Florence Feb 23 (US): Florence is known for its contributions to Italian art, architecture and cuisine. But these days, local leaders in the city that is considered the cradle of the Renaissance are interested in something more ordinary: paying the bills.
Amid rising energy costs across Europe, officials at Palazzo Vecchio – the building that serves as Florence’s city hall as well as a museum – have teamed up with a local non-profit organization to help fixed-income retirees maintain their power by “adopting Bell’s fundraising drive.” .
“Florence is a city where you live well, and for this reason also, people live very long,” said Mayor Dario Nardella.
However, a significant number of Florence retirees live on less than 9,000 euros ($10,205) a year and cannot make ends meet with an expected 55% increase in household electricity costs and a 42% increase in residential gas bills. He said.
This is confirmed by widower Luigi Boni, 96 years old. By the end of February, he says, he will have emptied his bank account and spent his monthly pension of less than 600 euros ($680) before covering utilities.
“Either I eat or I pay the rent,” said Bonnie, sitting on the sofa with a newspaper in his hands.
To help him and others among the estimated 30,000-plus Florentines living alone, the city administration launched a fundraising campaign with the nonprofit Montedomini, which runs projects aimed at helping the city’s retirees.
The campaign raised 33,000 euros (more than $37,000) in its first few days. Ordinary citizens, including Florentines living abroad, have made more than 200 donations, according to the city’s welfare advisor, Sarah Fonaro.
“Our goal is to raise funds to make sure that every elderly person who asks us for help can receive help to cover the increase in bills due to the increased (energy costs),” Fonaro said.
Rising energy prices have sent utility bills up – and inflation to a record high – from Poland to the UK. In response, governments across Europe are rushing to pass aid to residents and businesses as utility companies pass costs on to consumers.
In Turkey, where economic pressures are severe and protests fueled, Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir are among the opposition-led municipalities with similar initiatives to “adopt a bill”. The Istanbul municipality’s website says nearly 49 million Turkish liras (about $3.6 million) have been donated since 2020, covering 320,000 public utility bills.
The government of Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has approved measures worth more than 8 billion euros ($9 billion) to help mitigate the impact of rising energy prices on businesses and individuals.
The latest government decree, issued on Friday, also had a forward-looking element: it was looking to speed up Italy’s transition to more renewables, especially solar, to make the country less dependent on imported supplies.
Italy currently imports 90% of its gas, mostly from Russia, and Draghi insisted that any EU sanctions to punish Russia for recognizing two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine should exempt the energy sector.
The Italian Mayors’ Union said the government’s response has so far been insufficient to help cities deal with hundreds of millions of euros in additional energy costs, leaving them to choose between balancing budgets or cutting services.
Florence, Rome and other cities kept their municipal monuments and local government buildings darkened on February 10 to draw attention to the situation.
The campaign to adopt a bill in Florence has popular support. In addition to being a major tourist destination, the capital of the Italian region of Tuscany has a long record of successfully providing social services to poor and vulnerable populations.
“It’s a great initiative because you can help people who can’t pay a bill that has shamefully come to unaffordable costs,” said Luca Menoni, owner of a butcher’s shop at the indoor food market Sant’Ambrogio in Florence.
“I myself am paying the (electricity) twice as much as I used to,” Menoni said.
Bonnie might get some help with his energy bills to get him through the winter and avoid the expected move to a nursing home. But he still has a limited budget that doesn’t allow for a lot of luxuries.
“Steaks? Meat? Let’s not even talk about it. I eat (cheap) canned food.” After his wife died, he said, “I became an expert in economic cooking.”