Carbon Price Calculator 2026
Calculate your heating cost increase (German Regulation)
German CO₂ Heating Cost Calculator 2026: Carbon Price, Landlord-Tenant Split & Investment Impact
Germany's Brennstoffemissionshandelsgesetz (BEHG) places a carbon price on fossil heating fuels — gas, oil, and coal — which is passed through to consumers in their energy bills. This calculator shows the exact CO₂ cost component in your 2026 heating bill by fuel type, applies the landlord-tenant cost-sharing rule (Kohlendioxidkostenaufteilungsgesetz, CO2KostAufG) based on your building's emissions rating, and estimates how much you could save with insulation or a heat pump switch.
CO₂ Cost by Fuel Type
Calculates the annual CO₂ levy (Kohlendioxidabgabe) for gas, heating oil, and coal heating based on 2026 BEHG carbon price of €55/tonne CO₂ and your annual fuel consumption.
Landlord-Tenant Cost Split
Since January 2023, the CO₂ cost is split between landlord and tenant based on the building's specific CO₂ emissions per m². More efficient buildings = tenant pays more (up to 100%); inefficient buildings = landlord pays more (up to 95%). The calculator determines the split based on your building's energy class.
Savings from Renovation / Switch
Shows how much CO₂ cost you would save by improving your building to the next efficiency class, or by switching from gas to a heat pump (which has no CO₂ levy, as electricity is not covered by BEHG).
Future Carbon Price Projection
BEHG carbon prices are legislated to rise to €65/t in 2027 and further via EU ETS2 integration from 2027. The calculator projects your CO₂ cost over 5 years under the current legislative trajectory.
Germany's Carbon Price for Heating Fuels: BEHG Schedule 2021–2027+
| Year | CO₂ price (€/tonne) | Gas surcharge (ct/kWh) | Heating oil surcharge (ct/litre) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | €25/t | ~0.7 ct/kWh | ~7.9 ct/litre |
| 2022 | €30/t | ~0.8 ct/kWh | ~9.5 ct/litre |
| 2023 | €30/t (frozen) | ~0.8 ct/kWh | ~9.5 ct/litre |
| 2024 | €45/t | ~1.2 ct/kWh | ~14.3 ct/litre |
| 2025 | €55/t | ~1.5 ct/kWh | ~17.4 ct/litre |
| 2026 | €55/t (unchanged) | ~1.5 ct/kWh | ~17.4 ct/litre |
| 2027+ | €65/t (legislated) → EU ETS2 | ~1.7 ct/kWh | ~20.6 ct/litre |
EU ETS2 from 2027: The EU Emissions Trading System 2 (ETS2) will bring heating and transport fuels under EU-wide carbon pricing from 2027. The EU ETS2 price is market-determined and could be significantly higher than the BEHG fixed price — early projections suggest €45–100/t range, creating additional upward pressure on fossil heating costs beyond the German BEHG schedule.
CO₂ Cost Split by Building Emissions Class (CO2KostAufG)
| Building emissions | Energy class (approx.) | Tenant pays | Landlord pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below 12 kg CO₂/m²/year | A+ / A (very efficient) | 100% | 0% |
| 12–17 kg CO₂/m²/year | A / B | 90% | 10% |
| 17–22 kg CO₂/m²/year | B / C | 80% | 20% |
| 22–27 kg CO₂/m²/year | C / D | 70% | 30% |
| 27–32 kg CO₂/m²/year | D / E | 60% | 40% |
| 32–37 kg CO₂/m²/year | E / F | 50% | 50% |
| 37–42 kg CO₂/m²/year | F / G | 40% | 60% |
| 42–52 kg CO₂/m²/year | G / H | 20% | 80% |
| Above 52 kg CO₂/m²/year | H (very inefficient) | 5% | 95% |
Policy intent: This split creates a financial incentive for landlords to invest in building efficiency — the more inefficient the building, the higher the landlord's share of the rising carbon cost. A landlord with a highly inefficient gas-heated building at 55 kg CO₂/m²/year pays 95% of the CO₂ levy — creating a strong business case for insulation and heating system modernisation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find my building's CO₂ emissions class for the landlord-tenant split?
Your building's specific CO₂ emissions in kg CO₂/m²/year can be found in the Energieausweis (energy performance certificate) — every rental building is legally required to have one and the landlord must provide it to tenants on request. The Energieausweis shows either a demand-based (Bedarfsausweis) or consumption-based (Verbrauchsausweis) assessment with an energy efficiency class (A+ through H) and specific values. If you cannot obtain the Energieausweis, you can estimate from your actual gas/oil consumption: divide annual fuel consumption in kWh by your apartment's living area in m² to get specific energy demand, then convert to CO₂ using the fuel's emission factor (gas: 0.201 kg CO₂/kWh; oil: 0.266 kg CO₂/kWh). The calculator includes a built-in estimator for this conversion.
Does the CO₂ levy apply to district heating (Fernwärme)?
Yes, but differently. For Fernwärme, the BEHG applies to the heat supplier (not the end consumer directly) based on the fossil fuel inputs to the district heating plant. The carbon cost is passed through in the heat price, but the specific CO₂ levy is not always transparently itemised on Fernwärme bills. The CO2KostAufG landlord-tenant split rule also applies to Fernwärme, but calculating the split requires knowing the CO₂ factor of your specific Fernwärme provider (varies widely — some use gas, others use waste heat, biomass, or increasingly heat pumps). The calculator supports Fernwärme with a CO₂ factor input (typically 0.10–0.20 kg CO₂/kWh for German district heating networks, available from your provider's transparency report).
Can a landlord pass the full CO₂ cost on to the tenant via the Betriebskosten?
No — since the CO2KostAufG (Kohlendioxidkostenaufteilungsgesetz) came into force on 1 January 2023, landlords are legally prohibited from passing 100% of the CO₂ levy to tenants for buildings in efficiency classes B through H. Only for buildings in class A+ or A (below 12 kg CO₂/m²/year) can 100% of the CO₂ cost be charged to the tenant. If a landlord includes 100% of the CO₂ cost in the Betriebskostenabrechnung for an inefficient building, tenants can challenge this in court. The CO₂ cost line item must be clearly labelled in the Betriebskostenabrechnung and the building's emissions class must be disclosed. Tenants who believe the split is incorrect can request the Energieausweis and consult a Mieterverein for assessment.
How large is the CO₂ levy as a share of total heating costs in 2026?
At €55/tonne CO₂ in 2026, the carbon levy adds approximately 1.5 ct/kWh to the gas price. At a typical gas price of €11–12 ct/kWh total (2026), the CO₂ component is approximately 12–14% of the gas bill. For heating oil at €1.00–1.10/litre, the CO₂ levy of ~17 ct/litre represents approximately 15–17% of the oil price. For a 100m² apartment in a typical old building consuming ~200 kWh/m²/year from gas: annual CO₂ levy = 20,000 kWh × €0.015/kWh = €300/year total. In the landlord-tenant split for a class F building (50/50 split), the tenant's CO₂ cost is ~€150/year. At €65/t in 2027, this rises to ~€173/year for the tenant in the same scenario — a meaningful but not catastrophic increase in annual rent costs.
Embed this Calculator on Your Website
You can integrate this calculator for free into your own website. Get the embed code on our overview page.