Energy
The cabinet wants to initiate plans to replace the heating system
A boiler and a hot water boiler are in a boiler room in Dresden. photo
© Arno Burgi/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa
The Federal Cabinet wants to give the green light for a reform of the Building Energy Act. But that is far from the end of the debate.
The federal cabinet wants to launch the controversial plans to replace the heating system today. An additional funding program is also to be launched, as the German Press Agency learned from government circles. There is no information on the volume yet. There was also agreement among the departments on an energy efficiency law.
From 2024 onwards, if possible, every newly installed heating system should be operated with 65 percent renewable energies. This is intended to herald the departure from gas and oil heating systems. Existing heaters should continue to operate, broken heaters can be repaired. Boilers should only be able to run on fossil fuels by the end of 2044.
After the cabinet decision, the reform of the Building Energy Act will go into the parliamentary process, where there could still be changes.
State subsidies of up to 40 percent of the costs are already available for the installation of heat pumps. Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) had announced an additional multi-billion dollar subsidy program that should be based on income.
SPD chairman Lars Klingbeil promised extensive payments for property owners and tenants. He told the “Bild” newspaper that climate protection and social justice only go together: “That’s why we’re going to spend a lot of money to promote the switch to heating.”
City day calls for improvements
The Union called for reliable funding for the heating conversion. “No one should be overwhelmed by new requirements,” said Union expert Andreas Jung of the Funke media group. On the other hand, the Greens parliamentary group leader in the Bundestag, Julia Verlinden, was confident that a good solution would be developed “to continue to support people in the future with replacing their heating systems and increasing energy efficiency”.
The German Association of Cities called for improvements to be made to the plans. Managing Director Helmut Dedy told the German Press Agency: “We know that we now have to set the course for a climate-neutral heat supply. But the goals, no matter how right, will come to nothing if craftsmen and suitable heating systems are missing, deadlines are too tight and costs are in skyrocketing and people as a whole are overwhelmed.”
The draft of the Energy Efficiency Act provides specifications for companies in particular. Waste heat from data centers is to be better used in the future. In addition, companies with high energy consumption should introduce energy or environmental management systems.