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Habeck's heating plans: Green Minister is irritated by harsh criticism and promises comprehensive help

2023-03-24T14:11:48.331Z


Economics Minister Robert Habeck cannot understand the criticism of his controversial draft law banning oil and gas heating.


Economics Minister Robert Habeck cannot understand the criticism of his controversial draft law banning oil and gas heating.

Berlin – Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) has defended his plans to amend the Building Energy Act (GEG).

In an interview with the

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ),

he also expressed his surprise at the sometimes harsh criticism of the draft law.

"If we had presented this law last summer at the height of the energy crisis, I am sure there would not have been nearly as much criticism," said the Vice Chancellor.

After all, this is about more than “just” climate change.

Habeck is surprised by the FDP criticism

Criticism of the Economics Ministry's plans does not only come from outside.

Since the first details about the law became known, there has also been unrest within the coalition.

The FDP in particular criticizes many parts of the draft and wants to renegotiate the ban on gas heating, for example.

The law is supposed to be passed in the cabinet next week.

Habeck expressed surprise to the FAZ

about the FDP criticism

.

The law was drafted “as the coalition committee of the SPD, FDP and Greens wanted in March 2022”.

Since the first winter after the energy crisis had been mastered surprisingly well, many wanted to sit back and relax.

But that is not an option: "The heat transition is not just about climate protection, but also about security of supply."

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Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck defends his plans to ban oil and gas heating (archive)

© IMAGO/Jacob Schroeter

Heat pumps should not be more expensive than gas heating

The Green politician reaffirmed plans that there should be support for people with lower incomes.

Interest rate reductions for loans, tax deductibility of heat pumps or subsidies are possible.

"My goal is that people with low or middle incomes pay no more for an average heat pump than for a conventional gas heating system." He also assumes that heat pumps will become cheaper than they are simply by boosting production are now.

Transitional periods and exceptions to Habeck's heating ban: Owners have plenty of time for conversion

In the summary of the law that became known two weeks ago, it says that no one has to replace the heating system from now on.

The following special and hardship cases for owners are highlighted:

  • Anyone who wants to install a new heating system but cannot yet (e.g. because the connection to the heating network is not yet available) is given a transitional period of five years.

    The five-year period can be extended to ten years if the heating network operator "commits to supplying the building with heat at a reasonable price".

  • If a floor heating fails, the owner has three years to plan a central heating system.

    The owner gets another three years to implement the plans.

  • In the event of an accident, the owner may install a fossil-based heating system once for a maximum of three years.

Rather, the law stipulates that homeowners should now start thinking about how the building should be heated in the future.

Most heating systems have to be replaced every 20 to 30 years anyway - and according to Economics Minister Habeck, heating with fossil fuels will become increasingly unattractive.

"Fossil energies are a dead end, not a money box," he says of the

FAZ

.

List of rubrics: © IMAGO/Jacob Schröter

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2023-03-24

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