The clock is ticking: 84 cities have to submit their heat plans by June 2026. Then the 65 percent rule applies to new heaters.
Frankfurt – An important deadline is approaching for owners in major German cities: the option to reinstall purely fossil-fuelled gas heating systems is ending in more than 80 cities. The reason is the legal obligation for municipal heat planning, which automatically results in stricter requirements for heating systems.
Stricter heating rules have been in effect for new buildings since January 2024. From June 30, 2026, the new installation of exclusively fossil fuel-powered gas heating systems will no longer be permitted in 84 major German cities.
More than 80 cities are affected by the end of pure gas heating
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Nationwide, all cities with more than 100,000 residents are obliged to complete their municipal heating plans by June 30, 2026 at the latest. This obligation arises from the Heat Planning Act, which requires the creation of heat plans throughout Germany.
The metropolises affected include Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt am Main, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, Dortmund and Essen. But medium-sized cities such as Heidelberg, Freiburg, Ulm and Kassel also have to meet this deadline.
The complete list includes more than 80 major German cities spread across all federal states:
The Heating Act will bring important changes in 2026 – the 65 percent rule applies automatically
As soon as the heat planning is completed, the 65 percent rule of the Building Energy Act automatically applies. This means: New heating systems must generate at least 65 percent of their heat from renewable energies. Pure gas heaters do not meet this requirement. A transition period of five years applies. After the municipal heat planning comes into force, replaced gas heating systems must meet the 65 percent requirement after five years at the latest.
Municipalities with fewer than 100,000 residents can take until June 30, 2028. However, you can also decide on heating planning earlier – then homeowners will have to look for alternatives to gas heating earlier. From 2045 onwards, boilers will no longer be allowed to run on fossil fuels and will therefore have to run on 100 percent renewable energy.
Municipal heat planning is making good progress in Germany. By May 2025, 47 percent of all municipalities have already started drawing up a municipal heat plan, as the Federal Institute for Building, Urban and Spatial Research (BBSR) reports. 488 municipalities – that corresponds to 4.5 percent – have already completed a heat plan. Large and medium-sized municipalities in particular are already well advanced in implementation.
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What the new regulation means specifically for homeowners
Existing gas heating systems can still be repaired and operated, only new installations will be restricted from 2026. The same applies to oil heaters. Anyone who lives in an affected city and is thinking about a new heating system should hurry up or use climate-friendly alternatives such as heat pumps.
Oil boilers must be replaced after 30 years of operation – provided that the system is irreparably defective or does not belong to the category of modern low-temperature or condensing boilers. (heat planning law, building energy law, own research) (asc)
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