ROUTE
Switching Power and Gas
After moving in you automatically land in the Grundversorgung β the most expensive tariff on the market. Getting out takes 15 minutes online and saves hundreds per year.
β Checked: 15/08/2026
β οΈ First the question that either opens the path or ends it: do you actually hold your own supply contract? For electricity you almost always do. For heating and hot water often not: if they are included in the warm rent, the landlord holds the contract and you cannot switch supplier β the costs run through the service-charge statement instead. A look at your tenancy agreement settles it in two minutes.
βΊ More about this route
After moving, electricity flows in your new flat automatically β but on the most expensive tariff on the market. Default supply exists so that nobody is left without power, and its price sits noticeably above any supplier you choose yourself.
This two-step route settles the matter completely: how to compare tariffs without falling for first-year bonuses, and how to switch supplier without a single minute without electricity.
The biggest worry is unfounded: switching supplier does not interrupt your power for a second. The grid and the wiring stay the same; only who issues the bill changes, and the new supplier handles the entire process.
WHERE PEOPLE MOST OFTEN LOSE MONEY AND TIME
- Staying on default supply out of inertia. It is the most expensive tariff, and a year of hesitation costs noticeable money.
- Choosing on the first yearβs price. A large bonus often conceals a high tariff from year two; compare total cost.
- Accepting prepayment for a whole year. If the supplier runs into trouble that money is hard to recover, and the benefit is usually small.
- Not reporting meter readings when moving. Without them consumption is estimated, and sorting it out later costs more than noting the figures.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ROUTE
Will my power be cut off when switching?βΎ
No. Supply physically runs over the same grid; the switch concerns only the contract and billing. There is no interruption β the network operator guarantees that regardless of your supplier.
Why is default supply more expensive?βΎ
Because it is the tariff of last resort: the supplier must serve anyone without checks or negotiation, and those obligations sit in the price. It exists as a safety net rather than a permanent choice.
How do I compare tariffs properly?βΎ
By total cost over the contract term, excluding one-off bonuses and using realistic consumption. A first-year bonus is often consumed by a high follow-on price, and the notice period determines whether you can leave.
What about the meter when I move?βΎ
Note and photograph the reading on move-in and move-out day and report both immediately. That is the only reliable protection against estimates and against someone elseβs consumption on your bill.