Just moved into your new Berlin apartment? One of the first things you need to do: Find an electricity provider. Here’s simple calculator to compare power suppliers in Germany.
To cut a long story short: Electricity is pretty expensive in Germany, in comparison to other countries. This is due to the Energy transition (German: Energiewende) policy be the German government: To address climate change, renewable power sources like wind and solar energy are subsidised, to make them more common and affordable in the long run.
In the short run though, Germans need to pay a tax on energy consumption, making it more expensive than before.
Average consumptions
When making a new contract, you will be asked on how much energy you will probably consume per year. If you don’t know what your consumption is, you can use these average numbers. The first column is for households where your water is heated by central heating (i.e. not with electricity), the second where electricity heats your weekly bathing party.
| Household size | no water heating | incl. water heating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | 1.600 kWh | 2.100 kWh |
| 2 people | 2.300 kWh | 3.400 kWh |
| 3 people | 3.100 kWh | 4.400 kWh |
| 4 people | 4.000 kWh | 5.500 kWh |
| 5 people | 4.500 kWh | 6.700 kWh |
However, I find these numbers too high. For instance me personally, I usually only consume 600 kWh per year. So keep that in mind if you find yourself too scared about the high payment estimations in the calculator’s result.
How to find a cheap power provider
To find a cheap electricity provider, simply use the calculator below. Only enter your post code (for Berlin, you take for example 10117), your estimated consumption per year and click on Recalculate.
In case you choose to subscribe to a provider with continue, you will need the number of your electricity meter. Usually you can find it on the meter itself, sometimes also in your rental contract. Below the table is also a dictionary that will help you to fill out the order form.
(Can’t see the form above? Click this link. *)
If you can’t decide on all these offers there: I’m for many years now a happy customer of Eprimo.
Dictionary
| zurück / weiter | previous / next |
| Geburtsdatum | date of birth |
| Neueinzug | Yes, if you moved in newly. No if you only want to change your current provider. |
| Abweichende Rechnungsadresse | If the invoice should go to another address. Likely a No. |
| Art des Neueinzugs: Umzug / Erstbezug | Erstbezug if no one ever lived in this place before. Umzug if there was a previous tenant. Likely Umzug. |
| Datum Neueinzug | When you moved in. |
| Zählernummer | Number of your electricity meter. Is usually printed on it. |
| Ihr derzeitiger Stromversorger | Name of your current provider |
| Kundennummer oder Vertragskontonummer | Your customer number at your old provider |
| Haben Sie Ihrem derzeitigen Versorger bereits gekündigt? | Have you cancelled your old contract already? |
| Gewünschter Lieferbeginn: Schnellstmöglich / Wunschtermin | When your new provider shall start delivering you. Schnellstmöglich = as soon as possible. Wunschtermin = custom date. |
| Zahlungsart: Lastschrift / Überweisung | Payment method. Lastschrift will be directly debited from your bank account. With Überweisung you have to make the money transfers on your own. |
| Einwilligung zum SEPA-Lastschriftverfahren | In case of direct debit, you need to formally agree to it. |
How you pay and how you are billed
When you actually make a contract with a company, they will calculate a monthly rate for you, based on your estimated consumption that you give them. You will pay this monthly rate until your electricity meter will be read.
Then, they will take your actual consumption, take your paid rates and see if you used more than estimated or less. Based on this, you will need to make an additional payment or receive money back. And your future rate will be adjusted.
To not give the companies too much credit in advance, I prefer to give a lower estimation, and keep some extra money on my savings account. So I get some interest rate in the meantime, and I’m not worried about a possible additional payment.
Hope that helps, if I missed something feel free to ask in the comments!
When can you cancel your contract?
Most contracts have a minimum term, usually 12 months, where you should file a cancellation latest one month before its end (usually).
But you also have an exceptional right to cancel your contract (so-called Sonderkündigungsrecht) when your provider raises their rates.
You’ll notice this by getting a letter from them where they regretfully inform you about their price rise and asking you to still remain their client. In such a situation, you have the right to cancel your current contract immediately and move to a new supplier.
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