households with individual heating systems

Households may have more than one space heating system. In 2024, the most widespread type remained individual heating system, present in 79.0% of households’ main dwellings, up by 6.8 percentage points compared with 2021. Conversely, central systems declined, with a national share of 15.4% (18.0% in 2021). Local space heaters, whether fixed or portable, continued to be widely used: 44.8% in 2024 compared with 48.1% in 2021.

The spread of these heating methods showed clear territorial differences. Individual systems were most common in the North-east (86.6%) and were also widely used in the Centre (85.2%) and the South (82.0%), while the share was lower in the North-west (74.2%) and in the Islands (60.0%). Space heaters were more widespread in the Islands and in the South (64.5% and 50.9%, respectively) than in the rest of the country. Central systems were comparatively the least common among households: their highest share was recorded in the North-west (30.1%), where district heating networks are also well developed, while the lowest share was observed in the South and Islands (3.8%).

In 2024, central systems showed the highest diffusion in the Capital municipalities of metropolitan cities (40.5%) with respect to other municipality type and became progressively less common as municipal size decreased (6.1% in municipalities with up to 10 000 inhabitants). Individual heating systems, by contrast, were more widespread in smaller municipalities (85.3% in those with up to 10 000 inhabitants and 84.7% in those with 10 001-50 000 inhabitants) and less common in the Capital municipalities of metropolitan cities (59.5%). Local space heaters were also more frequent in smaller municipalities than in larger ones: from 51.6% in municipalities with up to 10 000 inhabitants to 36.7% in the Capital municipalities of metropolitan cities, partly reflecting the different types of residential buildings.

Households may have multiple systems for producing domestic hot water. As for space heating, also for water heating individual systems largely predominated: they were present in 80.7% of households, showing an increase compared with 2021 (73.9%). The use of individual appliances, such as an electric water heater serving a single tap, decreased (15.5%, down from 22.6% in 2021), while the spread of central systems for water heating remained stable and marginal (7.3%). The distribution breakdown of different water heating systems by municipality type mirrored that observed for space heating, reflecting the strong prevalence of systems performing both functions.

Multiple space heating systems often present in dwellings

In 2024, 43.2% of households had access to more than one space heating system in their main dwelling (all systems covered by the survey were operational and available, even if not in use at the time of the interview). Central systems are included (serving more than one apartment or house), as well as individual systems (such as a natural gas-fired boiler, a multi-split heat pump, or a solar thermal system) and individual appliances, either fixed (such as stoves, fireplaces or single-split AC units) or portable (such as electric or other fuel-based local space heaters). This shows a certain dynamism of households in seeking the most suitable solutions to meet their heating needs, not always directed towards the most energy-efficient options or resulting from a comprehensive energy efficiency strategy. Such behaviour is likely influenced by both the rapid development of multiple technologies available on the market and the significant variability in energy prices observed in recent years. However, compared with 2021, the share of households with multiple space heating systems decreased only slightly (from 44.5% to 43.2%), suggesting that the trend towards the rationalisation of systems remains weak.

The coexistence of different space heating systems was more common in the Islands (49.1%, with Sardegna standing out at 62.0%) and in the North-east (48.2%), and less frequent in the North-west (37.5%). It was also more widespread in smaller municipalities (48.6% in municipalities with up to
10 000 inhabitants) than in larger ones (39.2% in the Capital municipalities of metropolitan cities and 38.3% in municipalities with over 50 000 inhabitants), a distribution similar to individual heating systems and local space heaters and likely related to it. With respect to the altitude zones, multiple heating systems were more frequent in lowland municipalities (44.1%), coastal hill municipalities (43.0%) and inland mountain municipalities (42.8%).

70.4% of households had a system capable of both heating the home and producing domestic hot water. These combined space heating and water heating systems were more widespread in the North-east (84.3%) and less frequent in the Islands (38.4%). At the regional level, Marche (86.3%), the Autonomous Province of Trento (85.5%), Veneto (85.3%) and Emilia-Romagna (85.1%) stood out, while Sardegna recorded the lowest value (21.1%). Territorial disparities are affected by both climatic conditions and the level of development of energy infrastructure across the country.

Individual systems primarily used even in households with multiple heating systems

In 2024, the individual system was the main (or sole) space heating system used, specifically for 69.6% of households with heating; 15.9% of households predominantly used a local space heater, while the remaining 14.4% primarily relied on a central system. Compared with 2021, the share of households predominantly using an individual system increased by 3.9 percentage points, whereas the share of those using a central system (−2.7 p.p.) or a space heater (−1.3 p.p.) decreased. Households’ preference for individual systems clearly reflected the need for greater flexibility to match family schedules and requirements, and it may also have corresponded to improved energy efficiency depending on the type of system installed.

The use of the individual system as the main (or sole) heating system in the dwelling was most widespread in the North-east (76.1%), the Centre (75.5%) and the South (72.8%). In contrast, central systems were more frequently reported as the main (or sole) heating system in the North-west (29.1%) than in the North-east (12.8%) and the Centre (13.7%). Only 2.8% of households mainly used a central system in the South and Islands, where local space heaters were widely used as the main (or sole) system (45.3% in the Islands and 24.4% in the South). Sardegna was the region where local space heaters were used the most as the main (or sole) heating system (54.7%), largely due to the delayed development of natural gas infrastructure on the island, which has begun only in recent years.

Individual systems were also the most common option for water heating, being the main (or sole) system in the dwelling for 79.2% of households with domestic hot water, up from 72.6% in 2021. Individual appliances, typically electric water heaters serving a single tap (usually energy-intensive), were the main system for 14.1% of households, down from 20.8% in 2021. Central systems were the main system for 6.7% of households, a share that remained stable compared with 2021.

