Berlin.
The obligation to replace old heaters is likely to hit the East hardest. A current study lays a trail. where it leads.
The future belongs to climate-friendly technologies, with the heat pump leading the way. A gas or oil heater is a discontinued model. This is what the politicians want: This is what the traffic light coalition is counting on with its plans for a new heating law from 2024.
also read: Obligation to exchange oil and gas – who must react now
A replacement obligation affects every property owner, landlord or tenant differently – depending on how old and how big a house is. The burden also varies greatly from region to region, according to a study by the online insurance broker Check24 suggests, which is available to our editorial team.
- They are in Bavaria recent housesthe oldest in Thuringia, followed by Saarland and Saxony-Anhalt.
- Die largest living space in single-family, terraced houses and semi-detached houses in Saarland, on average almost 150 square meters. In Saxony-Anhalt it is 126.6 square meters, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania almost 130 square meters.
The result is politically delicatebecause one imbalance recognizable: The people in East Germany tend to be the hardest hit. Ironically, in the regions that are considered to be socially weak. Economics Minister Robert Habeck (The Greens) may not have considered that. It was immediately interpreted negatively on Twitter.
In fact, Check24 explains the result of the study with the economic attractiveness a region. The Free State of Bavaria is the prime example of this. It’s economically strong, so more people can afford to build new.
Heating: The age of a building often gives an indication of its thermal insulation
This attractiveness has another effect: it attracts people. According to the birth statistics, Bavaria should shrink. In fact, the population is growing. Few move away, many move to Bavaria, from other federal states and also from abroad. “In federal states with population growth, there is automatically one greater demand for new homes“, explains André Boudon, Managing Director of Home Insurance at Check24. Also interesting: Heating from 2024: The replacement obligation does not apply to everyone
Check24 simply has the Homeowners Insurance watched. And after that, in 2022, the average year of construction was 1996. In Hamburg and Brandenburg, too, buildings are relatively new, on average from 1992. A plausible explanation for Brandenburg is its proximity to the buzzing Greater Berlin area. Anyone who wants to build in the country moves to Brandenburg, where else?
The age allows certain conclusions to be drawn about the status of the thermal insulation and the age of the heater which must be replaced after 30 years. The numbers are neither compelling nor objective. Of course, old houses are being renovated and modernized. There are old buildings with the latest insulation and heating technology. One could even interpret the data positively as evidence that Thuringia is particularly durable and sustainable.
In Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt and Saarland, the buildings are older than average
But in general it is more plausible that the pressure to innovate in Thuringia with the average year of construction 1968 will be larger than in Bavaria. After all, the houses there are around 28 years older than the properties in Bavaria. According to Check24, comparatively old houses can also be found in Saarland (Ø 1971) and in Saxony-Anhalt (Ø 1974). You might also be interested in: Old heating more than 30 years old: what penalties you face
The data also shows that the living space tends to increase. “The newer the houses, the larger the average living space,” analyzes André Boudon. Buildings built in 1950 are on average 130 square meters – houses built in 2020 are already 152 square meters.
Exchange obligation in the East more urgent than in Bavaria
The age differences in the population are not only considerable between east and west. In North Rhine-Westphalia the average year of construction is 1984, in neighboring Lower Saxony 1990, in Hamburg 1992, in Berlin again in 1988, which can best be explained by the fact that builders moved to Brandenburg.
In general, the people in the east will feel the exchange obligation much more than in Bavaria. In the east, the installation of an expensive one is urgent heat pump, in Bavaria you can wait longer; an advantage, as many experts predict that prices will fall.
also read: Heating in old buildings from 2024: Expert advises this solution
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