Gas heaters are on the verge of extinction in Germany. Soon there will be a ban on their installation. What to look out for when replacing.
Hamm – The fear of the next utility bill is great among consumers in Germany. Due to the war in Ukraine, heating with gas is more expensive than it has been for a long time. Additional payments in three-digit amounts are now normal. But that should soon be over. The federal government wants to put an abrupt end to gas heating in North Rhine-Westphalia and all of Germany.
Ban on gas heaters: when the federal government wants to act
The German building sector was unable to meet the climate requirements last year. Two million tons of greenhouse gases were emitted too much. “We have to change the way we heat our houses,” demanded Building Minister Clara Geywitz (SPD). An immediate program was therefore set up together with the Ministry of Economics by Robert Habeck (Greens). As early as 2024, no new gas heaters should be installed, as reported by wa.de.
Due to the current urgency, the government has moved this step forward by one year, according to information from Spiegel . A landlord recently even cut the hot water supply. It was originally agreed in the coalition agreement of the traffic light government that every newly installed heating system must consist of at least 65 percent renewable energy. But: This plan has not yet been finally decided.
Ban on gas heaters: replacement is expensive – state supports
But what does that mean for consumers in Germany who currently heat their own four walls with gas heating? According to the Building Energy Act, property owners must replace the gas heating system after 30 years at the latest. This applies to oil and gas boilers that are more than 30 years old, have a normal size (4-400 kW heat output) and were installed by the supposed deadline of January 1, 2024. However, this does not apply to condensing and low-temperature boilers. You can ask the authorized district chimney sweep which boiler the consumer has. However, since some gas heaters show a drop in performance after just ten to 15 years, an early change could be worthwhile.
But it is also clear that replacing the heating system is expensive. Those who rely on renewable energies are supported by the federal government. For example, the state supports private individuals with grants and low-interest loans. This is especially true when replacing the old gas heating with hybrid systems, renewable energies and also energy consultants who will find the right system for your own four walls.
The ministries described the heat pump in particular as promising and even as a key technology, which can even be operated in a climate-neutral manner in the long term. Due to the high degree of efficiency, this could work greenhouse gas-neutral. However, the heat pump does not make sense in all households. This can result in immense additional costs.
