The black-red coalition has supported the planned reform of the Heating Act agreed on a cost cap for tenants. Accordingly, cost risks should be shared between tenants and landlords, as the leaders of the CDU/CSU and SPD government factions announced. “Climate protection must remain affordable for tenants,” said SPD parliamentary group leader Matthias Miersch. »We were able to reduce the cost risks for CO₂, network fees and so on Biogas consistently halve,” he said.
In addition to the leaders of the coalition factions, there were also Federal Minister of Economics Katherina Reiche (CDU) and Federal Construction Minister Verena Hubertz (SPD) involved in the determination. According to the information, the regulation should apply to all existing and future tenancies after a heating replacement. If a landlord creates fossil facts, he will have to assume economic responsibility in the future, it was said. In the future, landlords will for the first time be required to contribute to the costs of network fees and fuel when installing a new gas or oil heating system.
Four-stage model until 2040
The planned “organic staircase” from the agreement provides for four steps until 2040. In the first three stages, tenants and landlords should each share half of the price for biogenic fuels. From 2028 onwards, carbon dioxide costs and gas network fees should be split equally between the tenant and the landlord. In addition, a “green gas quota” will apply to existing heating systems from the same year. The installation of new ones Gas and oil heating should still be possible after the reform, but from January 2029 they must be operated with a growing proportion of climate-friendly fuels such as biomethane or synthetic fuels.
In view of the new key points, environmental associations warn of a cost trap for gas. In the long term there will be higher costs due to rising CO2 prices and gas network fees. There are also warnings that biogases make heating costs more expensive. Critics also see Setbacks in climate protection in the building sector and an extension of the dependence on fossil energies.
Hardship clause for unmodernized buildings with low rents
»We create Habecks Heating law and give the necessary freedom in the basement again,” said Union faction leader Jens Spahn (CDU) to agreement. At the same time, there needs to be a fair balance between landlords and tenants, because one decides what to heat with and the other decides how much in everyday life, said Spahn.
CSU regional group leader Alexander Hoffmann spoke of a good compromise between the necessary protection of tenants and the legitimate interests of landlords if owners again decide on heating that runs on oil or gas. »A hardship clause for unmodernized buildings with particularly low rents should also ensure that landlords are not disproportionately burdened Renting is still worthwhile‘ he said.
Funding for heating replacement remains intact
The aim of the project is a fundamental reform of the traffic light coalition of the SPD, Greens and FDP and, to a large extent, the former Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) pushed forward Amendment to the Building Energy Act. Habeck’s central and controversial guidelines are to be overturned, in particular the 65 percent rule, according to which every newly installed heating system should be operated with 65 percent renewable energy.
Initially, only new buildings in a new development area are affected; comprehensive transition periods apply to existing buildings in the current law. Functioning heaters can continue to be operated. The new law should be “more open to technology, more flexible, more practical and simpler,” it said. According to the plans, the funding for heating replacement worth billions will remain intact.
At the end of February, the Union and the SPD had already Key points for a new heating law presented. However, regulations on tenant protection were particularly controversial in view of warnings about increased additional costs. The German Tenants’ Association warned At that time, tenants faced additional burdens because the law did not create any additional incentive for landlords to use climate-friendly heating systems. However, there is a high cost risk for tenants.