ᐅ Gas Heating from January 1, 2024 – What to Do If Your Heating System Breaks Down?
Created on: 21 Jan 2023 11:21
L
leschaf
Hello!
My mother-in-law currently owns a mid-terrace house from around 1920. The whole building is uninsulated, with old windows, etc. Heating is done with gas, and the boiler is nearly 20 years old.
As of January 1, 2024, there is a new regulation/law requiring that 65% of heating energy must come from renewable sources when installing a new heating system. We are quite concerned about how this will work if the boiler breaks down.
Option 1) Heat pump: This is basically ruled out because we would have to completely renovate the house (insulate basement, exterior walls, new roof, new radiators and pipes, new windows). This is financially not feasible and also impossible to do while she still lives there. It is also unpredictable when the boiler might fail, and with a one-year delivery time for a heat pump, she would have a cold house for a year. Additionally, she has a small extension with a rental apartment we just renovated. There is a new gas heating system there. Switching to a heat pump would definitely cause complications there as well.
Option 2) Install a new boiler quickly before the end of the year. Then there should be peace of mind for 20 years (repairs are still allowed for existing boilers). My mother-in-law is 76, so this will probably be sufficient.
Option 3) When the heating breaks down, install a hybrid system consisting of a heat pump, gas, and solar thermal. Although this is likely to be quite expensive.
Option 4) Switch to an eco-gas tariff when the gas boiler breaks down (e.g., a truly green gas tariff).
Am I understanding this correctly? Is Option 4 really a viable way to avoid renovation until she no longer lives there? Are there any other possibilities we might not have considered? And if it is really possible to avoid the issue by switching to eco-gas — how is it supposed to be controlled who has which contract, and so on?
My mother-in-law currently owns a mid-terrace house from around 1920. The whole building is uninsulated, with old windows, etc. Heating is done with gas, and the boiler is nearly 20 years old.
As of January 1, 2024, there is a new regulation/law requiring that 65% of heating energy must come from renewable sources when installing a new heating system. We are quite concerned about how this will work if the boiler breaks down.
Option 1) Heat pump: This is basically ruled out because we would have to completely renovate the house (insulate basement, exterior walls, new roof, new radiators and pipes, new windows). This is financially not feasible and also impossible to do while she still lives there. It is also unpredictable when the boiler might fail, and with a one-year delivery time for a heat pump, she would have a cold house for a year. Additionally, she has a small extension with a rental apartment we just renovated. There is a new gas heating system there. Switching to a heat pump would definitely cause complications there as well.
Option 2) Install a new boiler quickly before the end of the year. Then there should be peace of mind for 20 years (repairs are still allowed for existing boilers). My mother-in-law is 76, so this will probably be sufficient.
Option 3) When the heating breaks down, install a hybrid system consisting of a heat pump, gas, and solar thermal. Although this is likely to be quite expensive.
Option 4) Switch to an eco-gas tariff when the gas boiler breaks down (e.g., a truly green gas tariff).
Am I understanding this correctly? Is Option 4 really a viable way to avoid renovation until she no longer lives there? Are there any other possibilities we might not have considered? And if it is really possible to avoid the issue by switching to eco-gas — how is it supposed to be controlled who has which contract, and so on?
Winniefred schrieb:
Eco gas is not a renewable energy source.
If converting is not an option, I would probably install a new boiler.
We are also concerned about this issue. Our gas heating system is now 13 years old. In the long term, we want to have photovoltaic panels and a heat pump, but it also has to be affordable. And how do you deal with supply delays if, for example, the gas boiler breaks down in October and you can't get another heating system? We will receive support this year, but it won’t cover 65% renewable energy.If I understand correctly, you don’t even need photovoltaic panels if you install a heat pump, because the heat pump itself is considered 100% renewable energy.
Winniefred23 Jan 2023 10:31Yes, but heat pumps currently have very long lead times. And in older buildings, you can’t just install any type of heat pump. Without photovoltaic panels, the electricity costs for running a heat pump in an older building can become extremely expensive.
M
motorradsilke23 Jan 2023 12:03Winniefred schrieb:
I just checked, our costs would go from the current 70 euros to 193 euros... phew. We currently have a green gas tariff, which is basically just gas from the regional supplier. But then I would be surprised if this counted as heating with renewable energy. Because in fact, you’re still not really heating with renewable energy.Not you personally, but someone must be getting it. So there is a corresponding share of green gas in the network.
schubert7923 Jan 2023 19:35You can't and don’t want to wait until the heating system breaks down, right? Then you will always have issues with waiting times for technicians.
Winniefred23 Jan 2023 19:47schubert79 schrieb:
You can’t and don’t want to wait until the heating system breaks down, right? Then you’ll always have the problem of waiting for technicians. No, we want to wait until we can afford something else. And that doesn’t necessarily have to coincide with the end of the gas heating system’s life. Heat pumps and photovoltaic systems are usually not paid for out of petty cash. Many people face this problem.
B
Bausparfuchs23 Jan 2023 20:02Probably another wave of outrage is about to start, and I’ll be accused of predicting the end of the world. But here, half-truths keep being spread from time to time.
Based on my personal experience, here’s what I can say.
The restrictions from 2024 refer to the installation of a new heating system. What counts as a heating system?
The gas boiler, the chimney or flue, the radiators, the valves and safety groups, the hot water tank or instantaneous water heater.
As long as you don’t replace everything, it’s not a new heating system but just a repair or replacement of individual components.
If the gas boiler breaks down in about 5 years, then you simply have a new one installed. If necessary, a used or demonstration unit.
Of course, you can clarify all this in advance with someone who knows about it. Usually, that is the local district chimney sweep (professional inspector).
This also applies to oil boilers and oil burners, or both. However, you need to keep in mind that only condensing boilers are still available for purchase.
In that case, the chimney must be renovated too—from indestructible stainless steel pipes to ceramic pipes. You can avoid this hassle by stocking a good used oil boiler with a burner. Those are currently inexpensive.
My old oil boiler was recently checked by the chimney sweep. Best values. Built in 1992. I originally bought the entire heating system on Ebay for 15 euros. Complete with everything. It has now been running without issues for 15 years.
My chimney sweep and energy consultant said about heat pumps: they usually only last about 15 years before they break down.
Based on my personal experience, here’s what I can say.
The restrictions from 2024 refer to the installation of a new heating system. What counts as a heating system?
The gas boiler, the chimney or flue, the radiators, the valves and safety groups, the hot water tank or instantaneous water heater.
As long as you don’t replace everything, it’s not a new heating system but just a repair or replacement of individual components.
If the gas boiler breaks down in about 5 years, then you simply have a new one installed. If necessary, a used or demonstration unit.
Of course, you can clarify all this in advance with someone who knows about it. Usually, that is the local district chimney sweep (professional inspector).
This also applies to oil boilers and oil burners, or both. However, you need to keep in mind that only condensing boilers are still available for purchase.
In that case, the chimney must be renovated too—from indestructible stainless steel pipes to ceramic pipes. You can avoid this hassle by stocking a good used oil boiler with a burner. Those are currently inexpensive.
My old oil boiler was recently checked by the chimney sweep. Best values. Built in 1992. I originally bought the entire heating system on Ebay for 15 euros. Complete with everything. It has now been running without issues for 15 years.
My chimney sweep and energy consultant said about heat pumps: they usually only last about 15 years before they break down.
Similar topics