The heat supply in Heidelberg and Schwetzingen was temporarily interrupted after a construction accident damaged a major heat pipeline. Approximately 30,000 households in Heidelberg and 40,000 in the Rhein-Neckar region experienced heating and hot water outages. The damage was caused by a construction excavator hitting the pipeline, with repairs completed by Thursday morning. Full service restoration was expected to occur by midday, though some delays persisted. The incident also affected Schwetzingen, Oftersheim, Plankstadt, and Eppelheim, with the Schwetzingen leisure bath Bellamar temporarily closed due to the temperature drop in water pools. In Mannheim, Brühl, Ketsch, and Speyer, the heat supply remained unaffected. The Schwetzingen hospital switched to oil heating temporarily, and schools and daycare centers in Heidelberg remained open, depending on local decisions. Meanwhile, in Ulm and Bettringen, the expansion of district heating was ongoing, but some consumers faced frustration due to incomplete infrastructure. The broader context includes ongoing debates about the climate neutrality of heat networks in Baden-Württemberg, which still largely rely on fossil fuels, and challenges with the Wärmewende (heat transition) in the region.