After talking at length about the costs for the state budget, Super bonuses and construction bonuses come to the fore thanks to positive data: They contributed to savings of 3 billion euros in 2022 and less polluting thanks to the overall reduction in emissions. Enea presented the annual report, which measures, among other things, the impact of home renovation incentives on energy efficiency. Thanks to energy savings and the resulting lower import of oil and gas from abroad, the benefits extend beyond the homes of those who manage to access the perks. But their contribution should be seen as part of overall energy efficiency interventions that go beyond subsidies. According to data processed by Today.it, energy consumption in the housing sector decreased by 4.7 percent in 2022, thanks to construction premiums. But despite the almost 68 billion euros spent in 2022 alone, we are far from the targets to be achieved in the future: 217 billion euros are still needed.
Savings (and not only) thanks to Super Bonuses and building bonuses
All energy efficiency interventions studied by Enea in Italy resulted in savings of €3 billion in 2022 and led to reduced imports of oil and gas from abroad; This is equivalent to a reduction in CO2 emissions and a saving of just over 2.5. million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe). So we’re not just talking about Super Bonuses and bonus creation. However, these data allow Italy to get closer to the targets of the European directive on energy efficiency.
It should also be added that the 3 billion figure is the effect of the increase in energy prices in 2022. As Enea points out, at constant average prices referring to 2021, energy bill savings decrease by more than half to 1.3 billion euros. To get an idea of the figures regarding emissions, we need to take into account that Mtoe corresponds to one million tonnes of oil. The discount achieved thanks to tax deductions (Ecobonus, Home Bonus and Superbonus) saved 1.36 Mtoe, accounting for more than half of the savings achieved in 2022. It is worth noting that the energy consumption of the residential sector in Italy is 29.3 Mtoe in 2022. Mtoe. Therefore, according to the data processed by Today.it starting from the Enea report and the annual report on the national energy situation published by the Ministry of Environment, building premiums caused 4.7 percent less energy to be used in the housing sector in 2022.
Other interventions that allow for significant savings are incentives for sustainable mobility, i.e. incentives for less polluting vehicles such as electric ones (16.8% of total savings) and white certificates, financial titles awarded to those who achieve certain savings targets energy (12.6)% ). “When these are added to the savings produced by the interventions carried out in the same year 2021, the total amount becomes 1.36 Mtoe, which is equal to 98.1% of the expected savings according to the trajectories determined by Pniec 2023,” we read in the Enea report. Therefore, the savings achieved are just below the 2022 target set by the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (Pniec).
In general, Ecobonus has been the most used benefit since its launch in 2007. The interventions, which took place in just under one million in 2022, focused on the installation of more efficient air conditioning systems, replacement of fixtures and thermal insulation of buildings. The $6.8 billion homeowners spent saved 2,136 GWh per year (roughly equivalent to the small-to-medium steel industry).
The impact of the Home Bonus was more limited (508 thousand interventions), while when talking about the Superbonus, 352 thousand interventions were made on Italian buildings in 2022. The expenditure on the state was quite significant: 60.76 billion corresponds to 0.774 Mtoe compared to energy savings of over 9 thousand GWh. In the latest updated Enea data, interventions reached 446,878 and expenditures exceeded 89 billion. The cost to the state increases to 105 billion euros, considering the loans already paid. The total cost of construction premiums was 67.97 billion euros in 2022 alone, but despite the expenses seen so far, we are still far from the target for the future.
Still not enough: 217 billion euros needed by 2030
The billions spent so far for the future are not enough. For example, 105 billion euros of the Superbonus managed to reach only 3 percent of the Italian building stock. Considering future targets, we need to accelerate: According to the Enea report, most of the impacts predicted by Pniec come from tax deductions (building bonuses) for energy efficiency measures in existing buildings. These measures are expected to account for around 44% of the cumulative energy savings expected to meet the binding 2030 target. This means that the savings seen so far would need to increase fivefold.
We have seen the effects on the state budget of the huge expenditure on building Jackpots and Super jackpots. But according to the Enea report, even more is needed to achieve the targets set by Pniec for 2030: approximately 217 billion euros according to the current scenario; an increase of approximately 36% compared to investments considered under current policies. As can be seen from the graph below, the amount refers to investments in the following sectors: housing, tertiary, industry, district heating (distribution), transport (vehicles), production facilities (electricity), electrical networks, storage systems (batteries, pumping).
Pniec envisions a real reform of tax cuts, especially for the housing sector, that would bring them together in a single measure. In the future, construction premiums will no longer be fragmented: In fact, Environment Minister Fratin underlined at the hearing in the House of Representatives on October 12 that the government is working on the “Consolidated Law on Construction Premiums”. Overcome the “current fragmentation of various inferences.” The face of construction premiums will change in a difficult context: the need to maintain a balance between economic sustainability and the environmental targets to be achieved.
Continue reading on Today.it…
Source: Today IT
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
