CO2 tax in 2021: you also pay so much for oil and gas

The CO2 tax has been in force in Germany since the beginning of 2021. This means that heating with gas and oil will become more expensive every year from now on. Here you can find out what the CO2 tax means in detail, how high your heating costs will rise if you heat with oil or gas and which heating systems are possible as an alternative.

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What is the CO2 tax?

On January 1, 2021, the so-called CO2 tax was introduced in Germany, which, strictly speaking, should actually be called CO2 pricing. Because it is a pricing of carbon dioxide emissions. The legal basis for this is the Fuel Emissions Trading Act (BEHG). Fuels are taxed in such a way that the actual CO2 content is reflected in the prices.

The aim of the tax is ultimately to reduce CO2 emissions in order to promote climate protection. In principle, CO2 pricing translates the climate damage of fossil fuels into real costs and is intended to ensure that consumers and companies change their minds. Since CO2 is also produced when heating oil and natural gas are burned, heating with gas and oil will become more and more expensive in the coming years - we would like to explain this to you in more detail below.

Price increases for oil and gas

The introduction of the CO2 tax will lead to planned price increases for oil and gas. For the year 2021, the federal government has decided on a CO2 price of €25 per tonne of CO2. In practice, this means a price increase of 0.7 cents per kWh for heating oil and 0.5 cents per kWh for natural gas this year. In 2025, however, the CO2 tax should already be €55 per tonne. However, this increase is unavoidable in order to achieve a steering effect and, according to the climate researchers, should be even higher.

CO2 price to rise steadily up to 2026

According to the current status, the CO2 price is to increase gradually until a price of around €55 per ton is reached by 2025. From then on, the plan is to set pricing based on annual emissions. In any case, CO2 prices will continue to rise over the next few years. Compared to 2021, every kilowatt hour will cost more than twice as much in 2025, so it is currently more worthwhile than ever to switch to renewable energies.

Average heating costs including CO2 tax

What does the CO2 tax actually mean for you and your heating costs? In the table below you can see what additional costs you will incur when heating with fossil fuels. We are assuming a family of four in a single-family house with around 140 m² of living space. We determined the additional heating costs with gas and oil per year for an old building (heating requirement approx. 28,000 kWh) and once for a new building (heating requirement approx. 9,000 kWh).

Heaters without additional taxation

There are currently various reasons for replacing your old heating system. On the one hand you avoid the higher heating costs due to the CO2 tax, on the other hand the state subsidies for switching to ecological heating systems have never been as high as they are now.

As an alternative, e.g. heat pumps or the various wood heating systems (pellet heating, wood chip heating, wood gasifiers) are possible. However, you can also expand your existing heating system with a regenerative component and have it converted into a hybrid heating system. Traditionally, oil and gas heating systems are often combined with solar thermal energy, but they can also be combined with heat pumps or biomass heating systems.

Heat pumps as a direct replacement for oil or gas

Heat pumps are a very good alternative to gas heating or oil heating. These are electrically operated and extract heat from their surroundings, which they convert into heat for the property. Currently, heat pumps are one of the best options to replace oil or gas. They significantly reduce heating costs, protect the environment and the state covers up to 50 percent of the costs for replacing the heating system. They are now the standard heating system in many new buildings.

In principle, every house can be equipped with a heat pump for heating and hot water, even old buildings. So just take out the old gas heater or old oil heater and put in the new heat pump? Not quite - in existing buildings, the heat requirement is decisive for whether a heat pump is economical or not.

The heat pump must not have too high flow temperatures. This is often the case, for example, when old radiators are installed. If the old radiators are replaced by surface heating systems, ideally underfloor heating, the heat pump can work efficiently. Energy refurbishment measures such as replacing windows or insulating the roof or facade also reduce the heat requirement.

Solar systems as an ideal supplement

Solar thermal systems are a good supplement for existing or newly planned heating systems. With the help of solar collectors (usually on the roof), solar energy is captured and then used for hot water preparation or space heating support. In this way you save a lot of CO2 and can further reduce your heating costs.

Heat pumps can also be combined with solar thermal energy, but in most cases this is not as economical as combining heat pumps and photovoltaics. This solution is the best way to use a heat pump really sustainably. The photovoltaic system generates inexpensive and environmentally friendly solar power, which can then be used to operate the heat pump.

Of course, such a photovoltaic system initially costs money - since July 1, 2021, the combination of heat pumps and photovoltaics has also been subsidized by the new Federal Funding for Efficient Buildings (BEG). If you still lack the necessary capital, there is also the option of renting a photovoltaic system. companies such as B. DZ-4, offer photovoltaic rental models, which enable the purchase of a PV system even with small capital.

The main advantage of a photovoltaic system for rent is the all-round carefree package offered by most providers. As a tenant, you don't have to worry about things like choosing the right modules, finding an installer, insurance or maintenance. The high purchase price is also replaced by a comparatively small and constant rent - so you can reliably generate environmentally friendly energy on your own property.