© Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, data basis: KfW
Energy Transition Barometer assesses public support for the energy transition
According to the Energy Transition Barometer, 83% of German households regard the energy transition as important or very important. The proportion of households using energy transition technologies increased to 33% (13.5 million) in 2025, with some 0.8 million households using these technologies for the first time – a slightly lower take-up rate than in 2024 (1.2 million).
The KfW Energy Transition Barometer is a study conducted annually since 2018 on the basis of a survey of a random sample of some 4,000 representative households. In the field phase for the 2025 edition of the Barometer (11 December 2024-31 March 2025), some 5,119 households (one household member of full age who takes decisions on household energy supply and consumption) were surveyed.
There are growing disparities in usage, influenced by income, home ownership, settlement density and region. Especially battery storage, electric vehicles and solar PV systems recorded strong increases in use. The uptake of battery storage almost tripled in the last two years; electric vehicles saw an increase of almost 70% and one in six households has a solar PV system on their roofs.
Almost half of the households surveyed contribute to the generation of green electricity, either via a solar PV system (16%), via plug-in balcony solar panels (4%, new category), or via green electricity tariffs (29%). One in two solar PV systems are now being installed in combination with a battery storage unit (two years ago it was one in four). Independence from electricity suppliers has become the most important motivation for this – more important even than contributing to climate action.
Almost two thirds of the households surveyed (64%) continue to use fossil fuels for generating heat; for households with low incomes, it is 68%. Interest in insulating homes and installing heat pumps has increased, particularly in well-informed households. Economic efficiency continues to be the main barrier to the use of heat pumps; higher prices for fossil fuels could change that.
Some 9% of households own an electric vehicle – a figure dominated by higher income groups and home owners. Many owners of electric vehicles also have a solar PV system installed. Some 46% of EV owners say that the possibility to charge their car using green electricity was the main reason for buying it.