Over half of households have at least one space cooling system

In 2024, more than half of households had at least one space cooling system in their main dwelling, such as a central system, an individual multi-split system, or single AC units, either fixed or portable. AC units may be cooling-only or reverse-cycle (heat pump), i.e. capable of providing cool air during summer and warm air during winter.

The share of households whose dwellings were equipped with space cooling systems in 2024 (56.0%) steadily increased over the years: it was 48.8% in 2021 and nearly doubled compared with 2013, when fewer than one in three households (29.4%) had such equipment. Compared with 2021, the increase was more pronounced in the South and Islands (+9.7 percentage points) and in the Centre (+7.2 p.p.).

In 2024, 6.4% of households had multiple space cooling systems of different types (for instance, both single AC units and an individual/central system, or both cooling-only and reverse-cycle appliances); in the Islands, this share reached 8.0%.

Space cooling systems were most widespread in the Islands (71.2%) and in the North-east (64.1%), while shares were below the national average in other geographical areas, particularly in the North-west (48.0%). At the regional level, Sicilia and Veneto recorded the highest prevalence (73.1% and 71.1% of households, respectively), followed by Emilia-Romagna (67.6%) and Sardegna (66.4%). Southern regions showed considerable variability, ranging from a maximum in Puglia (63.6%) to a minimum in Molise (30.7%). The lowest share, although increasing, was observed in Valle d’Aosta/Vallée d’Aoste (11.8%, +7.1 p.p. compared with 2021) and in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol (20.0%, +4.8 p.p.).

The use of space cooling systems seems to be more strongly associated with municipal size than with a North-South gradient: their spread was above the national average in Capital municipalities and in peripheral municipalities of metropolitan cities (63.2% and 63.3%, respectively), which are more affected by the “urban heat island” effect, compared with less populated municipalities. The prevalence of space cooling systems was also strongly related to the altitude zones, with the highest shares observed in lowland municipalities (66.6%) and in coastal hill municipalities (58.7%).

Among space cooling systems, heat pumps are on the rise

In 2024, 24.4% of households had a central or individual space cooling system in their dwelling, that is a system with a central unit and terminals serving multiple rooms. Compared with 2021, the share increased significantly (+12.9 p.p.). Conversely, the use of single air-conditioning units declined over time, from 40.9% of households in 2021 to 35.4% in 2024.

Combined space heating and cooling systems (heat pumps) recorded the largest relative increase: they were available to 32.6% of households in 2021, rising to 40.4% in 2024. Heat pumps, which can both raise and lower indoor temperatures, may be either multi-split systems or single-split AC units (fixed or portable). In 2024, their prevalence was highest in the Islands (58.5%) and the North-east (46.9%). The North-west, which had the lowest share in 2021 (24.2%), showed the strongest growth, reaching 34.0%, yet remained below the levels observed in the other geographical areas. In detail, 16.1% of households had a central or individual reverse-cycle system, while 25.9% used a single reverse-cycle AC unit.

In terms of primary (or sole) use, households with space cooling equipment tended to rely on a central or individual system (39.6%, specifically multi-split heat pumps preferred by 26.3% of households with space cooling equipment) or on a single reverse-cycle AC unit (42.2%), i.e. individual heat pumps, either fixed or portable; the remaining 18.2% predominantly used a single cooling-only AC unit.

The use of firewood is most widespread in smaller municipalities

In a domestic context, firewood may be used for space heating, domestic hot water production and cooking and can be consumed through heating appliances or individual/central systems. During 2023, 16.0% of households used firewood for domestic purposes (excluding use in central systems), showing a slight decrease compared with the previous survey (17.0%), while it was 21.4% in 2013.

In the South, one in five households (21.3%) used firewood; lower shares were observed in the North-east (19.4%), the Centre (17.5%), the Islands (12.5%), and the North-west (9.9%). Firewood use varies greatly from region to region, reflecting resource availability, access to alternative fuels, as well as historical and cultural factors. It was most common in the Autonomous Provinces of Trento and Bolzano/Bozen (37.9% and 36.2%, respectively), in Calabria (35.5%), Umbria (34.8%), and Friuli-Venezia Giulia (30.3%). Conversely, its use was residual in Lombardia (6.8%), Sicilia (7.0%), and Liguria (9.6%).

Firewood use was highest in municipalities with up to 10 000 inhabitants (30.9%) and lowest in Capital municipalities of metropolitan cities (1.5%). It was also frequent in inland mountain municipalities (36.7%), especially in mountain municipalities with up to 10 000 inhabitants, where 42.7% of households used firewood, and in inland hill municipalities (21.3%).

The use of wood pellets is increasing

Wood pellets are mainly used for space heating through individual systems and local space heaters such as stoves and fireplaces, whether traditional or innovative (e.g. connected to heating systems), and for hot water production or cooking.

During 2023, 7.8% of households used wood pellets (excluding use in central systems), a slight increase compared with the previous survey (7.3%), while the share was 4.1% in 2013. Pellet use was more frequent among households in the South (9.5%), the Islands (9.6%), and the North-east (8.6%), and lower in the Centre (7.0%) and the North-west (5.9%).

As with firewood, the use of wood pellets was highest in municipalities with up to 10 000 inhabitants (14.3%), particularly in mountain municipalities (16.2%), and decreased as the municipal population size increased. As for the altitude zones, maximum use was observed in inland mountain municipalities (14.1%) and inland hill municipalities (10.2%). Overall, 21.9% of households consumed firewood and/or wood pellets, which represented the two main kinds of biomass used for domestic energy purposes.