Owners of oil and gas heating systems will have to replace their system in the next 15 years. If the EU Parliament has its way.
The federal government actually plans to allow oil and gas heating to be used until 2045. Only then will fossil fuels be banned in heating boilers. But a new decision could mean an early end to the popular heating systems.
Fossil fuels only allowed until 2039
Germany has committed to being climate neutral by 2045. This also means that fossil fuels in heating systems are only permitted until then. Oil and gas heating systems must therefore be replaced by more environmentally friendly heating methods such as heat pumps, pellet heating systems or a district heating connection.
Accordingly, many homeowners have settled on this end point for their oil and gas heating. Some people even bought a new one in advance so that they could use it until at least the end of 2044 (more on this in this article here).
However, the EU Parliament's resolution of March 12, 2024 now stipulates that fossil fuels are only permitted in boilers until the end of 2039. “By 2040 there should be no more boilers powered by fossil fuels,” it says specifically. As a result, the end of oil and gas heating will be postponed by five years.
This means that oil and gas heating systems should be replaced much earlier. Accordingly, the affected homeowners may have to replan their finances – because alternative heating methods are quite expensive to purchase (you can find out how to get funding here).
How likely is an early exit?
Only when the EU states agree to the EU project will the requirements come into force. According to the dpa news agency, in most cases this is just a formality. This means that replacing gas and oil heating early is relatively safe. t-online has already asked the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection for a statement. This answers: “The federal government will wait for the further legislative process and then examine any need for implementation that may arise.” It is “not yet possible to comment on this in more detail.”
