German homeowners still opt for gas boilers over heat pumps when changing heating systems

Homeowners in Germany installed more gas boilers than climate-friendly heat pumps when replacing their heating systems in 2024, though the gap is closing, found a report by the government-funded research alliance Ariadne. A small share of homeowners, 1.3 percent, modernised their heating systems last year, with 0.7 percent installing a gas boiler and 0.5 percent choosing a heat pump. "While the installation rate of heat pumps lagged significantly behind that of oil, gas or pellet-based heating systems until 2023, it has almost caught up with fossil fuel technologies by 2024," the authors wrote.