The service union Verdi and the Climate Alliance Germany have issued warnings regarding the government’s Heat Network Package, expressing concern over high costs if the energy transition is delayed. In a joint statement, Verdi and the Climate Alliance asserted that the shift to sustainable heat sources “must not depend on whether a municipality is rich or poor.” They stressed that heavily structured and disadvantaged areas require significantly greater funding to prevent them from being left behind.
Christoph Schmitz-Dethlefsen, a board member of Verdi responsible for supply and disposal, emphasized the need for stability. He stated that the focus must now be on reliable legal frameworks, enabling local authorities to gain certainty in their investment planning. He urged the federal government to support municipalities with a smart combination of regulatory law, funding mechanisms, and financial instruments, warning that failure to do so would lead to complications.
Stefanie Langkamp, CEO of the Climate Alliance Germany’s political division, highlighted the financial advantages for consumers. She noted that the most affordable heat is that which makes communities independent of sharp price spikes in the international oil and gas markets. She cautioned that continued reliance on fossil fuels would necessitate facing higher future costs and risks. She concluded that a predictable and affordable roadmap for phasing out fossil-fueled heaters is crucial-the sooner this is done, the better for the climate, energy security, and household budgets.
Verdi and the Climate Alliance also called for a clear priority for district heating-particularly from climate-neutral sources such as geothermal energy, large-scale heat pumps, or waste heat-where feasible. They demand a priority for grid connection when doing so is economically and climate-politically sensible. They argue that accessible district heating functions best as a shared, solidarity-based model: the more customers connected to a heat network, the lower the specific costs per household. Finally, the organizations warned against continuous changes in energy and climate policy direction, demanding clear, reliable frameworks for a socially equitable national transformation, underscoring that the energy transition can only succeed as a collective effort.
