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Articoli scientifici

No. 30 (2025): U3 iQuaderni. Journal of urban studies

Beyond Energy Efficiency: Perceived Effects and Critical Issues of the Superbonus 110%

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3280/u3q30-2025oa21414
Submitted
novembre 13, 2025
Published
2026-07-20

Abstract

The Superbonus 110%, introduced in 2020 as an extraordinary measure to promote energy and seismic retrofitting of buildings, serves as a key case study to examine the dynamics of energy citizenship in Italy. This research investigates citizens’ knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes to-ward the measure, comparing beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries, with the aim of understanding whether it has fostered active participation or, conversely, mechanisms of delegation and distrust. The study is based on an online questionnaire administered to 248 respondents and com-bines descriptive, cross-tab, and correlational analyses. Findings reveal an ambivalent picture: while the Superbonus is widely acknowledged as an effective tool for energy renovation, its bureaucratic complexity and regulatory instability have limited accessibility and trust. Bene-ficiaries express moderate satisfaction, closely linked to their confidence in technical profes-sionals, who play a crucial mediating role between policy and citizens. Non-beneficiaries, by contrast, report informational barriers, procedural opacity, and institutional mistrust. Overall, the measure has generated a form of “delegated participation”, where civic engage-ment is mediated by external expertise rather than genuine empowerment. The study high-lights how informational divides and unequal capacities to interpret complex instruments deepen the gap between citizens and institutions. It concludes that successful ecological transi-tion policies require not only economic incentives but also trust, education, and transparency 

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