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Revision as of 22:44, 27 June 2022
If you don't sublet from someone but rent an apartment on your name, you likely need make a contract with an electricity provider. Read here how to find, compare & sign up with a €35 bonus.
Note that you can make a contract with any German provider, no matter where you live. So even if you live in Berlin, you can make a contract with a provider from Hamburg, Cologne, Frankfurt, or Munich.
Questions & Answers
When do I need an electricity provider?
- If you rent an apartment or house directly from a landlord.
You usually don't need an electricity contract
- if you sublet an apartment or room (from another person), or
- if you rent your apartment or room with an "all-inclusive" contract like via Airbnb or similar.
If in doubt, ask your landlord.
Aren't my energy costs already billed in my warm rent (Warmmiete)?
Your warm rent includes the energy needed for heating your apartment. It may also include water heating.
But for energy used for/from:
- lights
- power sockets
- stove & oven (if electric)
- water heating (if electric)
you need to make a contract with an electricity supplier.
How to find an electricity supplier?
You will need your postal code postal code because prices are different by area. (Use Google maps to find it.)
- Find out whether your warm water is heated by
- your electricity,
- or instead by gas or even delivered (district / central heating)
- Estimate your consumption with the table below.
- Pick a provider or comparison service from the list below.
- Enter your postal code and estimated consumption to get offers for you. Key factors to look at:
- Grundpreis (basic fee): fixed fee to pay per month
- Arbeitspreis (consumption price): what you pay per kWh used
- bonuses: are often available for new customers (but some are only paid out after a year, so be careful to check also cancellation policies)
How to sign up with an electricity provider?
All the sign-up can be done online. Once you've picked your provider, you will need to give them
- the ID number of your electricity meter (it is usually printed on it),
- the current electricity meter reading,
- your IBAN bank account number (if you agree to direct debit)
How do I get billed for my electricity consumption?
- Based on your consumption estimation, your electricity provider will calculate a monthly prepayment rate. This prepayment rate will be
- either deducted from your bank account, if you agreed to direct debit (Lastschrift)
- or you will need to transfer it yourself every month.
- After a year (usually), they measure your actual consumption.
- If you used less than your estimation, you will get money back and your monthly prepayment rate will be lowered.
- If you used more than your estimation, you will need to pay the difference and your monthly prepayment rate will be raised.
Average & Ideal Consumption Rates
To estimate your electricity consumption, you can go by average consumptions per year of German households, as shown in the table below. Additionally, ideal consumptions are shown (if savings potentials are used). [1]
| Household size | Average, with electric water heating | Average, without electric water heating | Ideal (minimized) consumption |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | 1500 kWh | 2100 kWh | 800-1300 kWh |
| 2 person | 2500 kWh | 3400 kWh | 1300-2100 kWh |
| 3 person | 3500 kWh | 4400 kWh | 1700-2600 kWh |
| 4 person | 4250 kWh | 5500 kWh | 1900-2900 kWh |
Find an Electricity Provider
List of German Electricity Providers
Common German electricity providers with their Trustpilot rating:
ostrom[2] – English support 🇬🇧, minimum term: 11 days[3], allows prepayment adjustments at any time[4], €35 bonus when using referral code XPATWIKI35
Polarstern[2]: minimum term: 1 month[5]- Vattenfall[2]: minimum term: 12 months
Stadtwerke Flensburg[2]: minimum term: 12 months[6]
LEW[2]
eprimo[2] – Video guide on how to sign up- lekker[2]
Qcells[2]
Compare German Electricity Providers
Instead of comparing offers yourself, you can use a comparison service. Enter your postal code & estimated consumption, and get a list of offers.
See also
- How do electric bills work in Germany? by AllAboutBerlin.com
- Review of green electricity companies by goodlifegermany.com
Notes
- ↑ "Stromverbrauch: Durchschnittsverbrauch Strom" – source, retrieved 2022-06-20
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 This is an affiliate link. If you click on it and then buy something or sign up for a service, we may earn a commission which covers our expenses. This does not change the price for you.
- ↑ "The minimum contract period is 11 days" – source, retrieved 2022-06-22
- ↑ "you can adjust your monthly payment at all times." – source, retrieved 2022-06-22
- ↑ "Welche Konditionen bietet Polarstern? / Bei uns gibt es keine Mindestvertragslaufzeit – du kannst deinen Vertrag immer mit zwei Wochen Frist zum Monatsende kündigen." – source, retrieved 2022-06-22
- ↑ "Mindestvertragslaufzeit von 12 Monaten" – source, retrieved 2022-06-22