Trade and the heating industry have spoken out against a ban on new gas and oil heating systems from next year. In the heating transition, politics must be based on the realities of the market and start with the end customer, said the general manager of the Central Association for Sanitary, Heating and Air Conditioning, Helmut Bramann, in Frankfurt today and criticized Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens). “Climate change is unlikely to succeed with a snap of the fingers at the cabinet table.”
The world’s leading trade fair ISH starts on Monday (March 13th – 17th) at the Frankfurt Exhibition Center, at which the latest heating and ventilation systems will be presented, among other things. Electricity-driven heat pumps, which draw thermal energy from the environment, attract the greatest interest.
Rule change causes trouble
The background is the discussion about a draft law that provides for stricter rules for the installation of new heating systems from 2024. According to an agreement reached by the coalition in spring 2022, from 2024 every newly installed heating system should be operated with 65 percent renewable energy.
This could amount to a de facto ban on new combustion heaters. However, the details of the transition and operating periods that are important for many owners and tenants have not yet been determined.
dissatisfaction dominates
The craft does not assume that the last published draft is the end result, said Bramann. He expressed doubts that all deadlines could already be tightened at the beginning of 2024. The “exaggerated horror message” of a ban on gas and oil heating had a massive impact on the trades, which had been overwhelmed with questions from customers. The trades official warned: Incorrect specifications could lead to many homeowners doing nothing at first or even quickly having new boilers installed.
The heating industry was also dissatisfied with the draft. He misses the equal treatment of other renewable energy sources such as wood or bio-gas, said Managing Director Markus Staudt from the Federal Association of the German Heating Industry (BDH). You also need an offer for the many millions of existing heating systems that will be operated for years to come. In addition, the draft presents far too detailed regulations instead of simplifying things.
