Czech association: Hundreds of thousands of boilers need replacing this year, heating engineers lack capacity

In Czechia, up to hundreds of thousands of boilers will need to be replaced this year because of new air protection rules. Interest in replacements is still low, and insufficient capacity among heating engineers could complicate matters. This is according to information from the Association of Heating Technology Companies (APTT).

The mandatory replacement of boilers is set out in an amendment to the Air Protection Act, under which only boilers in emission class three or higher will be permitted from September. According to statistics from the Ministry of the Environment, around 150.000 such units are currently in operation in Czechia. The association estimates an even higher figure: according to APTT president Zdeněk Lyčka, long-term statistics suggest there could be as many as 250.000 non-compliant boilers, whose operation must end by August.

Despite the approaching ban, interest in replacing boilers is generally still very low, according to the association. „Since the second half of 2023, the entire heating technology sector has experienced a huge downturn. This is not limited to Czechia but, according to our information, affects a significant part of the European Union as a whole, and is probably linked to an overall decline in sales in other sectors too,“ Lyčka noted.

Manufacturers agree with the association that there is no point in waiting. There will probably be enough compliant units from manufacturers on the market, but the problem will be a shortage of qualified heating engineers. „If there are 250.000 boilers, we may not be able to replace them all in time,“ said Jaromír Maňák, sales director at Czech biomass boiler manufacturer Blaze Harmony. According to the association, more than a third of new installations will involve, for example, replacing ageing old gas boilers with new ones, so companies’ full capacity cannot be devoted solely to replacing old solid-fuel boilers. „In reality, the available capacity for replacing solid-fuel boilers is in the region of 100.000,“ Lyčka said.

According to the association, boilers in emission classes one and two are used mainly by lower-income families, which is one reason demand is still so low. „Czechs have the great advantage of being able to access subsidy schemes, and the state is offering them a helping hand,“ said Jan Tihelka, marketing director at Blaze Harmony. These include the New Green Savings Programme and boiler replacement subsidies. Tihelka warned, however, that the subsidies can only be claimed until the end of August.

The new rules were originally due to take effect two years earlier, but the state postponed them because of the Covid crisis. Under the new rules, only boilers in emission class three or higher, which produce fewer harmful emissions, will be permitted. Violations will carry a fine of up to 50.000 crowns. According to the authors of the amendment, the aim is to reduce air pollution.