As of: January 20, 2024, 11:28 a.m
By: Stella Henrich
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Gas heater broken, now what?
The new heating law gives homeowners enough leeway to decide whether to repair, replace or renew.
Frankfurt - With the new version of the Building Energy Act (GEG) - Heating Act for short - the traffic light coalition in Berlin has given all homeowners the starting signal to switch to heating systems with renewable energies.
The reform initially does not change anything for existing systems.
They are allowed to continue to operate.
Owners only need to take action when their system breaks down in the basement.
The new heating law: repairs possible, no replacement of the gas heater necessary
If you have a gas heater, you can - to put it bluntly - leave it running for as long as it works.
A conversion to renewable energy sources is therefore not necessary for existing systems.
If the system breaks down, it can be repaired professionally by a craftsman.
A fundamental replacement of the gas heater is only possible if the heater can no longer be repaired.
Gas heating irreparable - owners have these options:
Anyone who installs a new gas heater (or fossil fuel heater) must first receive
energy advice
.
Without this there is no gas heating.
Energy advice is funded by the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA).
Installation of a
gas heater that can be converted
to hydrogen operation , for example if the network operator converts its network to green hydrogen.
It is currently completely unclear whether the change will ever happen: Green hydrogen is not yet produced anywhere in Germany, and there is no operator energy network.
If the municipal heat planning does not provide for a hydrogen network, gradual requirements will apply for the addition of climate-neutral gases such as biomethane.
Transition periods of several years apply
when replacing heating systems
: five years apply in the event of a total failure, up to ten years in the event of a heating network connection and three years in the event of a failed expansion of district heating or hydrogen.
Hardship cases can be exempted from having to replace the system
Sources: Home ownership NRW, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK)
Owners of existing gas heating systems have enough time to decide.
According to the BMWK
, if you want, you can even temporarily
have a used, fossil fuel-powered heater installed, according to the ministry's tip.
The new heating law provides answers: what it means for owners of a gas heating system and when a system should be replaced.
(Symbolic image) © Doreen Garud/dpa
In cases of hardship, homeowners can be completely exempted from the obligation to replace the heating system.
In each individual case, it is checked whether the necessary investments are in an appropriate relationship to the income or in an appropriate relationship to the value of the building.
According to
the BMWK,
the obligation to switch to renewable heating may no longer apply “due to special personal circumstances, such as a need for care”.
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The new heating law: Municipal heating plan is not yet available
The GEG also stipulates that owners are allowed to install oil or gas-powered heating in an existing property between January 1, 2024 and June 30, 2026 if the respective municipality does not yet have a municipal heating plan.
A heat plan is something like a route planner for the energy transition at the municipal level.
According to the BMWK,
heating systems will only have to use an increasing proportion of bioenergy or hydrogen
from 2029 onwards .
Share of renewable energies such as biogas and hydrogen for gas and oil heating:
2029: at least 15 percent
2035: at least 30 percent
2040: at least 60 percent
2045: 100 percent
However, if the municipality has already made a decision about its heating plan, the installation of heating systems with 65 percent renewable energy has been mandatory in a new development area since January 1, 2024.
These heaters will meet the new rules from 2024.
The new heating law and what it means
Since January 2024, every newly installed heating system must be powered by 65 percent renewable energy.
This regulation provides for the new version of the Building Energy Act (GEG).
The federal government wants to advance the “heat transition” in the building sector with the reform for more climate protection.
Anyone who installs a new oil or gas heating system during the transition period will have to use increasing amounts of bioenergy from 2029.
Even after the transition periods have expired, new gas or oil heating systems are still permitted in various constellations, for example as hybrid solutions in combination with a heat pump or a solar thermal system, when operated with green gases or temporarily within the framework of the various deadlines and exceptions.
It's all about installing new heaters!
Existing heaters can continue to operate and broken heaters can still be repaired.
Source: energiewechsel.de
The new heating law: Prices for gas and oil will continue to rise
This much can be said: For the time being, there will be no immediate changes for homeowners as long as the system of their property is intact.
A lot also depends on the municipalities and communities and their heat plans.
When replacing a system, the Federal Association of Consumer Advice Centers (VZBV) points out that the prices for gas and oil are likely to continue to rise and the CO₂ price for fossil fuels could continue to rise.
The price of a ton of CO2 is already 45 euros and, according to the federal government, will rise to 55 euros next year.
It could be well worth taking a look at the KfW development bank for owners.
For example, subsidies of up to 21,000 euros are possible for the installation of a heat pump.
How this works and what requirements must be met for its installation.
How high the promotional loan and subsidy are in each individual case depends on the type of measure, according to Stiftung Warentest, which also provides a calculator for installing heating on its website.
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