Many homeowners are currently dealing with the topic of replacing the heating system: more heating systems were sold in spring than they have been for a long time. The debate about the start of the new heating law continues.
According to the heating industry, the high energy prices of the past year and the forthcoming amendment to the heating law have caused a sales boom in the spring. The sales figures in the heat generator market rose by 38 percent to 306,500 systems sold compared to the same quarter of the previous year, according to the Federal Association of the German Heating Industry (BDH) in Cologne. The boom in sales of heat pumps was particularly strong, with sales figures rising by 111 percent to 96,500 systems sold.
The association assumes that the main reason for the boom is the desire of many homeowners to modernize their systems before the planned amendment to the Building Energy Act. Many owners also wanted to reduce their energy costs with the help of more efficient systems, said BDH department head Ralf Kiryk.
According to the information, more than half of the new plants will be fired with gas. The association recorded an increase of 14 percent to 168,000 new systems. In the case of oil heating systems, the manufacturers even doubled their sales compared to the previous year and sold 21,500 systems. In addition, 20,500 wood-fired central heating systems were sold, which corresponds to an increase of seven percent. However, there has been a decline of eleven percent in the pellet heating systems covered. The association attributes this to a reduction in government funding since August.
The association looks to the future with confidence. Despite inflation, rising interest rates and the slump in new construction, the BDH expects sales of heat generators to continue to grow by well over ten percent. Heat pumps would play the largest part in this.
After 980,000 heaters sold in 2022 as a whole, the association believes that more than one million systems may be sold this year. According to Kiryk, this would be as many as the last time in the mid-1990s.
Heating law: the debate about the start date continues
Meanwhile, debate continues as to when the new heater replacement law will take effect. The German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) expressed skepticism about the planned start in 2024. “In view of delivery problems and the lack of skilled workers for the installation of new heating systems, longer transition periods would be advisable from the companies’ point of view,” said DIHK energy expert Sebastian Bolay of the ” New Osnabrück newspaper”.
According to the draft law passed by the Federal Cabinet, from 2024 every newly installed heating system should be operated with 65 percent renewable energy. Existing oil and gas heaters can continue to be operated, broken heaters can be repaired. If this is not possible, transitional periods should facilitate the exchange. The law is intended to herald the departure from gas and oil heating systems.
According to FDP parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr, a later start date than 2024 is also conceivable. “We will not pass any law that leaves questions unanswered,” Dürr told the Funke Group newspapers. For example, he called for openness to technology when choosing the heat source when the heating is replaced.
The energy policy spokeswoman for the SPD parliamentary group, Nina Scheer, emphasized that her party would insist on fair and adequate structuring of the subsidies during the consultations. “The deliberations will show whether this will also have an impact on the schedule.”
Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) indicated at the weekend that he would not necessarily stick to the fact that the new building energy law will take effect from next year.
The SME and Economic Union (MIT) of the CDU and CSU called on the traffic light coalition to withdraw the amendment to the Building Energy Act. “The building energy law must be completely revised,” said MIT boss Gitta Connemann of the “Rheinische Post”.
Source: Stern
