Utility Bill Discounts and Rent Help for Low-Income Residents in Rome

In a nutshell

If you live in Rome on a low income, the Italian government gives you an automatic discount on your electricity, gas, and water bills called the Bonus Sociale ARERA. You don't apply for it directly: you simply submit a DSU form at a CAF (free assistance office for tax forms and benefits applications) and, if your ISEE (income-and-wealth indicator used to qualify for means-tested benefits) falls below the threshold, the discount is applied automatically to your bills. For rent, the picture is different: the national rent-support fund has been suspended since 2023, but Rome still offers a contribution for tenants at risk of eviction.

At a glance

Cost	Free. The DSU form is filled in free of charge at a CAF.
Timeline	ISEE ready in 2–10 days; discount applied to bill within 2 months. Valid for 12 months.
Where in Rome	Any CAF (ACLI, CGIL, CISL, UIL). For eviction-risk support: your local Municipio.
Documents	ID document, tax codes for all household members, income and assets records, bills showing the POD/PDR meter codes

How the ARERA Social Bonuses work

ARERA (Autorità di Regolazione per Energia Reti e Ambiente — Italy's energy, networks, and environment regulator) manages three separate bonuses that reduce your household utility bills:

• Electricity bonus: discount on your power bill
• Gas bonus: discount on natural-gas supply through the mains network (does not apply to bottled LPG or heating oil)
• Water bonus: 50 free litres of water per person per day

Since 2021, the system is fully automatic: you don't contact your supplier and you don't file a separate application. You present the DSU (Dichiarazione Sostitutiva Unica — the standardised household income and assets declaration) at a CAF, INPS (Italy's social-security agency — pensions, unemployment, family benefits) calculates your ISEE, and if you fall below the threshold the SGAte system forwards your details to your supplier. The discount appears on your next bill, usually within two months.

If anyone in your household uses life-sustaining medical equipment at home (home dialysis, ventilators, nutritional pumps), there is an additional electricity bonus for medical hardship. It has no ISEE threshold and is requested at your local Municipio with a certificate from your ASL (Azienda Sanitaria Locale — your local public-health authority).

Who qualifies: the 2026 ISEE thresholds

The standard threshold for 2026 is an annual ISEE of €9,530. If your household has at least four dependent children (including adult children who are still fiscally dependent), the threshold rises to €20,000.

The bonus is available to all residents in Italy regardless of nationality. The one additional requirement is that you must be the named account holder of the utility contract, or belong to a household that is. If you rent and the bills are in the landlord's name, the bonus won't reach you — but you can fix this by requesting a transfer of the contract into your name (voltura).

Amounts are updated quarterly by ARERA. As a guide for 2026:

• Electricity bonus: roughly €170–260/year depending on household size
• Gas bonus (Rome is climate zone D): roughly €30–280/year depending on household size and usage type
• Water bonus: average saving of €60–80/year for a family of four

Check the current amounts at arera.it/bonus-sociale.

How to apply: step by step

There is really only one step: submit the DSU at a CAF. Everything else is automatic.

1. Go to a CAF (Centro Assistenza Fiscale) or a Patronato (free union-run office helping with social-security and immigration paperwork) such as ACLI, INCA CGIL, INAS CISL, or ITAL UIL. Completing the DSU is free for people below the income threshold.
2. Bring: a valid ID, the Codice Fiscale (Italian tax ID — your personal 16-character code, used for almost everything) for every household member, proof of income and assets (your CU payslip summary, Modello 730 (Italy's simplified annual tax return for employees) if applicable, bank balances as of 31 December, land-registry records, vehicle registration plates), your rental contract if you rent, and a utility bill showing the POD code (electricity) and PDR code (gas).
3. The CAF submits the DSU. INPS issues your ISEE certificate within 2–10 business days.
4. If your ISEE is below the threshold, the discount appears automatically on your bill within two months.
5. The bonus runs for the calendar year (1 January – 31 December). To renew it, submit a new DSU each January.

Alternatively, you can file the DSU yourself online through the INPS portal using SPID (Italy's digital identity for accessing online public services) or CIE (Italian electronic ID card).

Rent help in Rome

The national rent-support fund (established under Law 431/1998) has been suspended nationally since 2023. The Lazio regional government has not launched recent calls for applications.

What does still exist in Rome is the contribution for non-culpable arrears (contributo per morosità incolpevole), managed by the city council. You can apply if you have lost your job or suffered a documented drop in income (layoff, illness, bereavement) and a court has validated an eviction order against you for unpaid rent. The contribution can reach €12,000 per year and is paid directly to the landlord to cover the arrears and halt the eviction.

To apply, check whether the call is currently open on the Roma Capitale — Dipartimento Politiche Abitative website, then submit your application at your local Municipio before the stated deadline.

Mistakes to avoid

1. Never pay anyone to "activate" the bonus. The process is automatic and free. If someone asks you for money to speed up the application, it's a scam.
2. Ignore calls claiming to credit you a bank transfer. The ARERA bonus is a bill discount, not a payment into your bank account. Anyone asking for your bank details is trying to defraud you.
3. Don't forget to renew the DSU each year. If your declaration lapses without renewal, the discount stops automatically. Put a reminder in your calendar for January.

Special cases

Changed supplier or moved home? The bonus follows your tax code, not the meter. It transfers automatically to the new supply contract.

Sharing a home with another household? Each household submits its own DSU and is entitled to its own bonus, even if they share the same property.

Retired on a minimum INPS pension? Your ISEE is very likely below €9,530 — it's worth visiting a Patronato to check. Many pensioners are entitled but don't know it.

Not an Italian citizen? The bonus applies to all residents in Italy regardless of nationality. For the DSU you only need the Codice Fiscale for foreign family members if they are fiscally dependent on you.

Official sources

• ARERA — Social Bonus (main page)
• ARERA — Electricity bonus
• ARERA — Gas bonus
• ARERA — Water bonus
• ARERA — Medical-hardship electricity bonus
• INPS — DSU and ISEE
• Roma Capitale — Non-culpable-arrears contribution
• ACEA / ATO2 (Rome's water utility) — supplementary water bonus
• SGAte — Benefits management system

Legal references: DL 185/2008 art. 3, DM 28/12/2007, DL 124/2019 art. 57-bis conv. L 157/2019, DPCM 159/2013, Delibera ARERA 63/2021/R/com, L 197/2022 art. 1 c.17, L 431/1998 art. 11, DM 30/3/2016.