Habeck is now planning a heating register: Germans should disclose consumption

Economics Minister Robert Habeck wants to herald the end of fossil fuel heating in Germany with a new law. An 89-page draft forms the basis of the project for the “Act on heat planning and decarbonisation of heating networks”. As the “Bild” newspaper reports, the federal states and municipalities are now to determine “building-specific annual energy consumption” over the last three years in kilowatt hours per year and thus create a kind of heating register.

Habeck presents new draft law for the abolition of fossil heating

In concrete terms: data on heating and electricity consumption over the past three years is to be queried for each individual building in Germany. The municipalities should also ask what type of heating is installed in each individual building. Whether it is, for example, a central condensing boiler or a floor heating system with a thermal bath.

The draft law, which is available to “Bild”, further states: “Information on the building, at least on the location (address or official property description), use, year of construction and protected building fabric” should also be collected.

The data obtained in this way is to be used to create heating plans in large cities (from 100,000 inhabitants) by the end of 2026 in order to heat without fossil fuels by 2045. Small towns and districts have until the end of 2028 to do this, the newspaper continues.

Failure to comply could result in high penalties

The municipalities should set certain milestones within this time frame and thus determine starting areas for the large-scale heating conversion. If municipalities or suppliers do not submit the so-called heat plans in time, they face fines of up to 100,000 euros.

According to the first draft of the Building Energy Act passed by the cabinet, from 2024 onwards every newly installed heating system should be operated with 65 percent green energy. This should apply to all owners up to the age of 80. Existing oil and gas heating systems can continue to be operated and broken ones can be repaired. According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the switch should be socially cushioned – the details are controversial. The law is considered an important component of the plan to make Germany climate-neutral by 2045.

Note: An original version of this article said the bill was a revision of the Building Energy Act. It is correct that it is a new law independent of it. The text passage has been corrected.