Electricity cost calculator for Italy
Estimate appliance electricity cost in Italy using your own price per kWh. Italian bills separate a supplier-set energy price from regulated network and system charges — this calculator only needs the energy price per kWh.
How electricity is billed in Italy
Since 2024, the great majority of Italian households buy electricity on the mercato libero (free market) rather than the old regulated Maggior Tutela scheme, which now mostly covers only vulnerable customers. Whichever market you are in, a bolletta is built from the same four blocks, with only the first genuinely negotiable between suppliers.
Spesa per la materia energia
The cost of the electricity itself — the only component set directly by your supplier and the one that varies most between offers. This is the figure this calculator needs, per kWh.
Trasporto e gestione del contatore
Regulated network transport and metering charges, set by ARERA and identical for every supplier serving the same area — switching supplier does not change this line.
Oneri di sistema (system charges)
Regulated charges that fund national policy goals such as renewable energy support, also set by ARERA and equal across suppliers.
Imposte (taxes)
Excise duty on electricity plus VAT, both set by national policy rather than by the supplier.
Using this calculator with your own bill
This tool needs one number: the variable price you pay per kilowatt-hour for the electricity itself. Fixed charges — standing charges, contracted-power fees, meter rental — stay the same no matter how long a single appliance runs, so they are deliberately excluded. Adding them would inflate the appliance's own cost rather than reflect it.
ARERA regulates the network and system components of your bill, but does not set the energy price itself in a competitive market, so the number that matters for this calculator is always the one on your own contract or most recent statement — not a national headline figure, which can be months out of date by the time you read it.
Frequently asked questions
Am I on the free market or the regulated market?
Since the 2024 reform, most households buy on the mercato libero by default. Only vulnerable customers, and some households still transitioning under the Servizio a Tutele Graduali, remain on a regulated scheme — your bolletta will say which applies to you.
Which figure on my bolletta should I enter?
Use the price per kWh listed under spesa per la materia energia. Network charges, system charges and taxes are regulated and identical regardless of supplier, so they don't belong in an appliance-level estimate.
My price is indexed to the PUN — which number do I use?
Use the current all-in energy price your supplier is charging this billing period, including their spread over the PUN, not the raw wholesale PUN figure itself.
Does switching supplier change my network charges?
No. Trasporto e gestione del contatore and oneri di sistema are set by ARERA and are the same everywhere in a given area, regardless of which supplier you choose — only the materia energia component is genuinely competitive.
What does ARERA actually regulate?
ARERA sets network transport charges, metering fees and system charges for every supplier, and continues to fix the regulated price for the remaining protected customer categories — it does not set the free-market energy price itself.
How often do the regulated components change?
Historically on a quarterly cycle for electricity, though ARERA can adjust between cycles during periods of market stress — check the date on your latest bolletta rather than assuming a figure is still current.
EuroWattCalc is an independent calculator site and is not an energy supplier, regulator or tariff-comparison service. Figures describing Italy's billing structure are provided for general orientation and can change; always confirm current rates with ARERA (Autorità di Regolazione per Energia Reti e Ambiente), which regulates network charges and system costs for every supplier or your own supplier.
