- About two thirds of all homes in NRW are heated by gas
In residential buildings in North Rhine-Westphalia, gas remains by far the most commonly used energy source. Around two-thirds of the 9.1 million apartments were heated with gas in 2022. This was announced by the state statistical office in Düsseldorf. In 14 percent of the apartments, heating oil was used, in about 10 percent, district heating was used, and in 3 percent, electricity. Only one in twenty apartments was heated with renewable energies - i.e., solar, geothermal, heat pumps, wood/wood pellets, or biomass/bio gas.
In buildings constructed after 2010, the share is significantly higher. Although gas is still the most common with just under 50 percent, already one in three is heated with renewable energy sources. Heating oil was hardly used in new buildings from 2010 onwards, with a share of only 0.9 percent.
Regionally, there were significant differences in NRW. The share of all apartments heated with gas ranged from just under 15 percent in the city of Heimbach in the Eifel to 87 percent in Gronau in the Münsterland. Heating oil was mainly used in the east and southwest of the federal state, district heating in the Ruhr area and adjacent communities. The highest shares of apartments heated with district heating were in Hürth (52.5 percent) and Hückelhoven (37.3 percent). In 2022, there were particularly many apartments with solar, geothermal, or heat pumps in less densely populated regions. The highest value was recorded in Hövelhof in the district of Paderborn (17.5 percent).
Coal plays no role as a heating energy source in NRW. The share of apartments heated accordingly was only 0.1 percent. Coal was used most frequently in the community of Mettingen, located near the state border with Lower Saxony (7.4 percent).
The figures are based on the 2022 census. During the population census, statisticians, among other things, determine how many people live in Germany and how they live. The reference date was May 15, 2022.
In contrast to the prevailing reliance on gas for heating, efforts to transition to renewable energy sources are evident in newer residential buildings. For instance, over half of the buildings constructed after 2010 are now heated primarily with gas, while nearly one-third rely on renewable energy sources.
Despite the significant increase in renewable energy usage, gas continues to be the predominant energy source for heating in most regions of North Rhine-Westphalia, with only a few exceptions like Hövelhof, where solar, geothermal, or heat pumps account for nearly 18% of apartments.
