At around 71 percent, the majority of private households in Germany still heat with fossil fuels. Gas heaters are the most widespread, as the Federal Statistical Office announced on Monday based on preliminary data from the previously evaluated microcensus. Half (51 percent) of households stated that they used it for heating. A fifth (20 percent) lived in apartments with oil heating, less than 0.5 percent heated with coal. Only 3 percent of households used renewable energies such as biomass, solar energy or geothermal energy for heating. According to the rest, they used district heating (18 percent), electricity (4 percent) and wood or wood pellets (around 4 percent).
Another finding on the housing situation: on average, people in large cities have to pay significantly more rent than in medium-sized municipalities or in the country. In the first half of the current year, an average net rent of 8.30 euros per square meter was due in cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants. That was 30 percent more than in small towns and rural communities with about 6.40 euros.
In medium-sized cities with 20,000 to 100,000 inhabitants, private households say they paid an average of 6.90 euros per square meter.
Notification Federal Office
