Boilers & Co.

Harsh cuts to environmental subsidies are coming

There will no longer be "too high" bonuses for boiler replacements and refurbishments.(Bild: SkyLine - stock.adobe.com)

Environment and Climate Minister Norbert Totschnig (ÖVP) will soon be launching a "renovation offensive", as the "Krone" has learned in advance. The minister is replacing the program of his predecessor Leonore Gewessler (Greens), which had "numerous weaknesses" - funding quotas of up to 75 percent were not sustainable, according to government circles.

The funding quotas for the replacement of oil and gas boilers and thermal refurbishment (i.e. facade insulation and window replacement) are now to be reduced to 30 percent instead - a cut of more than half.

However, the minister argues that there will be better planning security in future. From 2026, there is to be a fixed annual budget of 360 million euros, totaling 1.8 billion euros by 2030.

By way of comparison: as part of Gewessler's "Get out of oil and gas" program, all the money that was actually earmarked until 2027 has already been spent in 2024, according to the calculations - a total of a whopping 3.6 billion euros.

The new system is now more efficient and safer for both homeowners and businesses - applications can be submitted from November.

Recommendation from Switzerland
In addition to the tight budget situation, the decision is also based on an analysis by the Swiss Prognos Institute, according to information from the "Krone" newspaper. This shows (freely translated) that the demand for subsidies will remain, even if they are significantly reduced - emission savings are still achievable.