The traffic light coalition of SPD, Greens and FDP has achieved a breakthrough in the heating law. At a meeting with the leaders of the faction, according to information from Süddeutsche Zeitung open points clarified. So far, the traffic light partners had only agreed on rough “guard rails” for changing the original draft law.
Details were initially unclear. The bill is now to be amended accordingly. The traffic light wants the building energy law – the so-called heating law – to be passed by the Bundestag before the summer break, which begins after July 7th. In the coming week there will be another expert hearing in the Bundestag’s climate and energy committee.
In mid-June, a top group of SPD, Greens and FDP agreed on changes – so-called “guard rails” – to the draft law passed by the cabinet. In essence, the “guard rails” provide more time for many homeowners when replacing the heating system.
The Building Energy Act is to be linked to a law on municipal heating planning. The principle should apply: First, there must be a municipal heating plan. Otherwise, owners will not have all the information they need to choose the most economical heating option for them. The municipal heat planning is intended to let homeowners know, among other things, whether they can connect their house to a district or local heating network. The state must first deliver, emphasized the FDP in particular. Mandatory municipal heating planning is aimed for by 2028 at the latest.
The FDP had previously called for fundamental improvements and insisted on openness to technology. However, many points were still open – for example, what the planned state subsidy would look like and how the exception rules for heating replacement would be designed exactly.
According to the “guard rails”, there should also be another modernization levy that landlords can use to pass costs on to tenants. Details were still open. So far, it has also been unclear what happens if someone now installs a gas heating system that can generally be converted to hydrogen, but their municipality later does not plan a suitable gas network at all. The coalition leaders had only stipulated that “reasonable transitional periods for switching to the new technology” should then apply.
The draft law passed by the cabinet stipulated that from 2024 onwards every newly installed heating system should be operated with at least 65 percent green energy. This is intended to decisively advance the heat transition in the building sector and thus contribute to Germany achieving its climate goals. According to the draft law, however, no functioning oil and gas heating systems should have to be replaced, and defective heating systems should also be allowed to be repaired.