Calculation of ongoing ancillary costs

Then the calculation of 5 EUR per sqm of living space is not so bad after all. I was only concerned with the fixed additional costs and not any provisions.

It depends on what you choose. Currently, the available rates for heating power are almost as expensive as household electricity. In return, you finance the second meter. I have calculated for myself that, based on current and foreseeable figures, I will at best break even by taking two meters.

But that is not the case everywhere. We pay 20 cents for heat pump electricity compared to 33 cents for household electricity. The second meter is worthwhile there.

But in general, you cannot compare the additional costs, as they depend on so many factors, at least the place of residence and one’s own habits.

We are at about 350 euros per month if I include everything, but we also consume very little electricity for the heat pump.

That is not the case everywhere either. We pay 20 cents for heat pump electricity compared to 33 cents for household electricity. The second meter is worth it.

But in general, you cannot compare the additional costs, they depend on so many factors, at least the place of residence and personal habits.

You are absolutely right. Our municipal supplier, for example, has not offered heat pump tariffs for a long time. Therefore, we do not plan to install a second meter either, since we would have to pay a monthly basic fee for it regardless of its use. Quite paradoxical – they would install it, but we cannot use it due to lack of tariff offering, yet the basic fee still applies.

To enable the thread starter to make a realistic comparison, one should look in the same region under similar conditions. I think the range varies from 300 to 1000€ and therefore has no added value.

It is also important to consider the reserve for future renovations in the additional costs, which in every homeowners association is also a mandatory part of the additional costs – for good reason. In the single-family house sector, this is often forgotten/ignored, which then leads to panic when the facade already needs painting, let alone a new heating system, a new roof, or similar. We have set aside a flat rate of 300€ in the additional costs for ourselves to counteract future price increases for craftsmen and materials. With 100€ per month, after 10 years maybe just painting the facade including ancillary work would be covered if craftsmen’s services continue to rise in price, but no technology is included yet. And the more of that is installed in the house, the higher the reserves should be in my opinion. Heat pump, ventilation system, water softener, inverter, battery storage, wallbox, electric blinds, large kitchen appliances, and whatever else expensive electronics and mechanics are wandering around in the house. Some things can be replaced by oneself, but sometimes the acquisition costs for the materials alone are already immense.

I also realize that this is not feasible for every homeowner, so this was just one (our) example.

Then I'll ask more specifically: approximately how many kWh of electricity does an air-to-water heat pump consume to heat the 150sqm for 4 people. Then I can calculate that with the rate for regular household electricity.

You calculate your heating demand per year and m2 of living space (from the [Emergieausweis]) times your living space. Let's say this is value x. You need to supply this energy. A heat pump converts 1 kWh of electricity into 3-4 kWh of heat. So x/3.5. Then multiply by the electricity price.

Better calculate with a factor of 3 for an air-to-water heat pump. And I'm surprised that the number of people doesn't play any role here. It makes a difference whether you're two people... or have 2 kids who also have the TV, computer, music system running and who shower 15 minutes every day... girls like to take baths, etc. I'm fine with 20°C, my wife likes to have 23. Just that alone already accounts for 20% of the heating... The building insurance can cost you 200 EUR per year... or 2,000 because you live in some kind of risk area. Etc.