Overview

• Destatis reports 5.3 million people in 2024 said they could not heat adequately, placing Germany below the EU average of 9.2%.
• Household energy prices in September 2025 were 1.9% lower year over year, with gas up 0.7%, heating oil up 0.1%, district heat down 2.2%, pellets down 1.8% and electricity down 1.6%.
• Longer-term costs remain elevated, with household energy up 50.3% from 2020 to 2024, including oil +99.3%, gas +89.9%, district heat +76.0%, solid fuels +49.1% and electricity +27.4%.
• Techem’s 2025 atlas finds private heating costs rose about 82% from 2021 to 2024 while measured consumption in 2024 stopped falling or even rose, indicating behavioral savings are largely exhausted.
• Analyses highlight that district heating is currently the priciest option yet emits less CO2 per kWh than gas, while heat pumps rank among the cheapest to operate and, along with digital controls and waste-heat use, are urged as next-step solutions; 2024 costs were highest in Chemnitz, Potsdam and the Saarland.