Without a clear political plan to phase out gas in private heating, rural areas risk being left behind in the green transition. This is the opinion of the energy company Andel, which is calling for action and targeted support for homeowners in areas with low housing values and limited alternatives.
In 2022, a broad political majority agreed that gas for private heating should be phased out by 2035 at the latest. Since then, development has stagnated, and the government has announced that a comprehensive plan will not come until 2026 - while new gas boilers are still being installed in Danish homes.
According to Andel, the postponement could have major consequences, especially in rural areas, where many homes do not have access to district heating and where the economy is often under pressure. The government's own calculations show that 120,000 households will still use gas in 2035 if the pace is not increased.
- Every day without a decision means more new gas boilers, and this creates an unnecessary backlog in the green transition. And gas customers do not really know whether they have been bought or sold, says Rikke Trikker, communications director and Senior Vice President at Andel, in a press release.
The government should show leadership
From 2027, gas will be subject to a CO2 tax, which is expected to cost an average household an extra DKK 2,400 per year in 2038. At the same time, the costs of maintaining the gas network will increase as fewer people use it.
An analysis from Deloitte shows that a full phasing out of gas for private heating by 2035 will result in a socio-economic gain of DKK 6.4 billion. DKK. This is mainly due to lower heating costs, where heat pumps, which are far more energy efficient than gas, play a central role.
Andel aims to phase out gas among the company's approximately 130,000 gas customers by 2029. The company is working on financing solutions and administrative support, but emphasizes that political support is needed.
- The government should show leadership and set a clear end date for the sale of gas boilers. And then there is a need for a targeted support scheme that can help households where the economy is struggling to make the green transition. Around 20,000 homes with gas boilers have a value of less than DKK 1 million. These people do not have the opportunity to invest DKK 120,000–160,000 in a heat pump. Here we must take joint responsibility, says Rikke Trikker.
Andel therefore calls for support schemes to be targeted at households where the economy is struggling to switch away from gas. Around 20,000 homes with gas boilers have a value of less than 1 million DKK, and here it is rarely profitable to invest 120,000–160,000 DKK in a heat pump.
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