Iqony Fernwärme: New tariff model for Essen, Gelsenkirchen, and Bottrop – €300 million investment

The new “Zukunftswärme” tariff model will apply from January 1, 2026, and is aimed at large housing associations, private customers, public properties, and companies, for example, from industry, trade, and commerce. It will affect a total of around 120,000 households. Key features include an adjusted price structure and a standardized heat supply contract. 

The heat supply contracts, some of which are decades old, will be gradually terminated in due course over the next few years and replaced by a standardized contract. It is important to note that due to different contract terms, not all customer contracts will be converted at the same time. In some cases, the new regulations will not take effect until the next decade. Iqony Fernwärme points out that higher costs may only take effect for tenants with a time delay.

300 million euros investment 

In parallel with the change in the tariff model, Iqony Fernwärme is investing 300 million euros to ensure a stable heat supply and advance the heat transition in the three cities by 2030. This includes the ongoing transition to modern, partially decentralized, and sustainable generation technologies such as heat pumps at heating plant locations, the commissioning of new heat storage facilities, and grid expansion and upgrading. As a result, Iqony Fernwärme will ensure a permanently stable heat supply – less dependent on fossil fuels and rising CO₂ costs. District heating thus remains the safe, climate-friendly, and convenient solution compared to other heating methods.

Not automatically higher prices

Calculations show that price adjustments will occur. However, the development of costs depends on the existing, individually tailored contract. Compared to the currently valid standard tariff, the application of the new pricing system would result in a calculated increase of around five percent, or approximately €5 per month, for a typical household with a living space of 70 square meters. The comparative example is based on a model apartment in a model apartment building supplied with district heating in Essen Nord with the “Zukunftswärme” tariff compared to the standard tariff 12301 (as of January 1, 2026) with a calculated connected load of 4.5 kW and a calculated consumption of 8,100 kWh.

Until now, many Iqony Fernwärme customers had individual contracts with varying terms and conditions—a reality of historically developed structures. However, depending on the previous contract, the adjustment may also be higher: customers who benefited from significantly more favorable terms in the past can expect higher costs. For others, the tariff model has a positive effect—they will receive more favorable district heating prices than before.  

Matthias Ohl, Managing Director of Iqony Fernwärme GmbH: “The key point is that the new structure will make prices comparable and transparent in the future—and create greater stability for everyone in the long term.” 

Transparent and verifiable prices are also ensured by a new price adjustment clause that will apply to all contracts from January 1, 2026. It regulates how the district heating price develops in relation to cost and market factors. It is based on Section 24 of the Ordinance on General Conditions for the Supply of District Heating (AVBFernwärmeV). The price adjustment clause ensures that price adjustments are made on the basis of comprehensible indices, such as energy, CO₂, and labor costs. 

Iqony Fernwärme already meets the legal requirements for 2030 

The Heat Planning Act (WPG) stipulates that, from January 1, 2030, district heating suppliers must provide at least 30 percent of their heat from renewable energies, unavoidable waste heat, or a combination of these. Iqony Fernwärme already far exceeds this figure today, at 72 percent – thanks to the use of biogenic waste and unavoidable waste heat. This protects the environment and makes Iqony’s district heating particularly future-proof.

On the one hand, the climate-friendly mix means that future increases in CO₂ taxes will have a much less significant impact. On the other hand, district heating helps building owners to comply with the legal requirements of the Building Energy Act (GEG). This is because buildings supplied with district heating from Iqony automatically meet the requirements of the GEG.

Further information on the new “Zukunftswärme” tariff model will be available from Iqony from November 11, 2025, including on the Internet and as part of a comprehensive customer communication campaign: fernwaerme.iqony.energy/zukunftswaerme (German) and fernwaerme.iqony.energy/preisaenderungsklausel (German)