According to the Heat Planning Act, all communities with fewer than 100,000 inhabitants must complete their municipal heat planning by June 30, 2028, including the city of Neudenau. A heating plan begins with an inventory analysis: How are the buildings heated today, how old are the systems, and how much heat is needed in the individual streets? It will then be examined which renewable sources and which waste heat could be used on site. At the end there is a division into areas: Where could a heating network be worthwhile, and where is an in-house solution the better way? The heat plan is strategic planning. It does not oblige anyone to replace the heating system, but it does give homeowners, businesses and the city reliable guidance for their decisions.

Section 7 of the law stipulates that the public is involved in heating planning. This example process shows what this can look like in two phases: In the early part, you provide your information about the existing situation, such as the type of heating, the age of the system or the need for renovation on your street. In the ongoing participation, possible measures and the draft heat plan will be presented and you can comment on them before the local council decides. You can take part in the card survey, with your own suggestions, at an information evening, a citizens' workshop and an online consultation. All feedback is collected, sorted by district and topic and summarized here for everyone to see. This is an example process from Meyssens. All contents are illustrative examples, they do not come from the city of Neudenau and do not reflect the planning status.