Compare electricity price in Germany & switch energy provider
If you are an expat in Germany, you probably spend way too much on your electricity bills (Stromrechnung). Energy prices have risen to record levels over the past years and if you do not choose your electricity provider (Stromanbieter) deliberately, you end up in the so called basic services (Grundversorgung), which is the most expensive standard tariff provided by the local electricity company.
One of the easiest and most effective measures you can take to cut your energy bills is to switch to a cheaper provider (Versorger). Today there are more than 1,000 electricity providers (Stromversorger) in Germany and electricity rates (Strompreise) vary from region to region due to different network charges (Netzentgelte). The only way to be sure to get the best deal is to conduct an electricity rate comparison (Strompreisvergleich).
Electricity Cost Calculator Germany
To make things easy for you, we provide you with an electricity rate comparison calculator (Stromrechner) that searches the databases of all the big comparison platforms. Your just enter your zip code (Postleitzahl) and get the best results for your region. Since none of the electricity cost calculators has settings in english language, you might feel a bit insecure on first sight. But don’t worry, to keep you clear from tripping hazards, we will walk you through the process and translate technical terms and phrases for you. The translation table and the interactive images will explain everything from the comparison calculator to the switch.
1. ZIP Code – Postleitzahl
First you’ll need to enter the zip code of your new location in the input field labelled ‚Postleitzahl‘, to make sure you only get relevant tariffs for your area. Remember, the rates vary due to different network charges and there are a lot of local suppliers, that are only available in certain regions.
2. Usage per Year- Verbrauch pro Jahr
Then you choose your estimated usage per year (Verbrauch pro Jahr), which is measured in kilowatt-hours (Kilowattstunden). If you are fairly reasonable with your electric appliances and provided that you don’t heat your flat with an electric heating you can take the following as a rule of thumb (approved by the German Consumer Association): The first person of a household will probably use up around 1,600 kWh per Year and every additional person another 800 kWh. So if you are moving in with your spouse you’ll be fine with 2,400 kWh. Remember this is only an estimate and is used to determine your monthly down-payments (Abschlagszahlungen). At the end of the year you will get a final revision. Either you paid too much over the year and get money back (Rückzahlung), or you paid too little and have to make an additional payment (Nachzahlung).
3. Comparison – Vergleichen
Hit ‚Vergleichen‘ and let the calculator do its magic. It will provide you with the results of three different comparison platforms on separate tabs. The results are comparable to each other, because we make sure, that the settings are the same for all queries. In the following we will explain how and why we chose the settings as we did. Stiftung Warentest, a well known foundation for comparative product testing gives the same advice on how to adjust the calculator settings to avoid problems.
4. Find your German Electricity Providers and switch with us
Select the provider and tariff you want and follow the instructions to complete the switch. You need to fill in the details in the online form. The new energy supplier will organize the switch for you. You’ll need to submit meter readings to them when requested. The process can take up to 6 weeks.
Translation Table
| German | English | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Postleitzahl PLZ | zip code | Well, your choice, since we don’t know where your live. If there is more than one location to a zip code, you might be asked to enter the city (Ort). |
| Verbrauch pro Jahr | consumption per year | Again your choice. Select a reasonable amount of kilowatt-hours you expect to be using within a one year period. Your monthly down-payments will be calculated by this amount. |
| Nutzung | usage (type of) | If you are not using large amounts of electricity or powering a business with it, go for private. |
| Privat | private | |
| Gewerbe | commercial | |
| Laufzeit | duration | The minimum time your contract will last, before you can switch to another supplier or end your contract. But don’t worry, you can always cancel it, if you move away, or if the provider raises the rates for your tariff. We still recommend to set this to one year at maximum. If you already know that you will be staying for a very limited period only, try to go for 3 months (3 Monate). |
| Mindestlaufzeit | minimum duration | |
| Vertragslaufzeit | contract duration | |
| Zahlungsweise | mode of payment | Refers to the payment interval in which you will be charged. Since all of your payments will be in advance, this can be confusing. Prepayment (Vorauskasse) means that you will have to pay the whole amount for the entire contract duration in advance. We strongly recommend to go for monthly here, since you might loose your money if the supplier declares bankruptcy. This has happened before and will probably happen again. |
