Germany’s new heating law drives heat‑pump surge in new homes

According to the Federal Statistical Office, 73.6 % of the roughly 58,900 residential buildings completed in 2025 were equipped with heat pumps – an increase of almost five percentage points in a single year and nearly 30 % over the past five years. The uptake is highest in single‑ and two‑family houses, where the share approaches 80 %, while multi‑unit dwellings recorded about 53 % heat‑pump installations.

The rise follows the amendment of Germany’s heating law (Heizgesetz), which relaxed the renewable‑energy quota for new heating systems after the coalition’s earlier minimum‑quota requirement was scrapped. The German LPG association warned that state‑level rules still undermine the federal law and urged the government to introduce uniform nationwide regulations for new heating installations and to keep the green‑gas quota practical and low‑bureaucracy.

The developments signal a shift toward decarbonised heating in the German building sector, with heat pumps becoming the dominant technology for new residential constructions.