Gas patio heater rules: what is still allowed?

The patio heater rules are becoming stricter. More and more municipalities ban or restrict gas heaters, because they no longer want to use gas to heat the outdoor air. In this article you can read what applies now, where to find the rules for your own terrace and how to prepare without losing guests.

Why municipalities are turning away gas heaters

A gas heater warms the air around the table. A large part of that heat rises or blows away before a guest notices any of it. Municipalities see this as waste and as emissions that are not necessary. Then there is safety: gas bottles have to stand on the terrace and be stored safely indoors. For many municipalities, those are reasons enough to restrict gas patio heating.

Eindhoven: the ban applies in full

Eindhoven has banned gas patio heating since 1 November 2024. Business owners who could not switch immediately were able to apply for a temporary extension. That period has ended, so the ban now applies to everyone. Electric heating does not fall under the ban. The municipality itself names heated cushions as a sustainable alternative.

Other municipalities

Eindhoven is not alone. Groningen announced a ban on patio heaters. Haarlem and Leiden offered subsidies for sustainable patio heating, and Amsterdam and The Hague investigated whether a ban was possible. It is happening across the border too: in the Brussels Region, gas heaters on terraces are banned. The direction is clear, even if your municipality has not decided anything yet.

Finding the patio heater rules in your municipality

There is no national ban. Each municipality decides for itself. This is how you find out what applies to your terrace:

1. Search your municipality's website for "terrasregels" (terrace rules) or "terrasvergunning" (terrace permit).
2. Check the local bylaws (APV, Algemene Plaatselijke Verordening) under the chapter on hospitality businesses and terraces.
3. Read the conditions of your own terrace permit; these sometimes contain additional requirements.
4. If in doubt, call your municipality's business desk or ask the regional branch of KHN.

How to prepare

Do not wait until the ban arrives. If you test an alternative now, you can compare calmly and will not have to invest all at once later.

• Count your seats. Decide how many places you want to use in the cold season.
• Compare the alternatives. Electric heaters, windscreens and heated seat cushions each have their own advantages and disadvantages. Also read heated cushions or a gas heater.
• Work out the costs. Look not only at the purchase price, but also at energy, maintenance and your team's time. See what patio heating costs.
• Test before you choose. You can try the HeatUup cushions free for one month, with up to 10 cushions.

Why business owners choose heated seat cushions

Heated seat cushions run on a wireless battery and do not fall under the gas rules. They warm the guest's seat and back, up to 45 degrees, and a battery lasts up to 8 hours on the highest setting. No gas and no power connection are needed on the terrace. With the heat agreement you pay € 5 per cushion per month plus a deposit, without a large upfront investment.

Phasing out gas heaters step by step

You do not have to replace everything at once. Many business owners first place a trial set of cushions next to their existing heaters and see how guests respond. If guests stay outside just as long and are just as satisfied, you phase out the heaters step by step. That way you are ready before your municipality makes a decision.

Sources: terrace rules of the municipality of Eindhoven (ondernemendeindhoven.nl), RTV Noord, KHN, NH Nieuws, VRT NWS. Always check the current rules of your own municipality.