A current analysis of municipal heat plans shows: for numerous citizens, the instrument is not creating the hoped-for planning certainty. That's because many towns and municipalities designate large "review areas" (Prüfgebiete) where it remains unclear whether households will be connected to a local or district heating network.

In Neumünster, this affects 39 percent of households; in Lübeck, 35 percent; and in Heidelberg, still 17 percent. As a result, municipal heat planning — the central steering instrument of the heat transition — is failing to achieve its most important goal in many places, with potentially costly consequences:

The more property owners opt for an individual solution due to this uncertainty, the harder it becomes to build heating networks that are economically viable. In addition, there is a risk of unnecessary subsidies. The federal government urgently needs to make adjustments in the upcoming major amendment to the Heat Planning Act (Wärmeplanungsgesetz).

To increase planning certainty for citizens, utilities, and the real estate industry, clear requirements are needed in particular to quickly resolve review areas. You can find out how this can work in concrete terms, what else we recommend, and why social factors must be incorporated into heating network planning in our new policy brief.

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