Energie: Plus 28 Prozent: Heizen wird dieses Jahr für viele Haushalte deutlich teurer

Heating costs for many households are set to rise by 28 percent this year due to the escalation of the Iran war, according to the latest Heizspiegel survey. The survey, conducted by the non-profit advisory company CO2Online with funding from the German Environment Ministry, analyzed data from 67,000 buildings, including single and multi-family homes.

The forecast for the entire year of 2026 takes into account changes in heating demand due to weather conditions compared to the previous year, using data from the German Weather Service. Additionally, average prices for individual energy carriers are included, based on calculations until summer.

Fernwärme (district heating) and Wärmepumpe (heat pump) heating methods are expected to incur higher costs of up to three percent, primarily due to inflation. After accounting for inflation, these heating methods are forecasted to remain at nominal prices long-term, provided the energy grid is primarily converted to renewable energy sources. However, this will initially make heating with district heating more expensive in the short term. The investment costs for a heat pump are only amortized after several years.

Gas prices have slightly decreased, as higher wholesale prices due to the Iran war have not yet fully reached consumers. Many customers still rely on contracts with price guarantees, and the gas storage surcharge, which was introduced in 2022 by the German government to finance the refilling of gas storage facilities during the energy crisis, has now been removed.

As of January, consumers no longer need to pay this surcharge. However, this is a one-time effect, and long-term, gas is expected to become one of the most expensive heating methods, mainly due to the increasing CO2 price.