Danish resident’s struggle to ditch gas heating highlights policy gaps in green transition

Jan Bagger Severinsen, a resident of the small town of Spentrup in East Jutland, Denmark, has been attempting to get rid of his 16-year-old gas heating system for over two years. He finds the situation extremely frustrating as political leaders have stated that gas heating systems need to be phased out, but have not provided clear guidance on how or when this should happen.

Severinsen and other residents of Spentrup have tried to bring district heating to their town, but so far, it has been deemed too expensive. They are currently awaiting a final decision from a larger company in Randers, who are determining whether it would be financially viable for them to take over the project.

Due to the uncertainty and low gas prices, Severinsen is sticking with his old gas heating system, even though it contradicts the green transition. He believes his only alternative is a heat pump, which he doesn’t think is suitable for his house.

A recent report revealed that there’s a long way to go in phasing out gas in Danish homes, which the government views as one of the major challenges. Around 122,000 Danes are still awaiting a decision on whether they can replace their oil or gas heating with district heating.

Despite a spike in gas prices in 2022, prices have now stabilized at a low level, prompting politicians to aim for a gas phase-out by 2035. Meanwhile, 52,000 new district heating customers were added in 2022 and another 40,000 last year, mainly in larger and medium-sized cities where it is easier and cheaper to connect multiple consumers and neighborhoods to an existing district heating plant than in villages.

The Climate Council is calling for clear policies, such as a final date for using gas in homes or a ban on installing new gas heating systems. Severinsen fully supports this, stating that while he’s willing to contribute as much as he can, he shouldn’t have to pay a high price for a heat pump due to a lack of concrete initiatives from the government.

Severinsen points out that his house currently emits three tons of CO2 a year, which could be reduced to five kilos if heated with district heating based on heat pumps. However, if district heating is not an option, a heat pump, costing well over 100,000 kroner, would be the only solution.

The Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities, Lars Aagaard, defended the government’s efforts, stating that over 5.5 billion kroner have been allocated to funds that could lead to the phasing out of gas. He emphasized that it’s not crucial where the heat comes from, as long as it’s a green alternative to fossil gas.