Overview

• Only 41% of communities with fewer than 10,000 residents have begun developing their municipal heat plans, according to the Kompetenzzentrum Wärmewende.
• As of June 2025, just 2.4% of smaller municipalities have finalized their heat plans.
• Municipalities with over 100,000 inhabitants must submit plans by mid-2026, while smaller towns have until 2028 to comply.
• About 70% of small communities report that limited budgets and personnel gaps have delayed their planning efforts.
• Many municipalities lack existing heat networks, making decentralized energy systems the likely focus of future heat plans.