Heat pump must go

Conflict over heating: “This is pure harassment”

Franziska Achleitner and Peter Kraus are annoyed by the "harassment by the authorities", as they say.(Bild: Erwin Scheriau)

A couple from Graz reacts with incomprehension to a letter from the authorities: According to the letter, they would have to uninstall their environmentally friendly heat pump and put their old oil stove back into operation instead. The reason was a missing permit.

Franziska Achleitner lives with her husband Peter Kraus in a detached house in Graz-Andritz. This has been operated with a heat pump for many years, as a climate-friendly lifestyle has always been important to the couple.

There have never been any problems. The pensioners were all the more surprised when they suddenly received a letter from the city of Graz in the spring. "We were told that we had to uninstall our heat pump," says Kraus. The reason given was the lack of a permit. The impetus was said to have come from a neighbor.

But: "At the time of commissioning, we didn't even need a permit. So we don't have such a permit either," says the 70-year-old. "My wife was one of the first to opt for a heat pump back then."

"Regulations are regulations"
Mrs. Achleitner and Mr. Kraus tried to find a solution with the responsible officials: "Unfortunately, no one felt responsible for us. We were told that regulations are regulations."

The removal order was followed by penalty notices.(Bild: Erwin Scheriau)

There are now outstanding fines of around 500 euros. But what annoys those affected even more: "Now we actually have to use our 50-year-old oil stove in the cellar again. It's simply unbelievable that the city would prefer that," says the former organ builder, shaking his head. "That's pure harassment."

As the homeowner did not fight the removal order, it naturally became legally binding at some point.

Heimo Schamberger, Bau- und Anlagenbehörde der Stadt Graz

Authority tries to find a solution
The building and facilities authority of the city of Graz confirms that the heat pump, which according to the owners was installed around eleven years ago, did not require a permit at the time. "But," emphasizes Heimo Schamberger, "it did require notification. And that didn't happen."

The expert emphasizes that the couple could have contested the first letter: "As the homeowner did not fight the removal order, it naturally became legally binding at some point. This means the case automatically moves on to the criminal division."

However, nothing stands in the way of a solution: "The train hasn't left the station yet. The two can still apply for a retrospective permit."

"Neighbors are the best building inspectors"
The official also confirms that it was actually a neighbor who got the ball rolling: "Originally, there was a complaint about noise pollution caused by the heat pump. After that, we had no choice but to investigate." Incidentally, this is by no means an isolated case: "Anonymous reports are commonplace for us. Neighbors are the best building inspectors," says Schamberger.