Fine for those who light fireplaces and stoves, in these regions you pay up to 5,000 euros

Lighting the stove or fireplace can be a crime.
In fact, the fine for those who light stoves and fireplaces is in force in various regions of northern Italy, where there is particular attention to air quality regulations.
The most severe of the Regions that apply the legislation is Lombardy, where anyone who lights the fireplace or stove in winter risks a fine of up to 5,000 euros.
In several territories it is prohibited to use heat generators with an emission performance class lower than 4 stars.
This applies not only to fireplaces and stoves, but also to wood-burning thermo stoves and woody biomass food storage stoves.
Here is an overview of the bans and sanctions in force on Italian territory, especially with a view to the winter of 2023-2024.
In some regions the alternative of the fireplace and the stove is not possible, making it even more difficult to find a solution for heating the home.
Fine for turning on stoves and fireplaces: the regions where the law is applied.
Attention to the environment comes into conflict with the need to heat domestic environments.
This is because, in the absence of the use of gas, the return to the fireplace or wood stove were two possible and valid solutions, especially cheaper than gas.
Yet anti-pollution regulations risk preventing families from keeping warm.
As an alternative to a valid heating system, for many families without the privilege of a low environmental impact heating system the prospect is that of suffering the winter cold.
In particular because the most restrictive regulations regarding pollution due to CO2 emissions are applied in the regions of Northern Italy, the geographically coldest ones.
In particular, throughout the entire territory of Lombardy it is prohibited from 1 January 2020: to install heat generators powered by woody biomass (stoves and fireplaces) with emissions higher than those permitted and it is mandatory that the heat generators have at least 4 stars; use domestic heat generators with 0 or 1 or 2 stars; from 1 October 2018, for pellet stoves with a nominal thermal power lower than 35 kW, it is mandatory to use quality pellets that are certified compliant with class A1 of the UNI EN ISO 17225-2 standard by an accredited certification body (from test by keeping the documentation by the user).
Similar rules to those in Lombardy are also in force in Veneto.
Lighting fireplaces and wood stoves in winter is prohibited pursuant to resolution no.
836/17 which specifically provides for: the ban (from December 2017) on installing heat generators with an emission performance class lower than 3 stars and on continuing to use generators with a class lower than 2 stars; the ban (by 31 December 2019) on installing generators lower than 4 stars and on continuing to use generators of a class lower than 3 stars.
While in Emilia Romagna the use of fireplaces and wood stoves is limited.
The rules for air quality are in force from October 2019 to March 2020 which prohibit in the home: "the use of fireplaces, wood or pellet stoves for class 1 and 2 star domestic heating in civil buildings where it is an alternative domestic heating system is present that are located throughout the regional territory below 300 meters above sea level (mountain municipalities, specified by LR 2/2004 "Mountain law" are therefore excluded) and in the municipalities subject to infringement for the air quality.” Added to these are the limits in force from 10/1/2023 to 04/30/2024 for the use of woody biomass (wood, pellets, wood chips, other) for domestic heating.
Furthermore, open fireplaces are no longer up to standard and cannot be used, while a wood or pellet stove must be registered with CRITER (a register that certifies the quality of the systems).
Finally, in Piedmont there are limitations regarding stoves and fireplaces.
According to a regional resolution approved in 2018, throughout the regional territory it is prohibited: from 1 October 2018 to install heat generators powered by woody biomass, with a nominal power lower than 35 kW and an emission performance class lower than the "3 star" class ; from 1 October 2019 install heat generators powered by woody biomass with a nominal power lower than 35 kW and an emission performance class lower than the "4 star" class; from 1 October 2019 in the municipalities belonging to the "Agglomerato di Torino", "Pianura" and "Collina" zones, use heat generators powered by woody biomass with a nominal power of less than 35 kW and an emission performance class of less than "3 stars".
In Tuscany the same regulation applies, which provides, starting from last month, the obligation for the simplified stacking of fireplaces (both open and closed with inserts), stoves and boilers that use biomass (wood, pellets, wood chips).
To register, simply access the Siert page with Cns or Spid or call 800151822 and register the systems.
Attention: economic kitchens, i.e.
stoves not connected to the heating system, are excluded from the obligation, but also disused fireplaces or if they are the only source of heating in the home.
Fine for lighting stoves and fireplaces: what you risk and what you can do Each Region manages the use of stoves and fireplaces and the related fines for violations.
For example, in Lombardy the fine for those who do not comply with the indications of the resolution starts from a minimum of 500 euros up to 5,000 euros, according to article 27, paragraph 4, of Regional Law no.
24/2006.
In Veneto, continuing with the list, to reduce emissions into the air and encourage the purchase of compliant heating systems, the region provides important incentives for those wishing to equip themselves with generators with an emission class equal to or higher than 4 stars: stoves , pellet thermostoves and cookers and thermocookers (UNI EN 14785) wood-burning stoves and thermocookers (UNI EN 13240) wood-burning cookers and thermocookers (UNI EN 12815) wood-burning inserts (UNI EN 13229) accumulation stoves fueled by woody biomass (UNI EN 15250) In Emilia Romagna those who wish to install stoves and fireplaces can only do so if they have an emission class of 3 stars or higher; starting from 1 January 2020 only those with at least 4 stars are admitted.
While in Piedmont, biomass heat generators – therefore fireplaces, stoves, boilers, pellet cookers and others – purchased from 1 October 2018 must have at least three stars in the emission class, while those purchased starting from the following year must be at least four stars.
In conclusion, in the absence of any news regarding the regulations (which have been active for several years), lighting a fireplace or stove without paying attention to emissions could result in a fine.