In Sardinia, nearly 8 out of 10 companies are suffering the negative effects of rising energy costs (fuel, electricity, gas), and well over half of these same companies have already suffered economic repercussions due to rising prices.
This is what a new report from CNA reveals, which generally highlights how in 2026 the total cost of energy increases for Italian companies could exceed 200 billion, exceeding the record reached in 2022.
Regarding businesses on the island, CNA notes, 76.5% have recorded an increase in energy spending in the last six months, and of these, 19.1% have had to deal with price increases exceeding 20%.
Furthermore, 84% of island businesses claim to have had a "significant impact" on their business due to price increases, while, as mentioned at the beginning, 56.8% have suffered a reduction in margins, and only 20.4% have managed to at least partially pass on the costs to prices.
CNA also calculates the annual economic impact: "If national electricity demand and gas consumption maintain their year-to-date trend over the twelve months (+5% in the first eight months for electricity and +1% for gas), under the 20% price increase scenario, electricity spending would reach approximately €87.8 billion and gas spending for end users would reach €43.8 billion. The average annual impact would be over €500 for each household and over €4,500 for all businesses : a burden that, for artisans and small businesses, means fewer resources to invest, innovate, and create jobs."
"The numbers compiled by the CNA Sardinia Research Center," say Luigi Tomasi and Francesco Porcu, president and regional secretary, respectively, of the National Confederation of Artisan Entrepreneurs, "confirm that the impact of energy on the production system is not a mere afterthought. In 2026, the cost could even exceed that of 2022, and for an island made up of micro and small businesses, which depend on road transport and already suffer the costs of insularity, the risk is that margins and investments will be eroded."
"We therefore support the national CNA's request," Tomasi and Porcu continue, "to establish in the next national budget law a fund of one billion euros per year for small photovoltaic systems for self-generation by micro and small businesses. For Sardinia, we also ask that energy policy recognize the island's unique characteristics and accelerate infrastructure investments capable of reducing the energy gap with the rest of the country."
