Berlin.
In Germany there is a heated argument about the end of oil and gas heating. The “heat transition” is faltering. Are other countries doing better?
- Our European neighbors are also arguing about the heat transition: However, many countries are already much further along in the exchange of heating systems
- In France, for example, there have long been regulations that ban new oil and gas heating systems
- However, a completely different country is at the top of the European heat transition comparison
They wanted the “heat transition“ ring in. But since Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) and Building Minister Klara Geywitz (SPD) presented their Building Energy Act, there has been a strong headwind.
Because Habeck and Geywitz set clear guidelines for the replacement of old gas and oil heating systems: From 2024, every newly installed Heating 65 percent powered by renewable energy. Then, for example, heat pumps, solar thermal systems or hybrid systems consisting of heat pumps and gas heating are required. By 2045, all fossil fuel heaters should be replaced. But the resistance is greater than anywhere else in Europe. That’s how it is with our neighbors.
Heat transition in the Netherlands: Away from gas dependency
There will also be a ban on the installation of new gas, oil and wood heating systems in the Netherlands: However, it will not come into force until 2026, it was already decided in 2022 – the transition period is therefore significantly longer than in Germany. There were no massive protests like in Germany. In the future, the use of heat pumpswhereby hybrid heat pumps are permitted in combination with a conventional heating system, or connection to the heating network.
Few countries have been so strong so far Gas like the Netherlands, more than two thirds of private households are heated with natural gas. Similar to Germany, the government wants to support the purchase of heat pumps with subsidies, the subsidy should be up to 30 percent of the purchase price for a hybrid heat pump. 150 million euros a year are earmarked for this up to 2030, and further funds are to be mobilized via the national heat fund.
Die Government got the heating industry on board at an early stage: To ensure that sufficient technology and personnel are available, the plumbing trade with training centers in each region should also attract career changers, while the manufacturers have promised to invest in new production facilities.
France: Ban on new gas or oil heating since 2022
The installation of new gas or oil heating systems in France has been banned since 2022, which has not led to major protests. However, you have to know that 44 percent of the French heat electricallywhile the proportion of homes heated with gas is 37 percent and only eight percent of households have oil heating.
So far, the gradual move away from gas and oil heating has been unproblematic. The installation of heat pumps is booming. No European country can boast a larger stock of heat pumps. In 2022, with 462,000 copies, there were almost twice as many as in the Federal Republic. There are good reasons for it. First: this savings potential is high.
With the installation of a heat pump, the power consumption by up to 70 percent and the consumption of gas heating is reduced by at least a third. Second: In France there are three state subsidy programs for retrofitting. Depending on the income of the household, subsidies and tax breaks of up to 10,000 euros await the installation of a heat pump.
Great Britain: The heating exchange program should help
Launched around a year ago British government with great fanfare the so-called “boiler upgrade scheme” – a program with which the outdated gas boilers are to be replaced by more climate-friendly variants. In the UK, almost 80 percent of households heat with gas; around 20 percent of all CO2 emissions come from the domestic consumption of fossil fuels.
With the Heat exchange program by 2025, up to 90,000 boilers are to be replaced by energy-efficient heat pumps. The government has set aside a total of £450m (about €511m) for this; each household that installs a heat pump gets £5,000 (about €5,700) of the cost reimbursed. Even then, climate campaigns criticized the program for being unambitious – it had to be done faster so that the goal declared by Great Britain of achieving CO2 neutrality by 2050 could also be achieved.
The upgrade program is disappointing because there are not enough interested parties. By the end of January not even 8,000 new heat pumps had been installed. One problem: Hardly anyone knows this funding program. In addition, there are too few companies that can install the pumps. The government still wants to extend the “boiler upgrade scheme” until 2028.
Heating exchange in Italy: bonuses instead of bans
Italy does not work with prohibitions, but with rewards. Those who do without any subsidies or bonuses can also install pure gas heating in their house or apartment in the future. Maintenance work and energetic renovations have been generously tax-deductible in Italy for years. The demand for the bonuses is high.
From 2024, the “tax deductions” will no longer apply to autonomous gas boilers. However, if the heating can also use hydrogen or biomethane or be combined with heat pumps, the tax break further. The replacement of heaters is promoted with the 50 percent bonus. The amount is recognized as tax relief. Maximum amount: 30,000 euros for the replacement of a boiler, which must be class A.
Heat pump sales are booming. The Italians will also be awarded a “Ecobonus“, a 65 percent allowance, lured. It is not enough to simply replace the old heating system. Advanced water temperature thermoregulation systems must also be installed. To date, however, more than 19 million gas boilers have been installed in Italy, at least 7 million of which are more than 15 years old. So there is still a lot to do.
New heaters: Austria is struggling
The alpine country is struggling: the goal is fixed, the way to get there is unclear. If the measures currently in force continue, Austria’s greenhouse gas emissions would be 42 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents in 2030 – that would be twelve million more than planned. This goes hand in hand with a conflict within the government: the chancellor party ÖVP, for example, relies on e-fuels for internal combustion enginesthe Greens urge cuts.
A few steps have been fixed: since 2023 there has been a ban on new oil and gas heating systems. Oil heaters must be replaced by 2025. There was no greater resentment about it. For gas, the deadline is 2040. Because: there is a shortage alternatives. Austria continues to import 80 percent of its gas from Russia, hydroelectric power is not sufficient to supply the country, and wind turbines are vehemently rejected in many regions. And hardly any private household has installed solar cells.
One reason: the funding jungle. There are federal subsidies, which provide 940 million euros for a renovation offensive (building insulation, installation of alternative heating options, heat pumps, solar systems) ready. But there are also subsidies at the state level. In general, the funded share normally fluctuates between a quarter and a third of the investment volume depending on the region.
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