On 9 November 2026, the parliamentary group of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen submitted a motion to the German Bundestag to reorganise district heating. It calls for binding rules on decarbonising heating networks, targeted investment aid for networks and generation, as well as the introduction of price oversight and specific consumer protection requirements.
The initiative builds on key proposals for a The Federal Cabinet submitted on 26 August 2026 by the heating network package At the same time, work is under way on an amendment to the Ordinance on General Conditions for the Supply of District Heating (AVBFernwärmeV) and on a new Heating Networks Act. According to the Greens, clear statutory requirements and reliable cost rules are still lacking, holding back the switch to district heating and leaving households uncertain. The motion focuses on accelerating the expansion of climate-neutral heat generation and providing social protection for low-income households.
Specifically, the MPs are calling for a reliable funding framework for decarbonising networks, clear guidelines on how to allocate network charges and generation costs, and transparent, verifiable pricing mechanisms. These measures are intended to limit unexpected additional costs for tenants and make investment in municipal and decentralised infrastructure easier. Price oversight is intended to prevent abuse while also ensuring investment certainty.
Responsibility lies primarily with the federal legislature. Practical heat planning remains the responsibility of the federal states and local authorities and must be aligned with federal objectives. Legislative amendments – from the Heat Planning Act to the amendment of the AVBFernwärmeV – are currently being discussed by the relevant ministries and in the responsible Bundestag committees Public hearings have already taken place; in the applicants’ view, no binding timetable for the full implementation of the heating network package has yet been set.
The possible consequences of the motion can be divided into intended effects and foreseeable obstacles. If successful, it would create measures to speed up the development of climate-neutral networks, more binding decarbonisation pathways and stronger rights for customers. These would be accompanied by technical and financial challenges: rapidly expanding major infrastructure, funding it through grants and tariffs, and balancing price oversight with market-based incentives. The points set out in the motion are political demands. Their legal effect depends on the further parliamentary process in the German Bundestag.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).