From January, the switch to green-tech heating systems will be massively subsidized in Austria - the bestseller: heat pumps
In the race for climate-friendly heating, Austria is ahead of Germany: in terms of heat pump sales per 1,000 households, the country has installed almost 15 devices, more than twice as many green-tech heating systems as private households in Germany, for example (around 7). From January 2024, the federal government is now massively increasing the funding for switching from fossil fuel heating systems to green alternatives - a good and important step away from oil and gas!
"Compared to Germany, Austria is in a good position when it comes to climate-friendly heating replacements," says Thomas Mader, Managing Director of home and system technology manufacturer Stiebel Eltron Austria. "However, the momentum in this country has slowed considerably over the course of this year. Against this backdrop, we expect the new subsidy rates, which will apply from January 2024, to stimulate the market for green tech heating systems. Homeowners who want to benefit from the new subsidy rates can therefore start planning now."
Increased funding for new heating from January 2024
The government has increased the funding pots and covers an average of 75 percent of the costs of replacing heating systems with climate-friendly heating systems such as heat pumps through federal and state subsidies. People on low incomes receive 100 percent funding. The new flat-rate subsidies apply to detached and semi-detached houses as well as terraced houses and multi-storey residential buildings.
Specific funding depending on heating technology
"We welcome the fact that the subsidy rates will vary in future depending on the technology selected," says Mader. "For example, the flat rate for an air-to-water heat pump in a detached or semi-detached house is 16,000 euros. Anyone opting for a water-to-water or brine-to-water heat pump will receive 23,000 euros in future. The support designed in this way ensures that the most suitable heating variant can be implemented in each house, depending on the local conditions."
The "inverted refrigerator" for space heating
Climate-friendly heat pump heating converts natural energy from the air, groundwater or ground into heat. The functional principle works like a "reverse refrigerator". 1.5 million Austrian households still need to be converted to renewable technology - they currently heat with environmentally harmful oil or gas heating systems. "The increased funding is a strong argument for no longer putting off replacing the old heating system," says Mader.
- As part of the "Get out of oil and gas" campaign, the federal government is promoting the replacement of heating systems. Stiebel Eltron Austria provides an overview of the funding landscape here: Subsidies for your heat pump (stiebel-eltron.at)
- Households in the lowest income third receive 100 percent of the subsidy with the "Clean heating for all" program.
