Rent payments and interest on first-home mortgages can now be deducted when calculating income for eligibility to social tariffs on electricity, gas and water supplies.
The Grand and General Council (Consiglio Grande e Generale) ratified the decree expanding protections for Sammarinese families facing economic hardship, with 35 votes in favour and none against. The measure, presented to the chamber by Secretary of State Alessandro Bevitori, provides for halved bills and confirms the free provision of an internet line.
The threshold for accessing the benefits remains set at 9,000 euros of annual per capita family income. What changes is how a household’s economic situation is calculated, as it will now also take into account certain housing-related expenses.
“From now on, in order to determine the household’s actual economic condition, account will be taken of the rent paid for the primary residence, up to a maximum of four thousand euros, or of interest payments on mortgages taken out for a first home,” explains the Secretariat of State for Labour in its statement.
“This mechanism allows households that were previously excluded due to narrow margins to be brought back within the scope of protection.”
Alongside the discounts on utilities, the measure also includes a free internet connection. On this point, the Secretariat specifies: “To complement the financial support, the decree consolidates a significant measure — the free provision of an internet line — meeting a fundamental need for home connectivity, remote learning and family management.”
During the debate, Bevitori reported that 42 applications were approved in 2026, while 91 applications are currently being assessed and processed for access to the benefits starting next year.
“This is an important measure that the Government wanted to confirm and strengthen, widening the pool of those who can benefit from it,” the Secretary of State said, highlighting the impact of utility bills on family budgets and the support provided by free internet access.
The Council’s debate also touched on the issue of San Marino’s energy autonomy. According to the statement, the Government reaffirmed the importance of investing in local and diversified clean energy production, in light of international tensions and market fluctuations.
“Among the initiatives mentioned are the fixed-price supply agreements signed with the SOCAR Group to help contain gas costs, investments in photovoltaic plants on public buildings within the territory, and projects abroad such as the one built in Visano, all aimed at increasing self-sufficiency and ensuring greater tariff stability for the benefit of families and businesses,” the statement concludes.
