Better than individual heat pumps?
Municipal utilities are flirting with the obligation to connect to heating networks
06/09/2023, 03:12 am
Many homeowners are currently thinking about their future heating solution. Heat pumps in particular are being discussed, but the association of municipal companies recommends waiting. Because a heating network could solve many problems – and the connection could become mandatory if necessary.
From the point of view of the municipal utility, an obligation for homeowners to connect to the heating network is an option. It is “not unreasonable to talk about an obligation for households to connect to an existing heating network,” says Ingbert Liebing, general manager of the Association of Municipal Enterprises (VKU), in the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” (NOZ). Compared to individual solutions such as heat pumps or gas boilers, heating networks have the advantage that “all connected buildings benefit in one go” when switching to renewable energy sources and homeowners are free of their heating worries.
In addition to a reform of the building energy law – the so-called heating law – the traffic light coalition is also planning a reform of municipal heating planning. According to the draft law, states and municipalities should present concrete plans in the coming years on how they want to convert their heating infrastructure to be climate-neutral. This is intended to give citizens an important orientation by letting them know whether their house will soon be connected to a district or local heating network or whether they should convert their heating to a heat pump in the foreseeable future.
“Where municipal planning provides for heating networks, the state must not promote the installation of heat pumps at the same time,” said Liebing. He advises “all households who are considering changing their heating system: Please keep your feet still and wait with the decision!” If you are in a hurry, you can ask the municipal utility whether district heating could become an option or not.
The VKU expects that in future Germany will be heated 40 to 45 percent with district heating, 40 percent with heat pumps and at most 15, at most 20 percent with hydrogen, Liebing told the NOZ. “We are certain that all existing district heating networks can become climate-neutral by 2045 – in many places much earlier.”