energy
Tenants’ Association calls for relief for tenants in heating costs
In the future, reading the meter readings on site should be omitted (symbol photo)
© Fernando Gutierrez-Juarez / DPA
In the future, heating cost meters will no longer be read on site, but remotely – this is what a new ordinance that the Federal Council is voting on today wants. The changes do not go far enough for the tenants’ association.
The German Tenants’ Association has asked politicians to relieve tenants of heating costs. Before the Federal Council voted on a new heating cost ordinance, Federal Director Melanie Weber-Moritz told the German Press Agency that, as part of the adjustment, it was unfortunately not possible to end the unilateral allocation of CO2 pricing to tenants. “This leads to significantly higher heating costs, especially for tenant households in unrenovated buildings.”
The still incumbent black-red federal government had actually agreed that half of the heating cost surcharge due to the CO2 price would be borne by landlords and tenants. However, this failed due to the resistance of the Union faction.
Weber-Moritz said that the new heating costs ordinance could help save heating energy by providing more information on consumption and thereby increasing the transparency of costs. “Climate protection in the building sector can primarily only be achieved through an energetic modernization of the building stock.” Funding would have to be massively increased for more climate protection in the building sector.
Federal government wants to read heating cost meters from a distance
The ordinance of the federal government, with which EU requirements are to be implemented, provides that newly installed meters can be read remotely and existing ones are upgraded or replaced by the end of 2026. This means that there is no need to read the meter readings on site. In future, the heating cost bill must contain a comparison of the previous consumption and the average consumption. With more information, consumers should be able to better recognize whether and how they can save heating and hot water costs.
On the other hand, the tenants’ association fears additional costs for tenants for consumption and billing information. The legislature failed to limit the cost of recording consumption.