The claim

A recent video, which has already been shared over 500,000 times on Facebook, makes a variety of claims in the context of Germany's two new energy saving regulations. It speaks of “energy police” and state surveillance.

Our conclusion

Both regulations state exactly what they are intended to do: energy savings in the building sector. The heating test is a one-off event in Germany that is supposed to be carried out by the relevant specialists as part of other precautionary measures - and is therefore not suitable for mass surveillance of European citizens. Many other claims are also FALSE.

The two new energy saving regulations that the German federal government recently passed are unsettling a lot of people. Many rumors and false claims are circulating online and especially on various social media channels. To represent all of this fake news, we watched a currently very popular video that makes a whole series of claims about energy saving regulations.

Energy saving regulations: fact check

A lot of things in the video were phrased polemically and manipulatively. We cannot go into these formulations in detail here. Instead, we will look at the factual claims in detail below.

The checkmark to the right of each claim opens the corresponding fact check:

🔵 Polemical and manipulative
🟢 True
🔴 False
🟡 Partly right or partly wrong

The two regulations to secure the energy supply on short-term measures ( EnSikuMaV , valid from September 1, 2022) and on medium-term measures ( EnSimiMaV , valid from October 1, 2022) affect public buildings, companies, buildings heated with gas and private pools.

CORRECT . That's all roughly true. However, there are sometimes exceptions in the paragraphs, for example when it comes to traffic safety. The use of illuminated advertising is only prohibited at certain times of the day; they may continue to be used between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. The individual measures with all the details can be found here:

EnSikuMaV, § 5: Prohibition of heating common areas
EnSikuMaV, § 8: Lighting of buildings and monuments
EnSikuMaV, § 10: Shop doors and entrance systems in retail
EnSikuMaV, § 11: Restriction of use of illuminated advertising systems

CORRECT , see EnSikuMaV, § 6 Maximum values ​​for the air temperature in work rooms in public non-residential buildings . There are exceptions for, among other things, medical facilities, facilities and services for disabled people and care facilities, schools and daycare centers, as well as if the low temperatures would endanger employees or the building structure.

INCORRECT . There will be no “energy police”. the Ordinance to Secure Energy Supply on Medium-Term Effective Measures ( EnSimiMaV ) lists professional groups that are qualified to additionally carry out and document tests as part of other activities:

EnSimiMaV § 2: Heating testing and heating optimization

“The heating test and any necessary measures for optimization should be offered and carried out in connection with activities or measures that are already taking place by the expert persons [...], in particular when carrying out sweeping and inspection activities or a fireplace inspection by chimney sweeps or during heating maintenance work. […] Proof of the heating test can also be provided as part of carrying out a hydraulic balancing.”

“The heating test […] must be carried out by a qualified person. These include in particular:

  1. Chimney sweeper,
  2. Craftsmen in the trades of plumbers and heating engineers […] as well as furnace and air heating engineers […] or
  3. Energy consultants who have been included in the energy efficiency expert list for federal funding programs.”

INCORRECT . The heating test (EnSimiMaV, §2) is a one-off event during the period in which the regulation is valid (October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2024). It is therefore by no means suitable for “snooping” on citizens.

CORRECT . EnSimiMaV, §2: Heating testing and heating optimization

“The owner of a building in which systems for generating heat using natural gas are used is obliged to carry out a heating test and have the building’s heating system optimized. In this context, it is necessary to examine

  1. whether the technical parameters that can be set to operate a heater are optimized for the operation of the heat generation system in terms of energy efficiency,
  2. whether the heating needs to be adjusted hydraulically,
  3. whether efficient heating pumps are used in the heating system or
  4. to what extent insulation measures for pipes and fittings should be carried out.”

INCORRECT . As I said, the one-off heating test is not at all suitable for “state monitoring”.

The regulation to secure the energy supply via short-term measures (EnSimiMaV, §2 paragraph 2) stipulates regular optimization of the heating system, but neither how often nor that this must be carried out by the listed, expert people. The following should be optimized: flow temperature and heating curve (in the case of gross incorrect settings), the automatic activation of temperature reductions (such as night reduction) or heating switches off as well as circulation operation. The hot water temperature and the heating limit temperature should also be reset.

