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MONEY

EXPLAINED: How to change electricity and gas providers in Germany

With energy prices in Germany continuing to rise, we explain how you can try to get the best deal for your home by changing suppliers. 

Published: 24 February 2022 10:33 CET
Updated: 26 February 2022 08:29 CET
EXPLAINED: How to change electricity and gas providers in Germany
An electric plug on top of a pile of Euro coins and notes. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa-tmn | Kai Remmers

According to the Federal Ministry of Economics, the price of electricity in Germany is currently at a record high of 32.63 cents per kilowatt-hour, and gas prices are being driven ever higher by restricted supplies and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

If you think you might be missing out on a better deal, here’s how you can secure the best tariff for your home by switching to another supplier. 

Easier than you think 

Some may be put off by the idea of changing energy suppliers due to concerns that the process will be complicated and that they may be left without energy while changing providers. But in Germany, there is a legally guaranteed basic supply, meaning you will be supplied by the so-called basic supplier in your area during any changeover period. (Don’t switch too close to the deadline though, as this can get expensive.) Also, technically speaking, a change of supplier does not change the electricity or gas for your household, meaning no one has to come to your home and the change is free of charge.

Contract termination

The time at which you can change your electricity or gas supplier depends on your current contract. Different notice periods apply depending on whether you are a customer of a basic supplier, an alternative supplier or have a special right of termination.

If you are a customer of a basic supplier and have never changed your provider, you can change your gas or electricity supplier at any time. In this case, you have two weeks’ notice before the contract with your new supplier can start.

If you are a customer of an alternative provider – which is the case with most people –  you are bound by certain deadlines and you will need to pay attention to the minimum contract period and the notice period in your contract.

READ ALSO: Moving house in Germany: 7 things you need to know about setting up utility contracts

Many contracts will run for a minimum of one year, after which they are automatically extended. In this case, it is very important to pay attention to the notice period in your contract, as, once the period expires, the contract will be extended by another year. You should therefore act in good time and can initiate the change of provider up to six months before the contract expires. The termination of the old contract is usually taken over by the new supplier, who then directly takes over the supply as soon as the old contract has expired.

In certain circumstances, a so-called special termination right can apply – meaning you can terminate your contract without having to observe the usual contract or notice periods. Moving house, for example, is a special situation for which this rule applies. Another is if your provider announces a price increase, in which case you have the option of exercising a special right of termination. In this case, the notice period is usually two weeks from the announcement In these cases, it is best to send the termination notice yourself, rather than getting your new provider to do so on your behalf. You can inform the new provider that you have cancelled your current contract yourself by adding a note to the order.

The new electricity or gas contract usually comes into effect as soon as the new supplier has sent you a contract confirmation with the expected start of delivery.

The previous provider then has up to six weeks after the end of delivery to issue a final invoice.

Search for other offers

There are numerous electricity price comparison sites that you can use to find out if you are paying too much for your energy: Check24 and Verifox are two of the biggest ones. 

The websites offer tariff calculators, which enable you to see what other suppliers offer for the same level of consumption in your area. To use these calculators, you should have your postcode and your annual electricity consumption at hand – which you can find in your last gas or electricity bill. 

READ ALSO: How Germany plans to help households cope with rising costs

When researching electricity and gas contracts, you should not only pay attention to the prices, but also carefully check the terms and conditions of the contracts on offer. The shorter the terms and periods of notice, the more flexible you are as a customer – meaning you can act quickly and without complications if you decide you need to change again.

Be careful with suppliers who offer favourable rates in return for an advance payment or a deposit as, if the company goes bankrupt, it is almost impossible to get the money back. Also, watch out for package prices: here, the price is linked to a certain amount of consumption and if you try to save electricity by using less energy, you don’t get your money back, but if you use more energy, you still have to pay more. 

Once you have found a suitable offer, check on the provider’s website whether the details match those in the price comparison calculator. If there are discrepancies, ask the provider directly.

Making the switch

Before changing to another provider, it’s worth contacting your current supplier and asking if they can make you a better offer. Before calling, have the details of any better tariffs you have found to hand so that you have a good basis for negotiation.

If you decide to go ahead and change supplier, you can either conclude the new contract directly with the new provider or, in some cases, via the tariff portal, though the portal usually charges a fee for this service. In any case, the new provider will terminate your previous contract on your behalf if you sign the power of attorney allowing them to do so.

READ ALSO: Electricity bills in Germany – how to keep your costs down

Useful Vocabulary:

electricity supplier – (der) Stromanbieter

basic (energy) supply – (die) Grundversorgung  

electricity price comparison – (der) Strompreisvergleich  

 tariff calculator – (der) Tarifrechner

contractual period – (die) Vertragsdauer

notice period – (die) Kündigungsfrist

special termination right – (das) Sonderkündigungsrecht 

power of attorney – (die) Vollmacht

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FAMILY

What to do when a foreigner dies in Germany

It is not something anyone wants to spend too much time dwelling on, but as we all know bereavements are the only certainty in life other than taxes. This list aims to take you through the paperwork that comes with a death in Germany.

Published: 25 February 2022 17:10 CET
What to do when a foreigner dies in Germany

Death is a tragic and disorientating part of family life whenever it hits. But living in a foreign country can make things more complicated.

In the event that the deceased lived to a good old age, they have hopefully made arrangement for what to do next. In the event of a more unexpected bereavement though, this panning might not be in place. Should the deceased be buried in Germany or repatriated to their homeland? If they are to be buried in Germany, what type of funeral would they have wanted?

