Case studies

An industry scheme to help consumers modernise their boilers

Why?

Directive 2006/32/EC on energy end-use efficiency and energy services set up an objective of 9 % energy savings by 2016, to be achieved by a variety of tools. In 2009, the Austrian Ministry of Economic Affairs and the energy industry agreed to achieve this objective through voluntary agreements.

Heating oil serves 843,000 households (25 %) in Austria; half of oil boilers in households are old and inefficient. The voluntary agreement for the oil heating sector set the target of 2,100 GWh energy savings until the end of 2016.

 

What?

The oil heating industry decided to encourage the replacement of old inefficient boilers through new condensing oil boilers, dedicating a total industry investment of € 130 million under the programme "Heizen mit Öl", i. e. "heating with oil". This investment should facilitate the modernisation of some 60,000 appliances.

Since May 2009, the industry has granted a € 2,000 subsidy to each customer willing to replace their old oil boiler (above 10 years) with a new condensing oil boiler. The scheme is applied in a non-discriminatory way, without any specific requirements related to the consumer’s age or income, or the size of the boiler. A specific scheme launched in 2014 foresees a € 3,000 subsidy in cases of boilers built before 1989 being replaced. This amount can reach € 5,000 for large commercial boilers with a nominal heat output above 50 kW.

Austria

Outcome

  • In December 2014, 33,000 applications had been submitted to the scheme.
  • 5,000-7,000 boilers replaced annually.
  • 1.350 GWh have been saved until the end of 2014.
  • 85 % of the boilers replaced were older than 20 years.
  • Average energy savings of 32.5 % per replaced boiler.

"The Austrian “Bundesenergieeffizienzgesetz” is the implementation of EU directive 2012/27/EC on energy efficiency, which obliges energy suppliers to take measures to reduce the yearly energy consumption."