According to industry associations, the dispute over the so-called heating law has caused uncertainty. Apparently with consequences: According to a report, the demand for heat pumps and insulation systems has collapsed.
The demand for heat pumps and insulation systems fell significantly in the first half of the current year. During this period, 48,804 applications for heat pump subsidies were submitted to the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control. In the same period last year, there were 97,766 applications, according to publications by the authority. The Funke media group had previously reported on it.
“Testimony of the enormous uncertainty”
“The BAFA numbers are a testimony to the enormous uncertainty that the planned heating law has triggered,” said Frank Ebisch, spokesman for the Central Association for Sanitary, Heating and Air Conditioning (ZVHSK) to the Funke newspapers. “Our companies don’t know how to get legally secure advice on how to proceed with the funding situation. So it’s not surprising that consumers and companies prefer to wait and see in the current situation.”
Also decline in insulation systems
When it comes to renovations, people in Germany are apparently also holding back. According to preliminary sales market figures collected by the market research institute B+L and reported by the Funke newspapers, a total of 14.88 million square meters of building area were insulated with thermal insulation composite systems in the first half of 2023 – a drop of 14.82 percent compared to the previous year.
The Association for Insulation Systems, Plaster and Mortar (VDPM) reacted with concern. “The political discussion is narrowing down to heating technology. The topic of thermal insulation has moved out of focus for many property owners – this is reflected in the market,” said VDPM General Manager Hans-Joachim Riechers to the Funke newspapers.
Association sees climate goals at risk
In view of the latest developments, the Federal Association of German Housing and Real Estate Companies GdW sees the climate targets in the building sector as being at massive risk. “Companies have to postpone modernization measures and often significantly reduce the depth of the measures that are still feasible,” GdW President Axel Gedaschko told the Funke newspapers. “The climate goals for living are becoming increasingly distant.”
According to Gedaschko, many companies could only concentrate on maintenance instead of modernization. The association expects investments in modernization to fall by 8.6 percent this year. In addition to increased construction prices and interest rates as well as cuts in subsidy programs, the “chaos” in the heating law is causing additional uncertainty.