The following article gives some information on what everyone needs to do in the event of a death on the family in Germany, as well as some tips on the special circumstances of dealing with a death abroad.

READ ALSO: ‘Behind all the numbers there are human fates’: Germany mourns 80,000 pandemic victims at memorial

Immediately after the death

The bureacratic side of dealing with a bereavement can differ from state to state in Germany. Like many things in this federal republic, the laws on death are written in state parliaments.

But there are some things you’ll have to do wherever you are.

If the person dies at home, the next of kin will have to immediately notify a doctor. You can call your local GP or a Notarzt (emergency doctor). They will come and evaluate the cause of death and the time of death. They’ll then fill out what is called a Todesschein or Leichenschauschein (death notice), which is important for later stages of the bureaucratic process.

Emergency doctor

An emergency doctor’s van arrives at a house in Heidelberg. Photo: picture alliance/dpa//Pr-Video | R.Priebe

You actually have a legal duty to notify a doctor and to see to other things such as employing a funeral home.

If the death takes place at a hospital or care home, the administrators there will take care of the initial formalities.

In the hours after the death you will also need to bring together all the important documents that you will need over the coming days. You will need the deceased’s identity card or passport, their birth certificate, marriage certificate (and divorce papers if relevant), and will.

Contacting an undertaker

The next important thing to do is to find a funeral home. Employing of funeral home is part of your obligations and next of kin. Generally you have to do that within 36 hours of the death, although some states might even require this to happen sooner.

The good news is that the funeral home can basically help you with all of the subsequent arrangements including the bureaucratic stuff. 

It is not rare in Germany for the deceased to have already made contact with a funeral home before their death.

The costs of German funeral homes can be high, meaning that many people have already made arrangements before they die so as not to burden their families with the costs.

Even a simple funeral can cost between €3,000 and €5,000, according to the Verraucherzentral consumer watchdog. Many Germans are therefore prepare for their own death by taking out a Sterbegeldversicherung.

According to the Verbraucherzentrale though, one often ends up paying more into a Sterbegeldversicherung than the actual costs associated with dying. And, as opposed to other types of insurance, one is insuring oneself against something that will definitely happen. This means that it can make more sense to put money aside or to set up a contract with a funeral home before one’s death.

As next of kin, it’s important to know what financial planning the deceased put in place so that you can then access these funds to pay for the costs of burial, a gravestone if necessary, and the rental of a burial plot among other things.

If they have already found a funeral home then your job is made easier. If not, it is best to get a Kostenvoranschlag (cost estimate) from a few undertakers.

The US embassy lists English-speaking funeral homes in Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich. The British embassy has also published a list of English-speaking funeral directors. If you don’t live in one of those cities you can look online for a Bestattungsinstitut (funeral home) or you can ask around among friends and colleagues for a recommendation.

Notifying the authorities

Another thing that needs to happen quickly is that you need to notify the local registrar, or Standesamt (registrar’s office) in German. You general have to notify them within three working days, but the funeral home can do this for you (at an extra cost).

The Standesmant will issue the deceased with a Sterbesurkunde (death certificate), which is an important document for dealing with life insurance and the will, for example.

The cross of the Mariensäule in Rheinland-Palatinate in the morning fog.

The cross of the Mariensäule in Rheinland-Palatinate in the morning fog. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Harald Tittel

To obtain the death certificate, you will need to provide several important documents. These include the Todesschein, the deceased’s birth certificate and marriage certificate. If these are in another language, you need to present the Standesamt with the original as well as a German version that has been translated by a certified translator.

For a small additional sum, the Standesamt can provide an international death certificate that is written in English and should be valid for legal issues related to the death abroad.

READ ALSO: Ehegattensplitting: How did Germany’s marriage tax law become so controversial?

Graveyard obligation

If it was the wish of the deceased to be buried in Germany, then there is an important element of German law that you should be aware of.

The deceased’s remains have to be placed in a graveyard, regardless of whether they have been cremated or are buried in a coffin. This law, known as the Friedhofszwang dates back to Prussian times. Some states have tweaked it around its edges, so you will have to inform yourself about the specifics where you live. Generally though, keeping an urn at home is streng verboten (strictly forbidden).

There are two exceptions to this rule, however: the person can be buried in a forest in a specially designated Waldfriedhof, or their cremated remains can be scattered at sea in a Seebestattung.

People can be laid to rest in a designated forest in Germany. Photo: dpa-Zentralbild | Robert Michael

Informing embassies

There is no need for you to inform an embassy of the death of a citizen of that country. But, if the person has a next of kin at home whom you do not want to inform personally or cannot inform personally, the embassy can usually take over this work. Meanwhile, you can register the death in the home country through the consulate, a step that means there will be a record in their native country of their death.

READ ALSO: Everything you need to know about German inheritance law

Repatriation

One issue that makes a death abroad that much more complicated than dying at home is the question of whether to repatriate the remains or not.

Repatriation can be pretty expensive and it is also made more complicated by various legal requirements that vary from state to state. The British embassy advises you to discuss repatriation with your funeral home, which will generally be able to make the arrangements for you.

In some circumstances it could be possible to take an urn by hand luggage, but in other parts of the country you need to fulfill stricter criteria.

Repatriating a corpse for burial back home is much tricker and more expensive than repatriating cremated remains. That is especially the case during the pandemic.

The US embassy warns that people who have died after suffering from Covid-19 cannot be repatriated unless they are cremated first. That is because Germany does not allow for the embalming of people who died from a communicable disease. The US meanwhile does not allow corpses to enter the country which have not been embalmed.

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