Criticism of heat pump prices
Network agency boss warns against indiscriminate heating replacement
January 7, 2024, 1:22 a.m
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The new heating law has been in effect since the beginning of the year. Building Minister Geywitz is therefore encouraging consumers to replace their gas heating more quickly. However, network agency boss Müller urges caution. Owners first have to find out which renovation makes sense for their house.
Klaus Müller, President of the Federal Network Agency, has warned against careless heating replacement. “My advice is to seek professional energy advice to determine what makes sense in your own home. This is the only way to reasonably estimate the costs and benefits,” he told the newspapers of the Funke media group. “Some need a new heating system, for others a new facade is the right thing. Every house is different.”
Müller was convinced of the success of the controversial heating law. “The assessment will become more and more widespread that heat pumps, solar thermal energy or even district heating are very powerful technologies,” he said. “We will use less fossil gas in private households.” Müller criticized that he had “seen disproportionate price jumps for heat pumps.” “I very much welcome the fact that significant price reductions have now been announced.”
The new heating law came into force at the beginning of the year. The core of the Building Energy Act is the requirement that newly installed systems be powered by at least 65 percent renewable energy. But unlike originally planned, this only affects a few households – namely only new buildings in new development areas. In general, functioning heaters can continue to be operated. Broken heaters can be repaired.
Geywitz refers to the climate speed bonus
For all other households, the new regulation will only apply once there is a municipal heating plan. It should be available in large cities from mid-2026 and for the remaining municipalities from mid-2028. Homeowners should then have clarity as to whether, for example, they should be connected to a district heating network or whether they should look for their own decentralized solutions for a new heating system – for example a heat pump. Sooner or later, most house and apartment owners will have to buy a new heating system.
Even if the pressure to act is no longer as great as envisaged in the original draft law, Building Minister Klara Geywitz encourages consumers to replace their gas heating more quickly. “It may be worthwhile to replace the heater more quickly and not install a new gas heater,” Geywitz told the newspapers of the Funke media group at the end of December. One incentive is the climate speed bonus in heating subsidies. But everyone has to make the decision for themselves, the minister added.