PARTIALLY WRONG . There is no “government surveillance”. However, the regulation (EnSimiMaV, §2 paragraph 2) requires that the hot water temperature be optimized regularly. See also last point.

The regulation for heating tap water (according to EnSikuMaV, § 7) also applies to drinking water heating systems in public non-residential buildings if these are primarily intended for hand washing.

CORRECT . EnSikuMaV, § 3: Optional temperature reduction by tenants

“The validity of an agreement in a rental agreement for living space, according to which the tenant must ensure a minimum temperature through his own actions, is suspended for the duration of the regulation. […] This particularly includes the tenant’s obligation to prevent damage to the rental property through appropriate heating and ventilation behavior.”

INCORRECT. The ban on heating pools only applies to those heated using gas or electricity from the mains. For example, if the pool is heated with self-generated electricity from photovoltaics, this paragraph does not apply.

EnSikuMaV, § 4: Prohibition of the use of certain types of heating for swimming and bathing pools

“In buildings or associated private gardens, the heating of private, non-commercial, indoor or outdoor swimming and bathing pools, including above-ground pools, with gas or with electricity from the power grid is prohibited. […] is not to be used if heating is absolutely necessary for therapeutic applications.”

INCORRECT. Such a ban is not reflected in the two regulations. Only shop doors and retail entrance systems are prohibited from being permanently open (according to EnSikuMaV, § 10) if heat is lost in this way.

PARTIALLY WRONG . Habeck estimates the savings from the measures in the two regulations at “two to two and a half percent of energy consumption in Germany”. This is of course true in absolute terms, but it is forgotten that some areas are not covered by the regulations at all, but which contribute a lot to gas consumption in Germany , such as industry, power generation or transport. If these sectors are taken out of the calculation, there is a savings potential of up to 6 percent of the affected areas.

INCORRECT . A polemical and at the same time false statement. The federal government was formed in accordance with the German Basic Law. Alliance 90/The Greens does not govern alone, but is part of a coalition together with the Social Democrats and the Free Democrats.

INCORRECT . The term system media goes back to the National Socialists and should therefore not be used. The content of the claim is also false, here are two critical counter-examples from the ÖRR: BR: Criticism of government plans , MDR: The most important questions and answers about the energy saving regulation

Polemical claims for which no evidence is provided in the video.

PARTIALLY CORRECT . France wants to assign a total of 3,000 officers to prosecute arsonists. The “green police officers” are supposed to investigate set fires in particular, but also other environmental crimes. In summer 2022, 26 arsonists have already been caught. The background for these special measures was the extreme drought and the particular fire hazard in large parts of France. An interview with Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin in the French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche is summarized here in German .

PARTIALLY CORRECT . The European Parliament would like to have such an “EU disaster protection force”, as it states again in a resolution of September 15, 2022 (point 16). Not much has happened beyond this lip service. It is by no means clear who she will report to. drafts of what such a security force could look like for a long time

INCORRECT . The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Canada noted on September 1st:

We are aware of some misleading reports on social media that we are creating a new enforcement function. This is wrong and needs to be put right. Our enforcement department is not new. It was officially founded in 2008. Our officers enforce many federal environmental laws that prevent pollution and protect Canada's wildlife and biodiversity. They are not responsible for enforcing climate change. Our environmental officers spend most of their time enforcing laws and regulations that prevent pollution, such as: B. the provisions for preventing environmental pollution in the Fisheries Act.

The official Environment Canada , September 1, 2022

INCORRECT . Both regulations state exactly what they are intended to do: energy savings in the building sector. The heating test is a one-off event in Germany that is supposed to be carried out by the relevant specialists as part of other precautionary measures - and is therefore not suitable for mass surveillance of European citizens.

Conclusion

Some of the claims in the video are true, but many are only partially true, while the majority are false information. The analyzed video is not suitable for obtaining information about the two energy saving regulations that apply in Germany from September 1st and October 1st, 2022.

More about the two regulations to secure the energy supply on short-term measures (EnSikuMaV, valid from September 1, 2022) and on medium-term measures (EnSimiMaV, valid from October 1, 2022)

Also read: The Bundeswehr document: No, an officer is not allowed to ban gender!


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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )