According to the “Spiegel”, a scrapping premium for old boilers could be financed from the climate and transformation fund, into which the state proceeds from emissions trading, among other things, flow. Above all, households with lower or middle incomes should benefit from this. Favorable loans for the purchase of a heat pump are provided for apartment and house owners, especially those with higher incomes.
According to “Spiegel”, there should also be relief for tenants who are affected by the replacement of the heating in their house. If the heating breaks down, the apartment owner can now only pass these costs on to the tenants to a lesser extent by means of a modernization levy, it said, citing information from government circles.
The traffic light coalition is fiercely arguing about the new regulations for building heating systems. The FDP rejects specifications according to which new heating systems must be operated with 65 percent renewable energies from 2024. This should be negotiated in the coalition committee on Sunday.
According to “Spiegel” there is also movement on this issue. For example, heating systems that run on biomethane or green hydrogen could also be approved in new buildings.
However, government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said that such a proposal “would be new to me”. A spokesman for Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) said that this term “was not brought into the discussion by our house”.
“We are open to that,” said a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Construction. This is “an idea that can play a role in the discussion”.
The climate alliance called on the government to finally remove blockages in the heat transition and in traffic. “In order for us to become independent of fossil gas and oil and for energy to remain affordable in the long term, it is essential to switch to 65 percent renewable energies for new heating systems,” emphasized the organization.
Germanwatch also called for quick steps to move away from fossil fuels for heating. “Because of the long lifetime of such investments, it is so important that the changeover begins now,” emphasized Political Director Christoph Bals. However, he also urged social cushioning of the changeover. This applies in particular to old buildings, where renovation is also necessary before heat pumps can be installed. Conversely, measures “have the greatest return there”.
