KfW Research: Almost 13 million households in Germany are using energy transition technologies

• KfW Energy Transition Barometer shows that support for the energy transition has dipped slightly but remains very high among households in Germany
• Number of households using an energy transition technology grew by 1.2 million in the past year
• Photovoltaic systems are most popular

The energy transition is gaining momentum in German households. Around 31% of all 12.9 million households now use at least one energy transition technology. That is 2.9% or 1.2 million households more than a year before. A further 6% of households plan to acquire an energy transition technology in the coming 12 months.

These are the findings of the KfW Energy Transition Barometer, for which more than 6,000 households in Germany were surveyed on behalf of KfW Research between December 2023 and April 2024. Energy transition technologies include heat pumps, photovoltaic systems, solar thermal systems, home batteries, combined heat and power systems, wood pellet heaters and electric vehicles. The undisputed number one among German households is the photovoltaic system. Almost 15% of households already have one, compared with around 12% in the previous year. Home batteries also saw very dynamic growth. A year ago, 3.7% of households had one, and that figure has now jumped to 6.7%.

Energy transition technologies are particularly well distributed in southern Germany, where they are installed in 41% of households. In eastern Germany, on the other hand, the number remains relatively low (24%). However, the numbers are rising noticeably in all regions of the country.

This is welcome news particularly because support for the energy transition dipped in the current survey. Around 82% of households stated that they considered the energy transition to be important or very important, compared with 88% the year before. Furthermore, around 60% of surveyed households reported a high willingness to play a role in the energy transition, after 68% the year before.

“The declining numbers reflect a degree of uncertainty among the population. But there continues to be an overwhelming majority who view the energy transition positively”,

said Dr Daniel Römer, Senior Economist at KfW Research and co-author of the study.

Support for the energy transition is essential to ensure broad social legitimacy. Nevertheless, the survey also revealed that households are most likely to adopt climate-friendly measures if they provide tangible benefits. Personal attitudes towards the energy transition do not play the decisive role in the investment decision. Cost savings are the most frequently mentioned reason for acquiring energy transition technologies.

At the same time, financial constraints remain the greatest barrier, with 41% of households who are generally receptive to such technologies stating that they could not afford them. The divide in the adoption of modern energy technologies continues to widen. The share of energy transition stakeholders grew from 40% to 49% in the highest income group of the surveyed households but remained unchanged at 19% in the group with the lowest incomes.

“This poses a challenge, among other things because households with low incomes are particularly affected by high energy costs and overrepresented in dwellings with poor energy performance”,

KfW Economist Römer explained.

You can download the current KfW Energy Transition Barometer from KfW-Energiewendebarometer | KfW