I’ll try to answer this, please consider that English is not my native language:
Yes the prices for energy have been decreased up to the point where it has been pre-war. But the energy providers don’t forward the now lower prices to the end-customer immerdiately, because customers often have contracts with a certain energy pricing which are still running (usually you can escape a contract after one year). Also, people pay an anticipated payment each month. At the end of each year this anticipated payment is matched with what you really have to pay. This can lead to a discount (you get money back) or, in most cases, you have to pay an additional ammount. This happened to a majority of people because the energy priced have increased over the last years. So people have to pay more money for the same amount of energy consumption.
With that in mind, it is also encouraged that people are supposed to stop using natural gas or oil for heating their homes and are supposed to use air-to-air heat pumps or long-distance heating (heat is tranferred through a pipe into your house). This comes with a full refurbishment of your heating system. Simplified: you can’t just throw out your old gas-heater and connect your pipes to a heat pump - you need to replace the heatings in your rooms among other things. This is very expensive. In the meantime the Gebäudeenergiegesetz or Heizungsgesetz (“Energy law for buildings” or “Heating law”) will be changed to this situation. Beginning from 2024 all heating systems shall not be using natural gas or oil. The law couldn’t be established before the parliament’s summer break, so this will be done after the summer break. Affected people can get a sponsorship from a governments bank (KfW-Bank) for fitting their homes - but the law has to be there first. That’s why people are hesitant at the moment. Also, people don’t like changes, especially those who are old. They often say that for the 10 to 15 years they still live, it is not worth changing.
In Scandinavia it has been proven that the usage of air-to-air heat pumps can even withstand severe winters. But they started the transition years ago.
In conclusion:
People have contracts with their energy provider they can’t escape at the moment
Law has to be fitted to the use of heat pumps or long-distance-heating
with the law there are sponsorship programs but people wait for the law
some people just don’t care because it doesn’t affect them in the long run
Germany didn’t push the transition away from gas and oil and coal in the past. With the goal of being carbon emission free by 2045 now is the last chance to start the transition.
Your knowledge about the heating law is very wrong.
from 2024 all heating systems shall not be using natural gas or oil
No. All NEW heating system need to use at least 65% (no an oil/heat pump combination is also possible) renewable energies. And there are exceptions for sudden repairs (I. E. The first couple of years you can still build in gas/oil).
I’ll have to admit that you are right! However, the deadline for using gas or oil for the operation of heatings is Dec. 31st. 2044. From 2045 onward heating systems cannot be operated with gas or oil.
I am German, so I know most points. However a few things are not correct.
Yes, energy companies don’t give you the lower energy prices directly, however we are also far after that point. Here is an overview of enery prices in germany: even new contracts are cheaper then before the war started.
I’ll try to answer this, please consider that English is not my native language:
Yes the prices for energy have been decreased up to the point where it has been pre-war. But the energy providers don’t forward the now lower prices to the end-customer immerdiately, because customers often have contracts with a certain energy pricing which are still running (usually you can escape a contract after one year). Also, people pay an anticipated payment each month. At the end of each year this anticipated payment is matched with what you really have to pay. This can lead to a discount (you get money back) or, in most cases, you have to pay an additional ammount. This happened to a majority of people because the energy priced have increased over the last years. So people have to pay more money for the same amount of energy consumption.
With that in mind, it is also encouraged that people are supposed to stop using natural gas or oil for heating their homes and are supposed to use air-to-air heat pumps or long-distance heating (heat is tranferred through a pipe into your house). This comes with a full refurbishment of your heating system. Simplified: you can’t just throw out your old gas-heater and connect your pipes to a heat pump - you need to replace the heatings in your rooms among other things. This is very expensive. In the meantime the Gebäudeenergiegesetz or Heizungsgesetz (“Energy law for buildings” or “Heating law”) will be changed to this situation. Beginning from 2024 all heating systems shall not be using natural gas or oil. The law couldn’t be established before the parliament’s summer break, so this will be done after the summer break. Affected people can get a sponsorship from a governments bank (KfW-Bank) for fitting their homes - but the law has to be there first. That’s why people are hesitant at the moment. Also, people don’t like changes, especially those who are old. They often say that for the 10 to 15 years they still live, it is not worth changing.
In Scandinavia it has been proven that the usage of air-to-air heat pumps can even withstand severe winters. But they started the transition years ago.
In conclusion:
Good summary, but let’s put the blame where it belongs.
The conservatives of CDU and SPD are the ones who didn’t push the transition, and often times even actively sabotaged it.
Your knowledge about the heating law is very wrong.
No. All NEW heating system need to use at least 65% (no an oil/heat pump combination is also possible) renewable energies. And there are exceptions for sudden repairs (I. E. The first couple of years you can still build in gas/oil).
I’ll have to admit that you are right! However, the deadline for using gas or oil for the operation of heatings is Dec. 31st. 2044. From 2045 onward heating systems cannot be operated with gas or oil.
I am German, so I know most points. However a few things are not correct.
Yes, energy companies don’t give you the lower energy prices directly, however we are also far after that point. Here is an overview of enery prices in germany: even new contracts are cheaper then before the war started.
https://www.zeit.de/wirtschaft/energiemonitor-deutschland-gaspreis-spritpreis-energieversorgung