The best electricity providers in Germany – my 2024 review

What is the process of signing up with a electricity provider in Germany?

You are automatically signed up with an electricity contract for your flat with the so-called Grundversorger which is usually the biggest electricity company in your neighborhood. It is also often the most expensive tariff. You are contacted by the Grundversorger to confirm the contract a week or so after moving into the flat.

You should act if you want cheaper or cleaner electricity. Changing suppliers is very easy. Your new electricity company handles the switch without interruption after you signed up and they notify your old supplier to terminate the old contract. You don't have to worry about being cut off from electricity when changing the electricity provider.

Please note that you will get two different electricity bills in Germany:

• a bill as part of the utility costs (Nebenkostenabrechnung). This bill is sent by your landlord once a year. You pay monthly deductions of the utility costs as part of your rent. This bill covers the electricity used in the apartment stairway, elevator and all shared parts of the building.
• A bill based on your contract with an electricity provider for all the electricity that you use in your apartment. Some apartments use a water heater inside the apartment (Durchlauferhitzer) for hot water. The costs of any water heater inside your apartment should be included in the contract with an external electricity provider.

Your monthly deductions in the first year will be based on estimates. The new electricity supplier will ask you about the flat size and number of people living in the flat to estimate the energy consumption. You automatically get money back at the end of the year if you pay too much or get a bill for any outstanding amount and your monthly rate will be adjusted. Electricity bills can only be paid trough a German bank account.

You have to send the electricity meter reading (Zählerstand) to the electricity provider once a year. The meter is often placed in a box in the basement of the house.

What are the best websites to compare electricity providers in Germany?

The Tarifcheck website has some tools to find a cheap electricity plan:

Go to *www.tarifcheck.com, then click on Strom & Gas > Stromvergleich.

Enter your postcode (Postleitzahl) and your estimated yearly electricity consumption (Jahresverbrauch) to display a list of providers. A single person household consumes around 2050 kWh per year ^source.

You can also easily compare prices from electricity companies in Germany by entering your address on one of these websites:

• *Verivox
• *Preisvergleich
• Switchup
• Stromvergleichsportal
• Wechselpilot

Electricity providers in Germany that offer English support

I recommend *Ostrom for most foreigners that moved to Germany. Ostrom is one of the first electricity providers that offers full English support, including website, live chat and customer service. Their offer is a plan with 100% renewable energy and a monthly cancellation option.

I particulary like *Ostrom's app based model that, unlike many other companies in this review, is paperless. You can access all information, including your electricity consumption per day or month via the Ostrom app.

What does Ostrom electricity cost?

*Ostrom electricity costs are based on the market rate with zero margins. At the time of writing, the company makes money trough a 6.- Euro flat fee. This means that your monthly electricity prices goes up and down according to market rates. Price adjustments are announced at least four weeks in advance. There is no 12 or 24-month lock-in period; you can cancel the *Ostrom contratc monthly.

What are the biggest electricity providers in Germany?

The biggest electricity companies in Germany are ^source:

1. RWE
2. EnBW
3. *E.ON
4. Vattenfall
5. LEAG

The best green electricity providers in Germany

You should be aware that while many companies offer so-called green or environmentally friendly energy, big companies like Vattenfall or RWE are or were involved with nuclear and coal-based electricity. RWE sued against the shutdown of two German nuclear power plants in 2011 after Germany decided on a nuclear phase-out ^source.

The following energy providers were never involved in nuclear or coal energy and offer 100% clean electricity:

• *Naturstrom. This provider is active since 1998 and uses only renewable energy half of which is from water and wind energy in Germany ^source.
• *Polarstern. Founded in 2011 this company only sells electricity from small hydroelectric power plants.
• *Green Planet Energy is a provider run by the well-known NGO Greenpeace.

Other green electricity providers:

• *Lichtblick advertises to offer cheap green energy. They claim to be the biggest eco-electricity provider in Germany. There has been some criticism in the past as Lichtblick bought a small portion of electricity from conventional sources ^source.
• *Yello is using 100% hydroelectric power plants for its Klima Tarife.