Italy offers €100 bonus towards buying a new TV

Rome: Italy has introduced a bonus of up to €100 towards the cost of buying a new television set by offering a 20 per cent discount on the purchase price, with the measure coming into effect on 23 August.

The move, part of a decree announced last month by industry minister Giancarlo Giorgetti, comes ahead of Italy’s transition to the new DVB-T2 standard on 1 July 2022.

The measure, open to all households in Italy regardless of income, is designed to scrap older television sets incompatible with new broadcasting standards.

A previous version of the scheme offered a €50 discount to households whose annual earnings amounted to less than €20,000, as calculated via the ISEE income means test.

The earlier incentive remains in place and is “cumulative for those who have all the requirements,” said Giorgetti, who clarified that the new bonus “is for all citizens.”

To qualify for the scheme, you must be a resident in Italy and prove that you pay the ‘canone Rai’ television licensing fee, and the TV you are scrapping must have been purchased before 22 December 2018.

The old appliance can be given directly to the store – if participating in the scheme – when buying your new TV.

Alternatively the customer can take their old television to an authorised recycling centre, obtain a form certifying the appliance has been scrapped and take the document to the TV store.