Stiebel Eltron Press Release: Heat Pump Sales Surpass Gas Heating in Germany

German Consumers Purchase More Heat Pumps Than Gas Boilers for the First Time

In the first half of 2025, German consumers purchased 139,500 heat pump heating systems, representing a 55 percent increase compared to the previous year. This marks the first time heat pump sales have surpassed those of gas heating systems, with only 132,500 gas heating units sold in the same period. This data comes from reports by BDH (German Industry Association for Building and Energy Technology) and BWP (German Federal Association for Heat Pumps). In the previous year, gas heating sales were more than double that of heat pumps.

“The heat pump has replaced the gas burner as the most popular heating system in Germany for the first time,” stated Heinz-Werner Schmidt, Managing Director of Stiebel Eltron. “The trend reversal is dramatic: sales of gas heating systems decreased by 41 percent in the first half of 2025. In the same period, heat pump sales increased by 55 percent.”

Fossil Fuel Heating No Longer Economical

The decline of fossil fuel heating systems is driven by several cost factors. Gas and oil burners are becoming increasingly expensive due to gradually rising CO2 prices for climate-damaging emissions. Additionally, network charges are increasing. As fewer households are connected to the gas grid, the fixed costs for maintenance, operation, and modernization are spread across the remaining users, leading to price increases. Uncertainty in raw material markets further impacts economic calculations, as the costs of gas and oil can surge due to geopolitical conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine.

Market Development is a Success Story

“As the market development shows, the heat pump is a success story for Germany,” said Heinz-Werner Schmidt. “With reliable framework conditions, policymakers are acting in the interest of consumers, securing climate protection goals, and strengthening Germany as a business location with jobs in a future-oriented technological segment.” Currently, the purchase of a heat pump is subsidized by the state with 30 to 70 percent of the investment costs. CO2 costs are completely eliminated when operating these environmentally friendly heat generators.

To determine how the private energy transition can be cost-effective in individual cases, Stiebel Eltron offers an inquiry service at www.stiebel-eltron.de/heizungstausch on the company's homepage. Homeowners can obtain an initial, non-binding overview of the costs involved and a complete, no-obligation offer from a qualified installer for the installation of a heat pump.

About Stiebel Eltron

Founded in 1924, Stiebel Eltron is one of the leading companies in the market for renewable energies, heating, and building technology, with annual sales of around one billion euros.

As an innovation-driven family company, Stiebel Eltron pursues a clear strategy in the production and development of products – for environmentally friendly, efficient, and comfortable building technology. With around 5,000 employees worldwide, the company consistently relies on its own expertise, from product development to manufacturing. The result is efficient and innovative solutions for hot water, heating, ventilation, and cooling. Stiebel Eltron manufactures at its main site in Holzminden, Lower Saxony, as well as in Höxter (North Rhine-Westphalia), Hameln (Lower Saxony), Freudenberg (North Rhine-Westphalia), and Eschwege (Hesse), and at five international locations (Arvika/Sweden, Tianjin/China, Ayutthaya/Thailand, Poprad/Slovakia, West Hatfield, Massachusetts/USA).

Market Data Visualization

Figure 1: Heating Market H1 2025

Caption: Share of heat generators in the first half of 2025 by heat generator type: the heat pump is leading for the first time with a share of 55 percent.

Description of Diagram: The diagram shows the German heating market in the first half of 2025, broken down by heating technologies. It indicates the sales volume and percentage change compared to the previous year for different heating types. Heat pumps had sales of 139,500 units, a 55% increase. Gas-based heating systems had sales of 132,500 units, a 41% decrease. Biomass heating systems had sales of 14,000 units, a 42% increase. Oil-based heating systems had sales of 10,500 units, an 81% decrease. The total number of heat generators sold was 296,500, a 22% decrease. The source is cited as www.bda-industrie.de.