The federal government wants to promote the private energy transition of citizens. The subsidies are generous, especially for heat pumps, but there is still uncertainty. Everything you need to know about heating now.
This article was first published on September 21, 2023 and was updated on August 28, 2024.
It was a difficult birth. On September 8, 2023, the Bundestag passed the new Building Energy Act (GEG) with the votes of the traffic light government. For months, the draft from the FDP parliamentary group had been attacked by the opposition and associations. The “Bild” newspaper (“Heating hammer!”) escalated the shitstorm to hurricane strength.
But even if improvements were still necessary, the amendment to the GEG is, on the whole, an act of common sense. The law is intended to make German apartments and homes fit for a climate-neutral future by 2045 at the latest. Today, around 75 percent of households are still heated with climate-damaging gas or oil, which produces 40 percent of Germany’s greenhouse gases. Others are much further ahead: 60 percent of Norwegian households, for example, use heat pumps.
It is no longer about exploding gas and electricity prices like two years ago – they have actually fallen sharply. And the energy supply is secure for now, says the Federal Network Agency. The GEG is part of a whole package of regulations with which the state wants to promote the private energy transition. There are now also funding opportunities for companies and municipalities. star wants to help you benefit from this – and answers the most important questions about heating here.
Source: Stern
