Climate Protection Minister Carsten Schneider (SPD) pressed for a swift agreement on new regulations for heating replacement and urged corrections in the subsidy scheme. “From the building contractors through the installers to the energy industry and the municipal associations, everyone calls for no new chaos, minimal changes, and finally proper planning security” Schneider said to the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” (Saturday issue). “We should heed this warning and bring clarity quickly”.
The coalition announced in December that it would present key figures for the “Building Modernisation Law” by the end of January. That law is intended to become the new “Building Energy Act” for the coalition government. However, talks between the ministries of Economy and Construction and the parliamentary leaders of the Union and SPD have stalled.
Schneider warned against softening the rules of the so‑called Heating Act. “It is essential that we achieve the CO₂ savings. That is not only important for the climate but also fair for households” the SPD politician said. “Gas and oil are getting more expensive. If we do not push people to shift to renewable heating sources now, we will lock them into a cost trap”.
In the same breath, the minister called for changes in the subsidy for renovations and heating replacement. “We should align the state subsidies more closely with social criteria” Schneider said. The goal must be to enable households with medium and lower incomes to heat their homes and apartments in a climate‑friendly, cost‑efficient manner over the long term. “In the past, the focus was often on emissions reduction with little attention to an equitable distribution of public funding”. As a result, a disproportionate amount of money ended up in the hands of the top ten percent, a fact that many people rightly criticized. The government can-and should-do better.
