Heating Act: What the German government agreed on in the heating dispute

It will be the same in Lithuania at the same time. Many people will lose their homes, many will go even deeper into bank debt.

“Grace period for existing buildings, certain gas heating systems in new buildings, more district heating: the compromise in the heating dispute is in place. An overview

After months of dispute, the traffic light coalition has agreed on new specifications for heating systems. In principle, the goal is that newly installed heating systems must be operated with 65 percent renewable energy in the future. 

However, due to pressure from the FDP, climate protection requirements only apply much later than originally planned. The most important changes at a glance:

What applies to new buildings and existing buildings?

The new requirements were originally intended to apply to all buildings from January 2024. This now only applies to new buildings. 

For heating in existing buildings, the traffic light factions have agreed on a coupling with the planned law for municipal heat planning. According to this, municipalities should set up a climate-neutral heat supply and submit corresponding heat plans - large cities by the end of 2026, smaller cities and districts by the end of 2028. As long as this is not the case, the specifications for new heating systems do not apply to existing buildings.

What about gas heaters?

Gas heaters may also be installed in new buildings from 2024 - if they can be converted to hydrogen and the new buildings are not in new development areas. The new rules apply in full initially only to new buildings in new development areas.

Even if there is a heating plan and the new rules apply accordingly to new buildings outside of new development areas and existing buildings, gas heating systems can still be installed under certain circumstances. In addition to the theoretical possibility of converting the heating to hydrogen or biogas, there must be a plan for a "climate-neutral gas network".

Gas heaters can also be installed, which are operated with "biomass, non-connected hydrogen or its derivatives". 

Originally, the exception for the installation of a convertible gas heating system was only intended if there was a mandatory plan for the construction of a hydrogen network to supply the heating system.

Which deadlines and exceptions apply?

The original coalition agreement provided for numerous exceptions and, in some cases, long deadlines for the climate-neutral conversion. In principle, defective heaters in the existing building can be repaired and continued to operate. If a heating system is irreparable and the new regulations apply - in many cases not before 2028 at the earliest - the homeowner has at least three years to install a new heating system that achieves the 65 percent target. Deadlines of up to ten years sometimes apply to apartment buildings.

There are exceptions for elderly homeowners who live in their own homes, for people on social security or if the conversion in a building makes no sense from a technical and economic point of view.

What applies to tenants and landlords?

The key issues paper states: "Tenants should not be overburdened." More tenant protection was previously a central concern, especially for the SPD. But landlords should have incentives to invest in modern heating systems - that was important to the FDP. After the agreement, the following should now apply: If the landlord invests in climate-friendly heating and uses subsidies, he should be entitled to a “further modernization levy” if the tenants benefit financially from the subsidy. This means that the landlord can increase the rent.

How is the 65 percent target to be achieved?

In conurbations, the district heating networks are to be greatly expanded in order to be able to connect more houses to them. To ensure that this is actually climate-neutral, the district heating networks, which have so far mainly been operated with fossil energy, are to be largely converted to renewable energies from 2030.

In addition, electric heat pumps or solar thermal systems are possible, in which water in collectors is heated by the sun. Direct electricity heating is an option for very well insulated buildings. Oil heaters can also be installed if they only compensate for the peak load on particularly cold days, for example in conjunction with a heat pump.

The thermal output of wood-burning fireplaces or pellet heating systems can be fully counted towards the 65 percent target. This now also applies to new buildings, not just existing ones.

What state support is planned?

The agreement of the coalition leaders states that state funding will be financed from the climate and transformation fund. It should take into account the individual needs and social hardships right down to the middle of society "as precisely as possible". But: The details, such as the exact amount of government funding, are still open.

TwixorRaider

1 minute ago

It's an improvement to the FDP, thanks antisocial botch, unfortunately. Because for millions of real estate owners of older buildings (70% of all residential buildings were built before 1978), which is not unlikely, that the heating system breaks beyond repair (almost all manufacturers have no spare parts for heating systems older than 25 years), it remains an enormous burden. For many, this can lead to quasi-appropriation because it is not affordable and will never pay off. Even according to calculations by Habeck's ministry, which Der Spiegel published, the own contributions add up to 3-8 times the cost of a new gas boiler. This is and remains intolerable and will hopefully be averted. The government should have dropped the law altogether. Habeck lost, the citizen lost and unfortunately also the FDP and Scholz who underestimated the drama. Laughing third is and remains! with it the AfD.”