For homeowners looking to switch from gas connections to renewable sources like heat pumps or district heating, the process has previously cost thousands of euros. Now, the federal government is seeking legal clarification, according to the report by “Der Spiegel”, which details information received in a response from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs to a written inquiry by Green Party parliamentarian Alaa Alhamwi.
The clarification dictates that a gas network operator is not permitted to demand repayment from a private homeowner for costs associated with the temporary or permanent decommissioning of a gas connection at a property. This provision forms part of a draft law designed to implement the EU Gas and Hydrogen Internal Market Package, which the Federal Cabinet approved at the end of March, although it still requires a vote in the Bundestag.
Alhamwi told the newspaper that establishing this rule is urgently needed to protect consumers from facing excessive additional costs when installing a heat pump. He added that the transition to heat pumps is expected to accelerate, partly due to persistently high prices for fossil fuels. Nevertheless, he cautioned that the situation will become more expensive for those who remain connected to the gas network as more households opt out.
The federal government’s stance is that the regulation acts as an incentive for cost minimization, as it ensures the network operator can adopt cost-efficient processes. They explained that the operator can pass the decommissioning costs through the existing gas network fees. This approach, according to the government, helps make the switch to climate-friendly heating more affordable for households that wish to disconnect from gas.
