{"id":14838,"date":"2026-08-07T09:56:12","date_gmt":"2026-08-07T07:56:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gok-blog.de\/heating-system-modernisation-in-2026-the-role-of-lpg-and-heating-oil-under-the-building-modernisation-act\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T10:11:31","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T08:11:31","slug":"heating-system-modernisation-in-2026-the-role-of-lpg-and-heating-oil-under-the-building-modernisation-act","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gok-blog.de\/en\/heating-system-modernisation-in-2026-the-role-of-lpg-and-heating-oil-under-the-building-modernisation-act\/","title":{"rendered":"Heating system modernisation in 2026: The role of LPG and heating oil under the Building Modernisation Act"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/span>What has changed since March 2026?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Can an oil or LPG heating system continue to be operated in 2026 and beyond? If so, does the heating system need to be modernised? And what applies if the natural gas network in a region is expected to be decommissioned or repurposed? These are questions that many owners of existing buildings ask time and again. Since spring 2026, the legal situation has evolved significantly at the political level: the Building Modernisation Act, or GModG for short, was passed by the German Bundestag on 10 July 2026<\/strong> and cleared the Bundesrat on the same day without referral to the Mediation Committee.<\/p>\n

It is important to classify the position precisely for ongoing projects: as at 23 July 2026, according to the available official procedural information, the Act had completed the parliamentary process, but its first provisions will not enter into force until the day after promulgation in the Federal Law Gazette. Until then, the existing Building Energy Act formally remains authoritative. Nevertheless, the implications for planning are clear: the political and legal framework is shifting away from a rigid technology requirement towards a modernisation approach that focuses more strongly on fuels.<\/p>\n

<\/span>From the Heating Act to the GModG: more freedom of choice, but not a free-for-all<\/span><\/h2>\n

At the heart of the new approach is a move away from the existing 65 per cent rule<\/strong> (every heating system must be operated with at least 65 per cent renewable energy). Under the adopted GModG, various technical solutions are once again to be explicitly permitted: heat pumps, heat networks, solar thermal energy, biomass and hybrid solutions, combined heat and power (CHP) systems, direct electric heating subject to strict conditions, as well as gas, oil and LPG heating systems.<\/p>\n

However, this opening-up does not mean that existing oil and gas heating systems can continue to be operated without modification.<\/p>\n

Anyone using a gas, oil or LPG heating system in an existing building will in future have to ensure that an increasing proportion of climate-friendly fuels is used. This means that it is not the heating technology, but the energy source used that becomes the decisive factor in modernisation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

This distinction is important for owners and specialist planners. There is rarely one ideal solution for existing buildings. Insulation standards, heat emitters, available infrastructure, investment budgets, listed-building requirements and regional heat planning can vary greatly. The GModG takes greater account of this reality, but at the same time requires a robust fuel strategy.<\/p>\n

<\/span>The biofuel ladder: what new oil, gas and LPG heating systems will have to deliver in future<\/span><\/h2>\n

For gas, oil and LPG heating systems in existing buildings, the adopted GModG provides for a phased obligation<\/strong> to use more climate-friendly fuels. Under the model adopted during the parliamentary process, the prescribed proportion increases in four stages:<\/p>\n