Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck has been heavily criticized for his plans to ban oil and gas heating.
An expert considers this ban to be completely unnecessary.
Berlin – Many homeowners in Germany are apparently facing difficult times.
Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) is planning a ban on oil and gas heating systems from 2024. By 2045 there should then be a complete ban on operating such heating systems.
The EU is aiming for a renovation obligation, by 2033 all residential buildings in Germany should achieve energy standard D.
Habeck ban plans are heavily criticized.
Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) calls this “a financial castle in the air”.
"The government could shoot itself in the foot with such bans," said Veronika Grimm.
+
Robert Habeck's plans to ban oil and gas heating have drawn heavy criticism.
© Britta Pedersen/dpa/picture alliance
Expert criticizes Habeck's oil and gas heating ban: "eco-dictatorship"
The criticism is justified insofar as the measures are associated with high costs.
The purchase price of a geothermal heat pump alone is between 12,000 and 15,000 euros.
Professor Marcel Frondel from the Institute for Economic Research RWI in Essen estimates that Habeck's plans alone could cost up to 1,000 billion euros by 2045.
Now Frondel has done it again.
“Germany is on the way to eco-dictatorship.
I am appalled by Robert Habeck's plans to ban heating," he scolds in the
picture
.
He sees this as an “inadmissible interference with property rights”.
Habeck's oil and gas heating plans: Ban is unnecessary
Frondel points out that CO₂ emissions trading has been in place since 2021, which also affects homeowners and tenants.
The following applies: the more dirt and pollutants a heater emits, the more you have to pay.
Because the CO₂ price will continue to rise in the future, the use of fossil fuels will become more and more expensive.
This is intended to create an incentive to gradually replace existing oil and gas heating systems with clean systems.
The glaciers are melting – How climate change is changing the earth
The glaciers are melting – How climate change is changing the earth
The expert sees the advantage that users can decide for themselves when their heating is too expensive "and buy a cleaner one." That is "absolutely reasonable".
In addition, according to Frondel, the requirements will be tightened from 2025 so that even less dirt gets into the air.
Consequently, he considers Habeck's planned heating ban to be "unnecessary".
Habeck has not yet commented on the costs of the heating ban.
The Economics Minister is planning extensive state aid for homeowners.
However, according to Frondel, the federal budget has “only limited capacities”.
List of rubrics: © Britta Pedersen/dpa/picture alliance
