IA new dispute over energy policy has broken out in the traffic light coalition. This time it is about the ban on new heaters that work with fossil fuels such as natural gas or oil. The federal government made up of the SPD, Greens and FDP had agreed that from 2025 onwards, 65 percent of new heating systems would have to work with renewable energy sources. Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) wants to speed up this requirement. In line with the SPD, but once again at odds with the FDP.
A draft law from Habeck’s house, which is available to the FAZ, says: “The coalition agreement stipulated that from 2025 every newly installed heating system must be operated on the basis of 65 percent renewable energies. Against the background of the Russian attack on Ukraine, the governing coalition decided to bring this target forward by one year to 2024.”
However, as the FDP clarifies, there can be no talk of a decision by “the” coalition. Although the plans are actually old, Habeck and Building Minister Klara Geywitz (SPD) had already presented a concept paper with the key points and data in July last year. The FDP is incensed that Habeck is now pushing ahead with a draft bill. “The scrapping orgy of heating systems proposed by the Green Economics Minister makes neither ecological nor economic sense,” Michael Kruse, spokesman for energy policy for the FDP parliamentary group in the Bundestag, railed against the FAZ Consumers who heat economically with their existing system.”
“Climate protection also works with common sense”
However, a draft bill still means little in the legislative process, it is only just going to the departmental coordination with the other (including liberal) ministers, where they can still announce changes. Nonetheless, the Liberals are already preparing for an exchange of blows. Kruse sees unbearable burdens on landlords and tenants and therefore rejects the plans flatly. “As Free Democrats, we are on the side of the tenants and owners, who must not be burdened with disproportionate costs,” he says. “Climate protection can also be done with reason, without replacing around two-thirds of all heating systems in Germany.” The newspapers “Welt” and “Bild” first reported on the draft bill.
Above all, the FDP complains that Habeck has too quickly turned away from molecular energy sources and is unilaterally relying on district heating or heat pumps. There are also climate-friendly gases that can be used in the existing systems and networks after appropriate conversion – with significantly less effort for everyone involved.
“Habeck’s goal is obviously to wind down the existing and well-functioning gas networks instead of continuing to use them with renewable energies,” says Kruse. “Converting the gas networks to biomethane and hydrogen, on the other hand, would be climate-neutral and would cause little or no conversion costs for existing heating systems.” In this way, all existing gas heating systems could continue to be used in a climate-neutral manner, argues the FDP man. “I firmly reject a one-sided focus on heat pumps and state economic plans for the gas networks.”
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