The market research institute Branchenradar thus confirmed the figures recently published by the industry association. According to Branchenradar, the sales of biomass boiler manufacturers fell by 98 million euros. For the overall market, including boilers with fossil fuels, manufacturer revenues amounted to 220.5 million euros, a decrease of 31.7 percent compared to the same period last year.
Branchenradar cited the government’s “announcement policy” regarding future funding guidelines as one of the reasons for the slump in biomass boilers. For example, the debate regarding the mandatory replacement of fossil-fuel devices in 2022 led to “an unexpected boom in wood-fired boilers.” In 2023, during the negotiations on the Renewable Heat Act (EWG), it was revealed early on that investments in biomass-fired boilers – biomass includes wood pellets, for example – would receive even more attractive funding from 2024.
The result was that “many homeowners who were willing to replace their boilers postponed the investment for the time being.” In addition, it became clear over the course of the year that the boiler replacement, which had previously been announced as mandatory, was “shaky” once more – “before the end of the obligation was actually announced in the autumn.”
Things are going better for manufacturers of fossil fuel boilers. Although there was a decline of almost six million euros (minus 5.1 percent) for gas boilers, the industry even achieved an increase in revenue of two million euros (plus 46.9 percent) for oil boilers in 2023. “The fact that last year, without any subsidies and despite public condemnation, only demand for oil boilers grew is not without a certain irony,” comments Branchenradar in the press release.
