Germany’s cities plan to largely exit natural gas use in the coming years and instead bet on district heating, heat pumps and other low-carbon solutions to heat homes. An analysis by consumer magazine Finanztip of the municipal heating plans of 16 German cities, including Berlin, Hamburg and Munich, showed that all of them expect a significant decrease in natural gas use in the near future.

“Our analysis clearly shows where we are headed: Away from fossil gas and towards more climate-friendly alternatives,” said Finanztip energy efficiency expert Sandra Duy. Germany’s larger cities were required to submit their municipal heating plans by the end of June, while smaller towns and villages have until mid-2028 to submit a decarbonisation plan for the sector.

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The recent adoption of new heating rules by Germany’s parliament, which allow the continued installation of fossil gas boilers as proposed by the government earlier this year, had not been reflected in municipal planning for future gas demand … Instead, several city administrations warned that the controversial new heating rules in the Building Modernisation Act, which scrap a minimum renewable energy share for new installations, could lead to delays, higher costs and general uncertainty.

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Researcher Martin Ammon … also said the government’s law changes could slow the transition but added that a larger reversal of the plans remains unlikely.

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