Denmark’s climate minister, Samira Nawa, has declined to set a final date for phasing out gas heating in homes, leaving homeowners such as Ole Lauridsen near Vejle weighing whether to install a new gas boiler.
According to DR, Nawa was asked three times to name a date for when gas heating should be fully phased out. She did not give a clear answer. Nawa, of Radikale Venstre, is climate, energy and supply minister.
DR reported on September 19 from the home of Ole Lauridsen in Grejs, a village outside Vejle. His gas boiler heats water, radiators and underfloor heating, and is 14 to 15 years old. He is one of more than 250,000 Danish homeowners who still heated with gas in 2026, per DR.
A couple of years ago, residents in Grejs were offered a connection to the district heating network. Lauridsen and several neighbors turned it down because of the price. The offer was 90,000 kroner in connection fees plus around 30,000 kroner for plumbing work inside the home.
Lauridsen told DR he would like district heating, but not at those prices. A new gas boiler costs 30,000 to 40,000 kroner, he said, while running costs are comparable. Without a political end date, he said he sees no reason to switch when the old unit fails.
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Criticism of the missing deadline
Nawa has previously been among the sharpest critics of the absence of a fixed end date for gas. She has argued that a date is essential so homeowners do not spend thousands of kroner on new boilers. She declined to respond to the criticism of her own position, DR reported.
In a separate article published the same day, DR reported that the government support party Alternativet accused the new minister of speaking unclearly about the missing deadline. The dispute concerns the government’s refusal to name a year for switching off gas heating in Danish homes.
The 2022 agreement returns in 2026
The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Supply stated that the parties behind the 2022 agreement on phasing out oil and gas must revisit it during 2026. That agreement covers the shift away from fossil heating in private homes. It is linked to support schemes including the heat pump subsidy.
A parliamentary committee report published in February 2026 and available via Retsinformation states that the 2022 climate agreement includes plans to present possible initiatives and financing in 2026. No date for a final gas phaseout has been fixed.
Lauridsen told DR that the policy approach feels fragmented, and that measures are pulled in different directions without a clear whole. He said he is prepared to buy a new gas boiler if his current system breaks down.
