efficiency construction
Around 4,000 private house builders affected by the KfW funding freeze
The Ministry of Economics wants to phase out the KfW funding for efficient buildings. Photo: Armin Weigel/dpa/dpa-tmn
© dpa-infocom GmbH
The Ministry of Economics surprisingly announced on Monday that applications for the promotion of efficient buildings would end. Now it is known that fewer house builders are affected than feared.
Around 4,000 private home builders are affected by the federal government’s controversial freeze on subsidies for energy-efficient buildings.
The German Press Agency in Berlin learned this on Friday from government circles. This number is lower than initially feared, it said. The majority of the applications that are still open are from companies.
A total of around 24,000 applications for building subsidies via the state development bank KfW are affected by the temporary stop, which would require funding of 7.2 billion euros. According to the government circles, 22,000 of these applications relate to new buildings and the so-called Efficiency House 55. Of these, around 4,000 are private applicants for residential buildings, the rest are companies and municipalities.
No new applications possible
The Ministry of Economic Affairs headed by Robert Habeck (Greens) surprisingly announced on Monday that no new applications for the promotion of efficient buildings could be submitted to the state development bank KfW with immediate effect. This applies to the so-called efficiency house (EH) 55 in the new building, the EH40 in the new building and the energetic renovation. Above all, the announcement by the previous government that the EH55 support program would be discontinued at the end of January led to an unprecedented boom in applications from KfW. The ratings mean that buildings use 55 percent and 40 percent, respectively, of the energy that standard homes require.
With the Efficiency House 55, a standard is being promoted with tax money that has long since prevailed, the federal government said in justification. In the future, subsidies should be used in a targeted manner where the CO2 savings are greatest.
A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Economics said that the question of how to deal with open applications for building subsidies is in close contact with the building and finance departments. Clarity should be provided “quickly”.
The suspension of funding triggered loud protests. Habeck had referred to “uncovered budget promises” in the billions. He understands the disappointment, but there was no other choice, he said. The Ministry wants to decide quickly on the future of new construction funding for EH40 new buildings. Funding for refurbishment is to be resumed as soon as budgetary funds are made available.