The autumn equinox 2026 falls on September 23. The days are getting shorter, temperatures are dropping (net of climate change) and we are slowly moving towards a different atmosphere, which makes our sofa more enchanting than ever.
The most poetic season of the year, however, also hides a very concrete side. It is easy to underline how it is the one that marks the increase in the cost of daily life. There are various requirements, just think of the car, to which must be added the heating and greater use of electricity. Here, then, is what awaits our wallet.
Autumn 2026, energy and heating
The main chapter is the warm-up. In fact, a clear drop in temperatures is expected, excluding some regions which for the moment still reach 28/30°C. All this will lead to the restarting of the plants, and here is the climate zone calendar set by the legislation:
- zone E (much of the North, from Milan to Turin), switching on from 15 October;
- zone D (many cities in the Centre), from 1 November;
- zone C (part of the Centre-South), from 15 November.
The turning on of heating systems leads to gas and electricity consumption rising significantly compared to the summer months. Considering the market is now almost completely free, the impact on the bill depends on the subscribed offer and the trend of wholesale costs. However, it will be inevitable for everyone to experience increases compared to the recent past, even for those who have signed up for fixed-price supplies. It is therefore the right time to compare electricity and gas tariffs and evaluate a possible change of supplier.
Change of time and electricity bill
Between Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th October 2026 you will start to sleep an extra hour, but accept early darkness. The hands will go back one hour, with the return of solar time meaning more artificial lighting in the evening hours.
This translates into increased spending for Italian families, looking at electricity consumption. A non-devastating single effect, which however will be added to the much more significant one of warming.
Fuel and tire change: car cost for autumn 2026
Mobility also has an upward cost. On the fuel front, the price of diesel remains high and the progressive easing of the excise duty discount has further pushed the prices at the pump in recent weeks.
Added to this is a seasonal fulfillment, at least in certain regions. From November 15th the obligation to travel with winter tires (or with chains on board) comes into force, in force until April 15th. It will begin as early as mid-October in some areas, with motorists having to bear a considerable expense between fitting, possible purchase and possible storage of summer tyres.
Shopping: the autumn food basket
The shelves definitely change in autumn, which brings its typical products. We’re talking about pumpkins, mushrooms, truffles, chestnuts and more. Some of these, think for example of mushrooms and truffles, are particularly expensive this year. All this reflects the trend of agricultural years.
The heat waves and droughts that have affected various crops can also influence the prices of some raw materials, such as rice and oil, keeping attention on the shopping cart and forcing many families to make great sacrifices.
Autumn 2026: prices rising in retail
The autumnal equinox 2026 effectively marks the beginning of a clearly expensive season, as mentioned. It is therefore necessary to get there prepared, trying to:
- compare electricity and gas offers before switching on, checking for any fixed or indexed price;
- have the boiler checked and the thermostat adjusted (one degree less significantly cuts consumption);
- plan the tire change in advance, avoiding the rush of the last few weeks, with higher costs;
- take advantage of seasonal products, which are generally more convenient, albeit within certain limits.
Going into detail, heating your home costs on average 1,100-1,450 euros per season. For a family of 4 people in 100 m2 the average is 1,144/1,450, according to estimates by Facile.it and Iren/Arera. Those who don’t turn on the radiators can expect an average of 825 euros.
For electricity and gas, however, the scenario is respectively 743 and 1,493 euros per year, considering the Eurostat estimate: an Italian family spends 54.85 euros per month.
In this scenario, lowering the thermostat by 1°C can save 100 euros per year. Selecting the best offer, however, can make a difference of up to 200 euros. Here are the other items to take into account:
- purchasing a set of 4 winter tires involves a cost of 400-600 euros (average quality);
- other costs are represented by seasonal assembly only, which includes 40 euros for the train, plus 20 euros for summer storage;
- diesel travels above 2.3 euros per litre, which could push, where possible, to split journeys with colleagues or choose public transport where possible.
