12May 2023 
Logging progress in the energy transition
As it moves to step up climate action and expand renewables, Germany is passing new energy transition milestones every month. Overview of important milestones since the last issue of Energiewende direkt.
© iStock.com/nullplusExpertise for the heat transition
The federal heat pump expansion programme has been set up to provide heating engineers, building technology planners and energy advisors with training on heat pumps. The programme, which was launched on 1 April 2023, promotes training on the design and installation of heat pumps in existing buildings.
Hardship assistance for private households: Federal Government provides €1.8 billion
Consumers who heat their homes using non-piped energy such as heating oil or wood pellets are to be provided with financial relief through a hardship arrangement. Based on the electricity and gas price brake, households that have faced significantly higher costs as a result of the energy crisis are to receive financial support retroactively for the year 2022. The Federal Government will provide up to €1.8 billion for this hardship assistance through the Economic Stabilisation Fund.
Bundestag decides to accelerate installation of smart metering systems
On 20 April, the Bundestag decided to speed up the deployment of smart meters. Households and businesses can use them to improve and facilitate the way they manage their electricity consumption and their feed-in of electricity, e.g. from photovoltaics, and to benefit from new tariffs. Smart meters also make it possible for renewable energy installations and controllable consumers like electric cars and heat pumps to be efficiently integrated into the electricity grid. From 2025, all electricity suppliers will be required to offer dynamic electricity pricing. For more information about smart meters, please click here (in German only).