Heat pumps mandatory when replacing central heating from 2026

From 2026, homeowners will be obliged to install a hybrid heat pump or a sustainable alternative, like a fully electric heat pump or a connection to the heat network, when replacing their central heating system. The Cabinet announced that it will impose green requirements on the heat installation from 2026. 

Minister Hugo de Jonge for Housing says that houses must become "greener" more quickly. "It is also better for everyone's wallet if we use less natural gas. That is why the Cabinet wants the hybrid heat pump to become the standard from 2026 when the central heating boiler needs to be replaced." The hybrid heat pump is a combination of a heat pump and a central heating boiler. This device uses about 60 percent less gas than the traditional central heating boiler.

Until 2030, there will be a subsidy for homeowners to help them purchase a sustainable heat installation. There is also an exception to the obligation for houses that are not suitable and houses that will soon be connected to an alternative to natural gas.

Environmental organization Natuur & Milieu called De Jonge's promise good news. According to the organization, both the climate and households will benefit from hybrid heat pumps. "It will also lead to lower energy bills. An extra advantage at a time of high gas prices and uncertainty."

Aedes, the umbrella organization for housing corporations, called the move "an excellent development." "The hybrid heat pump is an excellent intermediate step towards sustainability," a spokeswoman said. According to Aedes, housing corporations are already working on sustainability, but alternatives like constructing a heat network take a lot of time. "Then this is a great solution to start using less gas. And in the meantime, innovation can be done for new solutions."

The spokeswoman could not say how many housing corporation homes still have central heating boilers. The corporations have agreed to prioritize homes with the lowest energy label. According to Statistics Netherlands, the housing corporations jointly owned almost 2.3 million homes last year.