So you don’t pay for it

Almost every energy supplier in Germany has raised electricity prices or will do so by January 1, 2023 at the latest. Many of you have already received the price increases with increasing advance payments in the mailbox. If you want to switch electricity providers because of this, you have to do the math very carefully.

Even before the energy crisis, many people found it difficult to change their electricity supplier. Before the war in Ukraine, that was a good way to save money. At the moment, this does not always make sense, because many energy suppliers have to buy expensive energy and pass on the higher prices to their customers if there are no long-term contracts. That’s why you have to calculate very carefully whether switching providers is worthwhile for you and whether you end up paying more.

What to look out for when changing electricity tariffs

First of all, you need to know how much electricity you use per year and what you pay per kWh. You can only compare prices meaningfully if you know exactly how high your consumption is. On January 1, 2023, electricity prices will increase massively for most providers. So if you have an electricity tariff Electricity price guarantee then you should definitely not change at the moment. You will not find a cheaper tariff with better conditions.

But if you don’t have a price guarantee and the Prices will rise sharply on January 1, 2023then you should first determine how high the prices are for your primary care are if you are not a customer there. Because the basic suppliers are currently usually the cheapest providers. They have to supply you with electricity. Some basic suppliers wanted to push new customers into the replacement supply and demand higher costs in this way. This has not been permitted since November 1, 2022 (source: Lower Saxony Consumer Advice Centre). If you are priced into the replacement supply, you must object to this. Everyone can go to basic services. That’s the law in Germany.

For only 9 euros you can find power guzzlers in the household:

Compare prices and estimate correctly

To get a feel for what the open market prices are in your area, you should take a price comparison site such as visiting Check24 (take a look at Check24), enter your annual consumption and postcode. Electricity prices vary greatly depending on the region. But you also have to take a close look at the offers displayed there, because there is usually an immediate bonus, new customer discount, an autumn bonus and vouchers that not everyone wants or can redeem. In most cases, the basic supplier remains the cheapest provider.

If you like it very comfortable, you can too service providers like remind.me (take a look at remind.me). There you will be given a personal offer and the change will be made for you. This is primarily worthwhile for people who do not dare to compare or change formalities themselves. But you shouldn’t expect the cheapest prices here, she says Consumer Center Berlin. The basic suppliers often do not appear with such alternating service providers. Accordingly, you should check these offers very carefully.

You can save energy with a balcony power plant:

Don’t forget the electricity price brake

On January 1, 2023, the electricity price brake will come into force in Germany. The electricity price is capped anyway at 40 cents per kWh for 80 percent of the previous year’s consumption. So even if your electricity price rises to 47 cents per kWh, you only have to pay 40 cents for 80 percent of your annual consumption and the full price of 47 cents for only 20 percent of your annual consumption. In the end, this must also be included in your calculation.