diff --git a/esphome/components/ebus/ebus_component.cpp b/esphome/components/ebus/ebus_component.cpp
index 13bf0a3a66..5fd391cb71 100644
--- a/esphome/components/ebus/ebus_component.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/ebus/ebus_component.cpp
@@ -45,8 +45,6 @@ void EbusComponent::set_command_queue_size(uint8_t command_queue_size) {
   this->command_queue_size_ = command_queue_size;
 }
 
-void EbusComponent::add_receiver(EbusReceiver *receiver) { this->receivers_.push_back(receiver); }
-
 void EbusComponent::setup_queues_() {
   this->history_queue_ = xQueueCreate(this->history_queue_size_, sizeof(Telegram));
   this->command_queue_ = xQueueCreate(this->command_queue_size_, sizeof(Telegram));
@@ -72,8 +70,8 @@ void EbusComponent::setup_ebus_() {
 
   this->ebus_->add_send_response_handler([&](Telegram &telegram) {
     std::vector<uint8_t> reply = {};
-    for (auto const &receiver : this->receivers_) {
-      reply = receiver->reply(telegram);
+    for (auto const &item : this->items_) {
+      reply = item->reply(telegram);
       if (reply.size() != 0) {
         break;
       }
@@ -157,8 +155,8 @@ void EbusComponent::handle_message_(Telegram &telegram) {
     return;
   }
 
-  for (auto const &receiver : this->receivers_) {
-    receiver->process_received(telegram);
+  for (auto const &item : this->items_) {
+    item->process_received(telegram);
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/esphome/components/ebus/ebus_component.h b/esphome/components/ebus/ebus_component.h
index 6a7682ecfc..4d11f3c70b 100644
--- a/esphome/components/ebus/ebus_component.h
+++ b/esphome/components/ebus/ebus_component.h
@@ -20,16 +20,7 @@ static const char *const TAG = "ebus";
 
 class EbusComponent;
 
-class EbusReceiver {
- public:
-  virtual void process_received(Telegram) = 0;
-  std::vector<uint8_t> reply(Telegram telegram) {
-    std::vector<uint8_t> reply = {0xe3, 'E', 'S', 'P', 'H', 'M', 0x12, 0x34, 0x56, 0x78};
-    return reply;
-  };
-};
-
-class EbusItem : public EbusReceiver, public Component {
+class EbusItem : public Component {
  public:
   void dump_config() override;
 
@@ -40,6 +31,11 @@ class EbusItem : public EbusReceiver, public Component {
   void set_payload(const std::vector<uint8_t> &payload) { this->payload_ = payload; }
   void set_response_read_position(uint8_t response_position) { this->response_position_ = response_position; }
 
+  virtual void process_received(Telegram) { }
+  virtual std::vector<uint8_t> reply(Telegram telegram) {
+    std::vector<uint8_t> reply = {0xe3, 'E', 'S', 'P', 'H', 'M', 0x12, 0x34, 0x56, 0x78};
+    return reply;
+  };
   virtual optional<SendCommand> prepare_command();
 
   // TODO: refactor these
@@ -72,10 +68,8 @@ class EbusComponent : public PollingComponent {
   void set_history_queue_size(uint8_t /*history_queue_size*/);
   void set_command_queue_size(uint8_t /*command_queue_size*/);
 
-  void add_receiver(EbusReceiver * /*receiver*/);
   void add_item(EbusItem *item) {
     this->items_.push_back(item);
-    this->add_receiver(item);
   };
 
   void update() override;
@@ -96,7 +90,6 @@ class EbusComponent : public PollingComponent {
 #endif
 
   std::list<EbusItem *> items_;
-  std::list<EbusReceiver *> receivers_;
 
   std::unique_ptr<Ebus> ebus_;