Electricity & Gas Contracts (Strom & Gas)
When you move into a German flat you are quietly put on the most expensive tariff going. Here is how the system works, how to read your bill, and how a five-minute switch can save you a few hundred euros a year.
The bill nobody explains to you
Electricity and gas run on a default-then-switch system. Understand these four things and you will never overpay or be surprised by the annual bill again.
Grundversorgung (the default)
Every area has a designated basic supplier (Grundversorger). If you never sign a contract, you are automatically supplied by them at their standard tariff — reliable, but almost always the most expensive. Leaving it is the single biggest saving.
Supplier vs grid operator
The Netzbetreiber owns the wires/pipes and is the same for everyone in your area; your Stromanbieter (supplier) is who you buy energy from and pay. Grid fees are already baked into the price you see, so you only ever deal with the supplier.
Electricity and gas are separate
Strom (electricity) and Gas are two different contracts. You can bundle them with one provider or split them. Many flats heat with gas; others use district heating (Fernwärme) or electric heating and have no gas contract.
Your meter (Zähler)
Each flat has a meter with a Zählernummer (meter number) and a Zählerstand (reading). You give the number and the move-in reading to your provider — it defines where your usage starts.
1. Read the meter on day one
Photograph the meter number and the reading (Zählerstand) the day you get the keys. This protects you from paying for the previous tenant’s usage.
2. You are already supplied
You do not need to do anything to have power — the Grundversorger covers you automatically from move-in. So there is no rush that leaves you in the dark; the rush is only about saving money.
3. Choose your own contract
Within the first week or two, compare tariffs and sign up with a cheaper supplier. You will need your address, the meter number, your move-in reading, and a German bank account for the SEPA direct debit.
4. Estimate your usage
Providers ask your expected annual kWh. Rough electricity guide: ~1,500–2,000 kWh/year for one person, ~3,000–4,000 for a family. Gas for heating varies hugely with the flat — use the previous year’s figure if the landlord can share it.
5. Register your address first
Some steps assume you have done your Anmeldung and have a German bank account. If not, sort those first.
Monthly Abschlag
A fixed instalment based on your estimated yearly usage — not your real usage each month.
Annual Jahresabrechnung
Once a year your real meter reading is compared to what you paid. You get a refund (Guthaben) or owe extra (Nachzahlung).
Price = base + per-kWh
A fixed Grundpreis (standing charge) plus an Arbeitspreis per kWh, including taxes and grid levies.
Use a comparison portal
Check24.de and Verivox.de list live tariffs for your postcode and estimated usage, sorted by yearly cost. They also handle the switch for you, including cancelling the old contract.
Read the contract terms
Look at the contract length (Vertragslaufzeit, often 12 months), the cancellation notice (Kündigungsfrist), whether there is a price guarantee (Preisgarantie), and how big the first-year bonus (Neukundenbonus) is versus the ongoing price.
Beware upfront-payment discounters
Avoid unknown providers that demand a large prepayment or a full year paid in advance. Several went bust in the energy crisis and customers struggled to get money back. Prefer monthly billing and solid reviews.
Green electricity (Ökostrom)
Certified green-electricity tariffs are widely available and often cost about the same as conventional ones — an easy switch if it matters to you.
Switching never cuts your power
Because the grid is shared, changing supplier is seamless — no engineer visit, no interruption. You can switch again when your contract ends to keep chasing the best price.