The Austrian Biomass Association criticized the end of subsidies for switching to more sustainable heating systems in a press release earlier this week (specifically, on 20.1.2025).

The association sees government support measures for boiler replacements, such as the "Renovation bonus" and "Get out of oil and gas" campaigns, as a "prerequisite for the continued success of the heating transition", while their discontinuation is causing uncertainty among customers and the entire market.

"Stop-and-go policy"

In view of the budgetary situation and the lack of a government, it is uncertain whether, when and to what extent the subsidies will be continued, according to the press release. The Biomass Association sees this as a "stop-and-go policy" that deprives customers of the ability to plan their heating conversion.

According to preliminary estimates, around 25,000 biomass boilers were installed in 2024 as part of the
biomass boilers were installed, compared to around 15,000 systems in the previous year.

In addition to the continuation of subsidies, the association would also like the new government to provide a clear legal framework for the heating transition. Such a "long-term commitment to defossilization", i.e. the abandonment of fossil fuels, as the association demands, should have been provided by the Renewable Heat Act, but the previous government consisting of the ÖVP and Greens ultimately only agreed on a slimmed-down version in 2023.

You can still make a wish ... What happens next? - You can of course find out from Power2market.

(Image credit: Fährtenleser/Wikipedia/CC BY-SA 4.0)