As of: January 31, 2024, 8:02 a.m
By: Andrea Stettner
Comments
Press
Split
If you have an older wood stove, you may have to upgrade it by the end of 2024.
Which ovens are affected and what should be done if the case arises.
Whether it's a fireplace, tiled stove or Swedish stove: Germany's living rooms are often heated with wood, and some models even save on energy costs.
However, a new regulation could mean the end of many old wood stoves.
What’s behind it and exactly which ovens are affected – an overview.
Why do certain stoves need to be replaced?
Due to a regulation, certain fireplaces must be replaced by the end of 2024.
(Symbolic image) © Thomas Trutschel/photothek.de/Imago
The next stage of the so-called Federal Immission Control Act (1. BImSchV) will come into force in 2024.
The law states that older wood stoves must be upgraded or replaced if they exceed certain emission levels.
The fine dust that is produced when wood is burned can attack the respiratory tract and lead to cardiovascular diseases.
In order to reduce the burden on health, the legislature ensures that old wood stoves are gradually replaced or at least retrofitted with new, lower-emission stove generations.
Which ovens will soon be banned?
The regulation currently affects all wood-burning stoves and fireplaces that were put into operation between January 1, 1995 and March 21, 2010
.
Owners have until December 31, 2024 to upgrade or shut down their furnaces.
By 2025 at the latest, all wood stoves that do not comply with the new limit values will be banned.
However, exceptions also apply here that are not affected by the regulation.
“These include bath stoves, basic stoves, such as single-room combustion systems that are used as heat storage stoves, single-room combustion systems in residential units, historical stoves and fireplaces that were built or manufactured before 1950, as well as open fireplaces,” informs the
Agrarheute portal.
You can find everything about household and garden tips in the regular living newsletter from our partner Merkur.de.
Login here!
The limit values already apply to older generations of stoves.
In order to prove that your stove complies with the regulations, the chimney sweep or the manufacturer can issue a corresponding certificate.
“All fireplace stoves that were produced after 2010 appear to comply with the prescribed limit values.
“The type plate is sufficient as proof,” says
Agrarheute.
What should I do if my stove is affected?
If your fireplace is affected, it needs to be converted - the local chimney sweep can help here.
Depending on the type, you have to factor in costs of up to 700 euros for retrofitting, as the
Chip.de
portal has calculated.
However, this often doesn't make sense for older stoves, as retrofitting and subsequent measurements are often more expensive than buying and installing a new stove.
Such a system also works much more efficiently and, according to
Chip.de,
should consume up to a third less fuel.
If you heat your fireplace correctly, you can also save firewood, but not all materials can be burned in the fireplace, otherwise you could face a hefty fine.
If retrofitting is not technically possible and a new wood stove is not an option, the old one must be shut down.