If you are about to buy a new home, you have probably already considered how some expenses can be… unpredictable! One of these is undoubtedly the cost of heating, to enjoy the winter months with the desired comfort.
Increase in gas and electricity costs
Furthermore, in this historical moment, the increases in the bill for gas and electricity cannot be underestimated.The data estimate that, comparing the first months of 2021 and 2022, the cost to the user for electricity in Italy has increased by + 123% (from € 0.206 / kWh to € 0.4603 / kWh), while that of gas by + 129% (from € 0.6008 / m3 to € 1.3732 / m3). [Source: ARERA – Italian Regulatory Authority for Energy, Networks and the Environment]
Although the various governments have announced interventions to limit the price increases and burden the final consumer, the cost of heating one’s home has become considerable, especially in a country like Italy, which imports 75.9% of the energy it consumes.
The calculation of the cost of heating
To have a forecast of what the costs for heating may be, however, it is sufficient to have an Italian energy performance certificate (APE) of the house you intend to purchase in hand and proceed with a simple mathematical calculation.
In fact, the APE contains important information:
- the energy class, which varies from G to A4 and which allows you to compare two buildings with the same volumetric and morphological characteristics
- the energy performance indicator, expressed in kWh/m2 year (referred to as IPE or EPgl,nren)
This indicator is visible next to the energy class and takes into account the energy spent for a “standard” use of the home: heating, ventilation, hot water production, summer air conditioning …
The most recent APEs directly report the cost of consumption as a function of the energy sources used, while in the previous ones it is necessary to make a simple calculation by dividing the value of the indicator by 10 and multiplying it by the net surface area of the house:
Example:
- house of 120 m2
- IPE of 135 kWh / m2 year
135: 10 = 13.5
13.5 x 120 = 1,620 m3 of gas
1,620 m3 x € 1.3732 / m3 * = € 2,224 per year
* cost of methane gas estimated by ARERA
This calculation considers the annual consumption to keep the heating at 20°C, ventilation and hot water, but each degree the more on the thermostat, leads to a significant higher consumption (about 7%), therefore, our advice is to carefully adjust the temperature and time programming based on real living needs and your habits.
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