Hardly a day has gone by in recent months without reports of new regulatory measures, directives, ordinances and legislative changes. In the areas of heating and energy in particular, there have been a whole series of changes in recent months, which for many people have caused confusion and ambiguity rather than clarity.
Media coverage adds to the chaos by mixing up different laws, such as the Building Energy Act (GEG) and the long-standing obligation to replace or retrofit from the First Ordinance on the Implementation of the Federal Immission Control Act (1st BImSchV). Such reports make for snappy headlines, but do little to clarify matters. One example of this is the widespread but false assumption that single-room fireplaces such as wood-burning stoves will be banned from 2024. This misconception leads many people to give up their desire for an independent, cost-effective and cozy source of heat in their own homes.
The good news, however, is that there is no ban on single-room fireplaces. The HKI Industrieverband Haus-, Heiz- und Küchentechnik e.V. emphasizes that there will be no such ban now or from January 2024. The date mentioned refers to the GEG, which, if it comes into force at all, will only apply from 2024. It is important to note that this law primarily affects heating systems and does not impose any special requirements or bans on the installation of single-room fireplaces. There is also no new legislation with regard to emission requirements.
In summary, this means that from 2024 there will still be no ban on the installation of single-room fireplaces. Anyone who wishes to do so can install such a fireplace in conjunction with a retrofittable chimney after consulting the chimney sweep. However, existing operators of single-room fireplaces must continue to comply with the amendment to the 1st BImSchV that came into force in 2010. This stipulates that outdated single-room fireplaces that were approved between 1995 and the end of March 2010 must be decommissioned, retrofitted or replaced by the end of 2024 if they do not meet the stricter requirements.
And in this context, it should be mentioned once again: a storage heating stove is not affected by the retrofitting obligation due to its high efficiency and technology, and we have summarized further details on this in an earlier article on the subject of the 1st BImSchV.
Contact us if you want to be prepared for next winter now. The best time to install a storage heating stove is now!
