According to the will of Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck, private households should in future receive a financial incentive if they convert their oil or gas heating to renewable energies. That could apply, for example, to switching to heat pumps, Habeck said on Tuesday after a meeting with the Thuringian state government in Ettersburg near Weimar.

The amount of funding for the exchange program and when it will start is still being clarified. “We’re working on the details,” said Habeck.

The heating replacement is part of an energy efficiency work plan presented by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection on Tuesday in Berlin. “We’ve also been working behind the scenes to save energy,” says Habeck. The funding offers for households and companies would be realigned. According to the paper, from 2024 every newly installed or replaced heating system should be operated with at least 65 percent renewable energy.

One of the focal points of energy saving is the refurbishment of existing buildings – it has a particularly high climate protection effect. In addition, Habeck announced in Ettersburg that a funding program for advice on saving energy would be launched.