Voltura, subentro or allaccio: putting utilities in your name

Voltura — the supply is active

A voltura transfers a live supply from the previous occupant's name into yours. Nothing is switched off and nothing is physically changed at the meter, so it is the fastest route — usually a few working days. You will pay a modest one-off administrative charge.

This is the normal case when you move into a flat where someone was living until recently.

Subentro — the meter exists but was closed

If the previous occupant closed the contract when they left, the supply was disconnected and the meter is dormant. A subentro reactivates it in your name. Expect roughly one to two weeks, and a slightly higher one-off charge than a voltura because the supply has to be physically reopened.

This is common in flats that have been empty for a while, or where the landlord closed everything between tenants.

Allaccio — there is no connection at all

An allaccio creates a connection where none exists: new builds, long-abandoned properties, or a property never connected to the gas network. It involves physical work, costs substantially more, and can take months.

If an agency tells you an allaccio is needed for an ordinary flat, ask them to confirm — for a normal rental it almost never is.

The furnished-rental exception worth checking

In many furnished rentals the supply stays in the landlord's name and the bills are included in the rent. That is legitimate and often simpler, but it has one real consequence: a utility bill in your own name is among the most useful proof-of-address documents you can hold in Italy, and you will not have one.

Ask explicitly who the contract will be with before you sign, because it changes both who pays and what you can prove later.

POD and PDR: the codes you will be asked for

Every Italian electricity supply point has a POD code and every gas supply point has a PDR code. They identify the physical meter, not the customer, so they stay the same when the contract changes hands. Both are printed on the meter itself and on any previous bill.

Your supplier will ask for them immediately. Get them from the landlord or previous occupant before you start, or you will stall at the first step.

Choosing a supplier

Italy's energy market is open, so you can choose any supplier rather than defaulting to whoever served the property before. ARERA, the national regulator, runs an official comparison tool (Portale Offerte) with every regulated offer — it is neutral and worth checking against whatever an agency recommends.