Probably never before have German homeowners given so much thought to their heating and electricity supply as they did this winter: How expensive will the next gas or heating oil bill be?

If the old heating system in the basement is already showing its age, should we perhaps switch to an electric heat pump and make ourselves independent of fossil fuels?

And how about purchasing a photovoltaic system for the roof of the house in order to reduce the electricity costs, which have also risen sharply, and to help protect the climate?

Marcus Theurer

Editor in the economy of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sunday newspaper.

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The only problem is that a new heating system can be quite expensive.

The price of a heat pump is often twice as high as that of a new gas or oil heating system.

And a clearly five-digit sum is also quickly due for the solar system.

Not everyone has so much money in their bank account for the complete renewal of their domestic heat and power supply.

In such cases, there is a possible solution that sounds impressive at least at first glance: Manufacturers, energy suppliers and other companies offer the option of renting the heating and photovoltaic system.

The model is comparable to the leasing contract for a car: the customer saves the high investment for the purchase of a heat pump and solar system.

Instead, he concludes a long-term rental agreement for the systems with a term of ten to twenty years and pays a monthly rate for use.

Corresponding leasing packages are now available from a whole range of providers.

Heating manufacturers such as Viessmann and Bosch are just as active in this business as energy suppliers and start-up companies such as DZ-4, Enpal, Thermondo and Zolar.

One buzzword keeps popping up in advertising for the rental models: an “all-round carefree package” is often promised.

You don't have to take care of the planning of the solar system yourself and organize the installation yourself.

A maintenance and repair service is usually also included in the monthly rental price.

If, in a few years, the inverter of the photovoltaic system breaks down or the heat pump needs a spare part, there will be no additional costs for the replacement.

Manufacturers report an increasing demand for rental offers, especially for heat pumps, which is probably due not least to their very high acquisition costs, which are not incurred when renting.

But that doesn't mean that you save money in the long run compared to the purchase.

On the contrary: Rental models are significantly more expensive than buying the heating or solar system yourself, warns Sören Demandt, an energy expert at the North Rhine-Westphalia Consumer Advice Center in Düsseldorf.

The landlords paid well for their “carefree” packages.