Could overload power grids: Federal Network Agency: Fan heaters are not an alternative

Rising gas prices and fears of bottlenecks in the fall are causing concern among consumers.

Could overload power grids: Federal Network Agency: Fan heaters are not an alternative

Rising gas prices and fears of bottlenecks in the fall are causing concern among consumers. Apparently, many use the fan heater as an alternative. But the Energy Association and the Federal Network Agency warn: "Electricity instead of gas" is not a solution.

The Federal Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW) and the Federal Network Agency have warned consumers not to rely on electric heaters for fear of gas shortages in winter. "Electronic heating devices such as fan heaters, radiators and convectors are not made to replace a heater and should therefore only be used with caution," said a BDEW spokeswoman for the newspapers of the Funke media group.

Because of their very high power requirements, the devices could greatly increase a household's power consumption, she said. "In view of the high electricity prices, this not only leads to high costs, but can also overload the electricity grids, which are not designed for such an increase in electricity consumption."

A spokesman for the Federal Network Agency also advised against the use of electronic heaters. "Using electricity instead of gas for heat supply is not economically attractive - even with the current gas prices," he told the Funke media group.

The "Tagesspiegel" recently reported that the sale of electrically powered fan heaters in Germany had risen sharply: According to the market research company GfK, around 600,000 units were sold in Germany from January to June 2022 - this corresponds to an increase of almost 35 percent compared to the same period last year.