Switching electricity contract

[zhaider 14]

Hi, right now I'm using E.ON as my electricity supplier because they had a nice deal back then due to corporate benefits but now they are going to be tad enpensive compared to some other providers. My question is do I need to cancel contract with them first before applying to the new supplier or I can just sign a new contract with a new supplier and they will automatically cancel my previous contract?

 

The reason for this seemingly stupid question is to avoid double contracts or end up having no provider if I mess something up.

 

Thanks.

[klingklang77 490]

It’s best to look at your contract. Usually it is a 3 month cancellation time. I’d call up the new supplier and see what they say, and then refer to your current contract. You will probably need to organise this with your local Stadtwerk, but I’m not sure. 

[robinson100 12,792]

Most energy providers are happy to deal with the cancelling of an old contract, and sorting out a new one for you - they want your business!!!

Might also be worth having a chat with EON and telling them why you are planning to change providers - they might come up with a better offer...

[jeba 4,341]

For the sake of convenience you might want to use a website like check24.de or verivox.de. They'll allow price comparisons,  give advice and explain the legal situation to you.

[LeonG 14,795]

If you use check 24 they have a box to check whether you would like to cancel your own contract or whether you want your new provider to do it for you.  Contracts usually run for a year with a 3 month notice period so you may be stuck with them for a while. 

 

Your electric meter can only have one provider at a time so your new energy provider will communicate with your old one so that new can not take over until old is ready to release.  Hence if you make a new contract and don't cancel the old one, you will get a letter from your new provider saying sorry but we can not do business with you because you are already in a contract with someone else which runs until date x and you have to cancel or they may offer to cancel it for you.  Hence you will not end up with two energy providers and have to pay double.

 

You will not end up without power either because the law is that if you cancel your contract and don't have a contract with a new provider set up, you are automatically signed up with the default provider (grundversorger) in your area.  They will likely be a bit more expensive but you can cancel them on a month to month basis if you don't want to stay.

 

Keep in mind that providers giving good deals usually do it to get sign ups and once you are signed up and complete your first year, prices will likely go up.  Therefore, if you want to save money, check for a deal on a yearly basis.

 

 

[zhaider 14]

Thanks for all the explanation folks! My notice period is only one month which is good. One more thing with E.ON I have all all communication digitally with them. Would that be the same for other providers as well or I'll have to rely on the good old letters?

[LeonG 14,795]

I switch on a yearly basis and generally have no reason to communicate with providers.  They tend to send a letter in the beginning stating that they are happy to have me as a customer and that I will switch over on such and such date and don't forget to read the meter on that date.  Usually I get a card from avacon at the time I'm supposed to read the meter.  You can either enter your reading online or write on the card and mail it.  After the reading, I will get a letter from the old provider telling them how much they owe me and they will later deposit that amount into my account.  The new provider will have told me how much they are charging me per month and SEPA will have been taken care of so they will start taking money out of my account.  Then repeat the above every year, pretty much.  If you are going to cancel a contract in Germany, always do it in writing with a paper letter.  Some companies will accept an email cancellation but they don't have to.

[scook17 247]

I switched from EON to Grunweld. At the next chance, I switched back again. I question how much you actually save, unless you enjoy the switching experience. For someone who'd like to sort it and forget it, EON seemed to me to provide a much better online interface and overall experience. I don't think I'd bother to switch again.

[LeonG 14,795]

3 minutes ago, scook17 said:

I switched from EON to Grunweld. At the next chance, I switched back again. I question how much you actually save, unless you enjoy the switching experience. For someone who'd like to sort it and forget it, EON seemed to me to provide a much better online interface and overall experience. I don't think I'd bother to switch again.

 

If you decide to stay with the same provider, you should check that they don't raise the prices on you after the initial year.  

[scook17 247]

57 minutes ago, LeonG said:

 

If you decide to stay with the same provider, you should check that they don't raise the prices on you after the initial year.  

Which is almost certain when you sign up to some discounted, locked in deal. Of course, this is a common trick on most industries, insurance being the most well known example.

[wien4ever 446]

What are the best deals now for electric? If you use check24 or verivox, you get 67-76cents/kWh offers. I contacted a energy broker and got an offer for Vattenfall 46 cents/kWh for 24 months. Is anyone getting anything better?

 

 

[vivanco 173]

4 hours ago, wien4ever said:

What are the best deals now for electric? If you use check24 or verivox, you get 67-76cents/kWh offers. I contacted a energy broker and got an offer for Vattenfall 46 cents/kWh for 24 months. Is anyone getting anything better?

 

 

It depends where you live(postcode) . On mydealz website people have been posting electricity price from 30ct/kwh. If you are an adac member, check if they offer any better rate (choose tariff with smart meter) 

https://adac.oekostrom-bestellen.shop/

Sometimes mediamarkt also offer good pricing in their physical shop. Many places the default supplier, grundversorger is still cheaper. Check24 should also show the grundversorger price. 

[wien4ever 446]

Thanks! I've also heard grundversorger is cheaper , and some people have opted for that, but then there is no price guarantee. My current contracted supplier is also the grundversorger when my contract expires. It is definitely cheaper, but I have no idea how much the grundversorger can change the price. I hear 2023 it will be really hard to find any deals, as electric futures are going up. I would rather secure a two year price guarantee than leave it up to chance.

[klingklang77 490]

My Grundversorger (SWM) is charging about 30 cents at the moment. I am in the process of moving to another city out of Bavaria and SWM said I can “take them with me” and the rate is about 24 cents. 

 

Edit: The Grundversorger usually gives notice if they are raising the price. 

 

 

[emkay 10,150]

23 hours ago, wien4ever said:

Thanks! I've also heard grundversorger is cheaper , and some people have opted for that, but then there is no price guarantee. My current contracted supplier is also the grundversorger when my contract expires. It is definitely cheaper, but I have no idea how much the grundversorger can change the price. I hear 2023 it will be really hard to find any deals, as electric futures are going up. I would rather secure a two year price guarantee than leave it up to chance.

We changed electricity supplier last November as our long standing supplier increased their price by something like 30%. We went with Entega, also Grundversorger.  Their online price was way higher than calling them directly. It’s definitely worth calling your exiting supplier directly. I was told by a couple of suppliers recently that new contracts are almost certainly far more expensive than staying with your existing supplier. Online pricing is also inflated as apparently, the comparison websites take a sizeable commission. As already mentioned, I believe existing suppliers need to give suitable notice for price changes therefore allowing you to change supplier. The notice period should also be minimal. 

[theGman 3,516]

We currently have a one year contract with eprimo, due to expire in Feb. So we have a few more days to decide whether to cancel or not not. My question is, what happens if we do not cancel? The price guarantee expires and I cannot find out anywhere what the prices will be after that. The prices on check24 for new contracts are currently around 45c.

 

But, with the preisbremse due to come in  to effect from March, is it all a moot point? Will we be paying 40c this year no matter what provider we go with? Maybe I should just look for a provider with a lower Grundpreis. We will be away for around 3 months this year so I am expecting that we will not go over the 80% threshold.