According to industry opinion, reduced funding for energy consulting could significantly set back the energy renovation of residential buildings. “The already poor renovation rate of currently 0.7 percent will continue to deviate from the target value of two percent, and the climate targets will also become more distant,” warned the Federal Association for Energy-Efficient Building Envelopes. The Ministry of Economic Affairs had previously announced that the funding rates would have to be reduced from 80 to 50 percent of the eligible consulting fee on August 7 due to the strained situation of the federal budget.

Energy advice is extremely successful in Germany, the association explained. It supports, for example, all those property owners who are now feeling very uncertain after the debate about the heating law. “The federal government should urgently reconsider the reduction in subsidies and check whether unclaimed funds could be transferred elsewhere,” demanded the association. A weakening of energy advice threatens climate protection.

According to the ministry, there is currently more demand for energy advice than ever before. The subsidy rates therefore need to be changed. The maximum subsidy amount is also to be cut by half. “By reducing the amount, as many interested parties as possible can receive subsidized energy advice in the future and the programs can be continued at a good level,” it said. In addition, window replacement or the insulation of external walls will continue to receive greater subsidies if an individual renovation schedule has been drawn up beforehand with the help of the energy advice.