German Utilities Call for Heat Pump Subsidy Limits in District Heating Areas
- brg_news_room
- Feb 13
- 1 min read
Germany: Germany’s municipal utilities have called for heat pump subsidies to be withdrawn for homes located in areas planned for future district heating connections. The utilities’ association VKU said that subsidising both district heating networks and individual heat pumps in the same areas could undermine investment planning for heating infrastructure.
Under current requirements, cities with more than 100,000 residents must submit final district heating plans by the end of June, while the federal government is preparing a revised legal framework for replacing oil and gas boilers. Utilities and local authorities said that if homeowners install heat pumps before district heating pipelines are completed, network operators could face higher financial risk due to lower customer uptake. Households in Germany can currently receive subsidies of up to 70 per cent towards the cost of switching to lower-emission heating options, including heat pumps and district heating connections.
Source: Clean Energy Wire
