The CO2 price makes heating more expensive – and so far has only stuck with the tenant. In the future, the landlord will also have to do it. But the opposition warns that the law could have some unintended consequences.
In future, landlords will in many cases have to contribute to their tenants’ climate tax for heating. The so-called CO2 price is divided between tenants and landlords according to a tiered model. The Bundestag decided on Thursday in Berlin. The less climate-friendly the house is, the more the landlord has to take on.
The new law provides relief for all tenants in Germany, emphasized Building Minister Klara Geywitz (SPD). “Now we have a fair model that also makes landlords responsible. In this way, both sides are making a contribution to climate protection.” Tenants would be motivated to use heating more sparingly and landlords would be encouraged to invest in energy efficiency.
CO2 price should help with climate protection
Anyone who heats with oil or gas has had to pay an additional fee since 2021, which is intended to help reduce climate-damaging carbon dioxide emissions. So far, this has been entirely at the expense of the tenants – although they only have a limited influence on how much CO2 is emitted. That depends not only on the heating behavior, but also on how well insulated a house is, which heating system and which windows are installed.
Allocation of costs depending on the climate balance
From January, landlords will also be asked to pay up: for houses with very high greenhouse gas emissions per square meter, they should pay 95 percent of the CO2 price. The proportion decreases the more climate-friendly your house is. If emissions are very low, tenants must continue to bear the costs themselves. This should encourage landlords to make energy-saving refurbishments and tenants to save energy. However, tenant representatives fear that the costs of a renovation, with which landlords could reduce their share, will ultimately be passed on to the tenants.
Exceptions to monument protection
For shops, office buildings and other houses where no one lives, the costs should be divided equally – unless the tenant and landlord agree otherwise in their contract. There are also exceptions for listed residential buildings and in milieu protection areas where landlords cannot easily renovate. Here the landlords then have to contribute less or not at all to the CO2 price.
Financial Impact
According to experts, the current CO2 price is eight cents per liter of heating oil and 0.5 cents per kilowatt hour for natural gas. The comparison portal Check24 calculates that a family with gas heating and consumption of 20,000 kilowatt hours per year in the most climate-friendly house would have to pay a CO2 price of 128.40 euros. If, on the other hand, the house is particularly poorly insulated, only 6.42 euros remain with the tenant, the rest would have to be borne by the landlord. This family would therefore be relieved of around 122 euros.
Since the CO2 price on heating oil is higher, 189.19 euros would be due for the same family with oil heating in the climate-friendly house. In the poorly renovated house, the family would only have to pay 9.46 euros themselves.
CO2 price increase postponed
Actually, the climate tax should increase in the coming year, but because of the energy crisis with high inflation, the traffic light coalition suspended it. The increase from 30 euros per ton of carbon dioxide emitted to 35 euros will only come into effect on January 1, 2024. As a result, a model household with gas heating and 20,000 kilowatt hours of consumption in the most climate-friendly house saves 21.40 euros according to Check24, and a similar household with oil heating saves 31.51 Euro.
Information for landlords
It must now be determined for each house how climate-friendly it is, i.e. how many kilograms of CO2 are emitted per year. According to the plans, the landlords should be given all the data required for the calculation.
What the opposition criticizes
The Union sharply criticized the law. “A real prankster,” said construction politician Jan-Marco Luczak. How much fuel is consumed also depends on the consumption behavior of the tenants and the weather. “This means that the intended steering effect of the CO2 price fizzles out,” he said. “Instead, it would be correct to reward the renovations that have been carried out and the corresponding savings in CO2.” At the same time, the model punishes tenants who heat sparingly. Because then the fuel consumption of the building would drop, it would be classified in a better category and the expense ratio of the tenants would rise. The main losers are families with many children and older people, who often heat more.
Source: Stern
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
