Oil and gas heating in Germany

Oil and gas heating systems will continue to operate for the time being.

Nevertheless: According to a survey in September, over half of property owners in Germany were not planning any voluntary renovation measures. However, as an owner there are also obligations that are set out in the Building Energy Act (GEG). It has been in force since January 1, 2024 and is intended to make the entire building area more environmentally friendly. A central point: All heating systems should generally be powered by 65 percent renewable energy.

However, this only affects newly installed heating systems for the time being, and initially only in new development areas. Functioning oil and gas heating systems should continue to operate for the time being and can be repaired if necessary. Even if the heaters are defective, there is a transition period of five years. So there is no obligation to exchange - yet - but from 2026 at the earliest.

Many changes, transition periods and exceptions do not necessarily make it easy for homeowners to understand the law. In addition, there are specifications not only for heating, but also for other parts of a house. But: Although the heating law contains many details, most homeowners will probably not be directly affected by it in the near future.