The government surprises with a new energy package the day before the budget speech. The Greens give in to ÖVP. The most important points: No mandatory exit from gas and oil in existing buildings, reorganization of PV financing.
The government has come up with a surprise a day before the budget speech. The Greens are saying goodbye to the planned mandatory phase-out of gas and oil in existing buildings. Gas heating is only prohibited in new construction. In existing buildings, the switch must take place on a voluntary basis. Resources for this must be increased. According to Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens), anyone who replaces their old heating system will be reimbursed on average three-quarters of the costs.
An additional billion will be made available for this purpose. These subsidies are especially attractive for single-family homes. How to bring about the change in Vienna’s many apartment buildings is therefore a problem for Viennese politics. There are 650,000 apartments in the federal capital.
Bitter disappointment for environmentalists
The government’s original plan was to phase out gas by 2040. She wanted to regulate this with the Renewable Heat Act (EWG). This was fought over for a year. According to the Greens, the SPÖ and ÖVP in particular could not agree. The SPÖ’s approval would have been necessary because the law requires a two-thirds majority.
Climate activists are bitterly disappointed by this phase-out. The environmental protection organization Greenpeace speaks of a “serious setback”. The Greens justify themselves by saying that nothing has been achieved with the EEC and that it is better to try to obtain higher subsidies than to do nothing at all. “We do it differently, we change the plan,” says Gewessler.
Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) saw “a good day for the energy transition”. There is a second major change in subsidies for photovoltaic energy. VAT on PV systems will be abolished. In return, there will be no more additional financing. The government is spending 650 million on this. Energy support is still available for companies.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
