From 2025, previously installed fireplaces and wood stoves will only be able to emit 0.15 grams of dust and 4 grams of carbon monoxide per cubic meter of exhaust gases. The lower limit values ​​are intended to make the air cleaner. If the limit values ​​are exceeded, the modernization must be carried out before December 31, 2024. If it is not technically possible to adapt the oven to these values, the oven must be taken out of service at the latest at the same time.

All older systems that were built between January 1, 1995 and March 21, 2010 will be primarily affected. But there are exceptions. According to estimates by the Federal Ministry of the Environment for 2020, the regulation will affect almost four million stove owners (FOCUS online reported).

The first term of the Federal Immission Control Law applied to wood stoves installed before 1984. At the end of 2017 they had to be modernized or, depending on the case, closed. The furnaces followed, which were installed on December 31, 1994. They had to be modernized or replaced at the end of December 2020.

This also applies to some of the most popular Swedish ovens. This affects systems that were installed and approved between January 1, 1995 and December 31, 2010. The furnace nameplate is crucial.

My oven is covered by the regulations, what do I have to do?

The chimney sweep informs those affected about the necessary steps.

The basic rule is: if your system emits more than 0.15 grams of dust and four grams of carbon monoxide per cubic meter of exhaust gases, the systems will no longer be able to operate from January 1, 2025. In this case , systems must be shut down or transformed. The chimney sweep in your area can help you and suggest the necessary measures.

“Retrofitting is possible; for example, particle filters are available to combat fine dust,” explains Frank Hettler from Zukunft Altbau. But not against too much carbon monoxide. “With old stoves this doesn't make much sense,” says Tim Froitzheim of the Central Sanitation, Heating and Air Conditioning Association. This is generally not recommended because retrofitting and subsequently measuring furnaces is often more expensive than purchasing and installing a new, more efficient system that uses up to a third less fuel.

How much does a new inexpensive fireplace cost?

Depending on the model, retrofitting costs from 700 euros. Simple and classic Swedish ovens cost, at best, 300 euros at the hardware store. For the installation and tuning of the stove by the chimney sweep, up to 1,500 euros must be paid.

Consumers must expect additional costs of up to 2,000 euros for a possible modernization of the chimney.