The Netherlands is planning to make it mandatory to install more sustainable home-heating systems from 2026, the latest in a series of policies rolled out by European nations seeking to wean themselves off Russian fossil fuels.
New Dutch houses, and old ones that need to replace their heating systems, will have to install hybrid heat pumps — a combination of a pump that draws heat from the surrounding air and a central gas boiler — or a green alternative, according to a Tuesday letter sent to parliament by Hugo de Jonge, minister for housing and spatial planning. The cabinet is working on standards for suppliers and installers, he said. Old buildings that aren’t suitable for hybrid heat pumps can stick to their current systems.
