Utilities
Installing or fixing utilities sometimes can be a somewhat tricky and bureaucratic experipence when living in Italy. Having your utility bills paid directly by your bank through home banking is recommended in order to avoid possible complications.

Useful numbers ELECTRICITY AEM 800 023 426 WATER AND GAS COMO ACSM 031 2454111 031.529111 (emergency) MONZA AGAM 800 394433 039 23851 (emergency) VARESE ASPEM 800 960011 0332 335035 (emergency) TELEPHONE TELECOM 187 Note that patience is required when calling these numbers. Customers may expect to be put on hold for a very long time.

ELECTRICITY
Enel is the electricity provider in Milan and Hinterland. When moving out of a property, you must contact each utility company to get a real time reading of your meters, otherwise, the bills could arrive to your landlord two months after you’ve left. Having your utility bills paid directly through your bank is also adviseable, as it rules out having to go to the Post Office to pay your utility bills.

The cost of electricity depends on the “total power” used by the household. The most common power for apartments is 3-4 kW. However, if one plans to have numerous appliances and/or it is a large house, the recommended power is 10 kW. The maximum kW currently offered for domestic use is 30 kw. A first connection might take 15 to 20 days to activate.

GAS
In Como, ACSM provides the gas and water service. For Monza, the same services are provided by AGAM and ASPEM for Varese. To have the new contract usually takes around 5 working days.

TELEPHONE
In Italy, a phone line is not connected to the property, but to a person. Thus, before switching a phone line to your name, a declaration by the former subscriber confirming that the number is no longer to be in his or her name is necessary. Similarly, you, as the new subscriber of the line, need to write a declaration saying you accept taking over the number. These two declarations need to be sent to Telecom, who will then switch the phone line.

To have a completely new line installed usually takes 10 to 15 days and sometimes even longer. To have an ADSL line installed might take 20 to 30 days (not all areas are covered with this service). ISDN lines are also available. There is an activation fee when installing a phone line. For an analogue phone line it costs around 100,00 Euros for an ISDN line 130,00 Euros, and for an ADSL around 150 Euros. There are many other phone companies that offer serivces and their monthly fees vary. Line rental for the time being is only offered by Telecom.

Telecom Italia offers a free of charge online possibility for paying their bills (bollette). Since this website is only available in Italian, Enterprises Group can provide you with an English instruction on how to use this service.