By Gunnar Schupelius
The Federal Council proposes exempting pensioners from the heating ban. But even this regulation is neither fair nor sensible, says Gunnar Schupelius.
The federal government wants to ban the installation of new oil and gas heating systems from 2024, unless they are combined with a heat pump that heats with geothermal energy. From 2045, all heating systems using fossil fuels are to be switched off.
The Building Energy Act, in which these bans can be found, was drafted by Federal Economics Minister Habeck (Greens). It contains an exception rule: anyone over 80 years old is pardoned and exempted from the ban on heating.
This regulation already caused a shake of the head and a lack of understanding: Why should one have to buy a heat pump at the age of 79 but not at the age of 80?
The Federal Council, which also has to agree to the heating ban, rejected the 80-year rule on May 12 and instead called for “an objectively justifiable age limit, such as the retirement age”.
But this proposal also lacks any logic, because the retirement age does not decide who can afford an expensive heat pump and who cannot. That depends much more on the amount of the annuity or pension, on the other financial burdens of the private household and, above all, on the assets.
If you are 70 years old and wealthy, you can afford a heat pump, if you are 60 years old and live hand to mouth, you cannot afford one. Any kind of age limit does not do the thing justice and is pure nonsense.
The Federal Council makes another suggestion: “An easy-to-administer hardship clause” that “takes particular account of social criteria” is also conceivable. According to this, the financial situation of private households would have to be checked on a case-by-case basis in order to obtain an exception to the heating ban.
That too is purely theoretical. What line should be drawn and where? With household income? And who decides what financial burden caused by the forced installation of a heat pump is reasonable?
On closer inspection, it becomes clear that the ban on gas heating and the obligation to install a heat pump cannot be linked to the age of the owner. And also not to any arbitrary income limit.
This prohibition and this obligation must not exist at all, because this is far too great an encroachment by the state on private property, you could also call it an encroachment that Habeck came up with here with his State Secretary Graichen, who has since had to leave .
Because the heating ban hangs over the value of the property like the sword of Damocles. With outrageous arrogance, the green politicians ignore all those who have saved up real estate for old age in order to be provided for at the end of their lives.
The green climate policy is going in an authoritarian direction. But the liberal state that we know decides to subsidize a type of heating that it thinks is right. He doesn’t climb into anyone’s boiler room and explain what’s allowed there and what’s not.
The heating ban is now being discussed in the Bundestag. Of the governing parties, only the FDP lodged an objection there. Across the country, the shocked and frightened small business owners can only hope that it catches on.
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