Italy bars unsolicited energy sales by phone — contracts can be voided
The Chamber’s amendments to the Dl Bollette would make electricity and gas contracts signed by phone void unless consumers gave explicit consent to commercial use of their data. The changes are part of a roughly €5 billion package that now heads to the Senate and are prompting immediate industry pushback and regulatory enforcement powers for Agcom.
Apr 7, 2026, 4:29 PM EDT
Why it matters:
- The amendments drastically tighten how energy suppliers can reach customers by phone, shifting protections toward consumers and raising compliance risks for sellers. - The rules sit inside a wider €5 billion "decreto bollette" package that also includes a one‑off €115 support for social electricity bonus recipients and other market measures; the text goes next to the Senate for conversion by April 21.
Driving the news:
- The X Commission of the Chamber approved amendments that make contracts for electricity and gas concluded by telephone null if the consumer did not give formal consent for commercial use of their data. - Sellers will have to use a uniquely identifiable phone number when calling consumers; if calls come from numbers not assigned to the supplier, Agcom can order immediate suspension of those lines. - The burden of proof shifts to the seller: the professional must demonstrate the consumer provided prior, valid consent to the contact.
By the numbers:
- The conversion bill packages roughly €5 billion in measures to curb energy costs for households and businesses. - A one‑off €115 contribution will be credited automatically to beneficiaries of the electricity social bonus for 2026. - The draft also includes structural moves — from changes to renewables incentives to extending the coal phase‑out to 2038 — that affect industry costs and investment signals.
Key players:
- Consumer groups welcomed the amendments as stronger consumer protection; advocacy groups framed them as a major reform of telesales practices. - Assotelecomunicazioni (Asstel) calls the measures discriminatory toward telecom operators that also sell energy and has asked for a corrective sub‑amendment. - Agcom gains explicit enforcement tools to suspend lines used for unwanted commercial calls.
What to watch:
- Whether the Senate alters the telemarketing language before the April 21 conversion deadline and whether lawmakers accept Asstel's sub‑amendment request. - How quickly Agcom moves to enforce line suspensions and how suppliers adapt call practices and record‑keeping to meet the new proof burden.
The bottom line:
- The Dl Bollette amendments sharply restrict unsolicited phone sales in the energy sector, prioritizing consumer consent and enforcement while triggering immediate industry resistance.