| Alle inkl. Vorauskasse | any, including prepaymet | |
| Monatlich | monthly | |
| Tarife pro Anbieter | tariffs per supplier | How many different tariffs of the same supplier do you want to see in the results? We believe the two cheapest should do. |
| Einmalige Boni einberechnen | take account of one-time bonuses | To promote their tariffs, some suppliers pay bonuses. We recommend to have this option checked, because the bonus can save you a lot of money over the contract period. If you switch your supplier again after the contract ends, you are eligible for another bonus. One more good reason to choose a short minimum duration of your contract. |
| Neukundenbonus berücksichtigen | consider new customer bonus | |
| Einmalige Boni berücksichtigen | consider one-time bonuses | |
| Nur Tarife ohne Kaution | only tariffs without deposit | There are suppliers that demand a security deposit right at the beginning of the contact period. You won’t get this deposit back until your contract ends, so this is even worse then paying the estimate usage for the contract period upfront. Don’t opt for tariffs with deposit, remember that suppliers file for bankruptcy sometimes. |
| Tarife mit Kaution anzeigen | show tariffs with deposit | |
| Tarife mit Sonderabschlag berücksichtigen | consider tariffs with special payment (deposit) | |
| keine Pakettarife oder Mehr-/Minderverbrauchs-tarife | no package tariffs or over-/under-consumption tariffs | A package tariff only makes sense, if your know exactly how many kilowatt-hours you will be using. You buy a certain amount of kWhs for a discount price but if you use more than that you pay through the nose for your over-consumption. And if you use less? Well, you won’t get any money back for under-consumption. |
| kWh-Pakete und Tarife mit Mehr-/Minderverbrauchs-aufschlag anzeigen | show kWh packages and tariffs with over-/under-consumption surcharge | |
| Pakettarife berücksichtigen | consider package tariffs | |
| Nur Ökostromtarife | green electricity tariffs only | Green (öko) refers to renewable energy tariffs. The energy is produced by wind, solar, biomass or water. Climate tariffs are only carbon neutral. The energy is conventionally produced, but the CO2 is compensated for by other climate projects. |
| Nur Öko- und Klimatarife anzeigen | green and climate tariffs only | |
| Nur Tarife mit Preisgarantie anzeigen | show only tariffs with price guarantee | Suppliers can change the rate for your tariff at any time, so we recommend you to opt for a price guarantee duration that equals your contract duration. Although you can always cancel the contract, if your supplier raises the rates, a price guarantee is good for peace of mind. |
| Kündigungsfrist | period of notice | If you don’t cancel your contract within the period of notice before the end of the contract duration, the contract will be renewed again for the minimum duration. So shorter is always better, but don’t be mistaken: 6 Weeks (6 Wochen) will mean one more year, if you cancel your contract too late. It is actually a good practice to cancel your contract about a month after signing it, so it doesn’t renew itself without getting you a bonus. Don’t worry, it will still run for the minimum period. |
| Tarife mit Haupt- und Nebenzeit berücksichtigen | consider tariffs with primary and secondary time | You can get a better rate, if you use your electricity off-peak (usually at night), but you will need a double meter in your property. This only makes sense, if you are heating with electricity and a double meter is already installed. |
| Schwachlast / Doppeltarifzähler | low-load / double meter tariff |
FAQ
Do I have to contact my current supplier?
If you switch with us, you don’t need to worry about contacting your supplier before, during or after switching. The new supplier will take care of that.
You may be asked to provide a meter reading to your old provider on the day of the transfer, to ensure your final bill is correct. If you’re not sure who your current energy supplier is you can check by looking at a recent energy bill. After that you’ll only be dealing with your new supplier and your new, cheaper energy tariff.
Will there be any power cuts during the switch?
No, you won’t experience any power outages during your switch, nor will there be any digging up and replacing any cables. Your new supplier will provide electricity through exactly the same means as before. You don’t even have to be at home, because there will be no actual switching at your place at all.
Interactive Image: Comparison Calculator
These interactive images are created with a third party service. It happens occasionally that the images are not fully visible. Please try again later or contact us with any question. Thank you for your understanding.
Hover your mouse over the picture to discover the translation and explanation
Interactive Image: Switch Supplier Form
Hover your mouse over the picture to discover the translation and explanation
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