How to switch gas providers in Germany to save money

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It’s often a very little known fact that you easily switch gas providers in Germany, thereby saving you a few hundred of euros per year.

When moving in, you are also left with a “standard” utility provider (Grundversorger) which takes over if you don’t make any further decisions. That provider is often more expensive than most.

So why not taking care of it once and for all? Switching gas provides in Germany is easy, takes only a few weeks and involves no risk at all for you.

switch gas providers in Germany

This guide introduces how you can find a cheaper provider, how to terminate your current contract early & the fine prints to avoid when signing a contract.

Gas prices in Germany: 2025 outlook

As of early 2025, Germany’s gas energy market presents a mixed outlook for consumers. The expiration of the European Union’s gas price cap, introduced during the 2022 energy crisis, indicates a stabilization in gas prices, which have remained below crisis peaks.

However, Germany’s reliance on imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) continues to influence the market On the policy front, Germany has extended support for certain gas plants until 2030, signaling an ongoing role for gas in the energy mix.

For consumers, these developments suggest a relatively stable gas supply with moderated prices in the near term. However, external factors such as global LNG market fluctuations and geopolitical events could impact this stability. Germany’s decision to stop their nuclear program keeps weighing in the balance.

Here is how to react to a price increase:

  • If you are subject of a price increase, you have a legal right to terminate your contract. It’s called “Sonderkündigungsrecht“. You must write a termination letter to your provider yourself. You can read a detailed guide on how to cancel your gas contract in Germay here.
  • The best way to compare current prices is to use price comparison portals listed in this guide below. If you find a better offer, you can cancel your old contract

Quick overview of gas providers in Germany

Unsurprisingly, the market has become more fragmented ever since it was open to private competition. There are few dozens of companies sharing the market between them. Some big names you might already know of are Lekker, EnBW, Yello or Vattenfall. These are national players but you can also find regional players like Gasag in Berlin.

Some of the companies you will see are only consumer facing companies. This means that they are only selling utilities to you but they rely on other companies for sourcing, production and distribution. Other companies have everything integrated together. The infrastructure itself (pipes that bring the gas to your home) is almost always managed by another company than your German gas provider.

How to find a utility contract with better rates

The whole process to change contracts is actually rather straightforward and doesn’t require a whole lot of German. I have listed key terms under this article if you need, but since it’s similar to picking an internet provider, i’m sure you will do well here. There are a few price comparison websites to compare gas providers in Germany; i always like to recommend Verivox because the process is clear and the UI excellent, but Check24 or Preisvergleich.de are good contenders. Whatever you pick, here is how it goes.

The platform will take you through the following steps:

  1. Entering your postal code and picking your household size
  2. Listing all relevant plans
  3. Adjusting to your preference (e.g: Ökogas, local supplier or contract length)
  4. Filling-in your adress, contact details and banking details
  5. Confirm your choice online
  6. Receive your contract by post
Switching gas providers in Germany process

How much you can save – real estimates

So, how much money are we really talking about here? On average, in an apartment of around 70 m², switching gas providers today can save you about 310-530€ per year, and for a family home, the potential jumps to 520-910€ annually.

But that’s just the baseline. If you’re currently with the default supplier (Grundversorgung), the numbers are even wilder: across Germany, families can save an average of 1 284€ a year and in energy-price hotspots like Dortmund, switching can slash your costs by 65 percent, or more than 2 500€ annually

Bottom line? Skipping the default provider isn’t just a minor saving: it’s the difference between treating yourself to a café latte once in a while and actually having enough left over for a weekend getaway.

Switching your gas provider in Germany is easy: no disruption

Once everything has been given the green light, your new German gas provider will give a notice to your old one that billing is now going through them. There is no infrastructure change. It’s only an administrative one. You don’t need to let your old supplier know about the change. The only thing left to do is to pay the last remaining bill so your balance is cleared.

You might also be asked to fill in the numbers indicated on your gas meter (“Gaszähler“). This device is usually easy to find if you follow the pipes going to the hot water balloon or other installations you might have in your home. There are usually 2 numbers: your “Zählernummer” (Meter reference number) and “Zählerstand” (Meter consumption number, moving ones).

Gas meter example Germany
This is what a gas meter looks like in Germany. Meter reading at the top, meter refernence number in the bottom right.

Know your rights before picking a contract

Billing cycles

Most gas providers in Germany will let you pick the frequency with which you can pay your bills (“Abschläge”). It’s ranging from monthly to yearly. A higher billing frequency (more often) will result in a higher price overall, as it occurs more fees for the company to calculate and send it. Make sure to pay attention to this condition to avoid a massive yearly bill. If you cash flow is low, prefer a quarterly billing cycle, which is a good compromise.

Termination policy

The devil is in fine prints: Germany is sometimes not so good with flexible contract termination conditions (“Kündigungsfrist”). You need to keep an eye on this as well because some German gas providers require a termination loooooong in advance. Some others are even cleverer: once the termination notice has been given, the end of contract really happens only 6 months or a year after! Beware.

Price guarantees

The price of gas is volatile and fluctuates a lot over the years, often increasing with time . This is why gas providers in Germany are attracting customers with price guarantees. In a nutshell; a fixed price for (x) months, regardless of gas price fluctuations (“Preisgarantie”). This is one of the major parameters to consider in your choice.

New customer bonuses

A far less relevant argument for you is new customer bonuses (“Neukundenbonus”). German utility companies are luring customers with the promise of receiving 200€ or more if signing up with them. This is quite common and although it sounds nice, i wouldn’t take this too much into account. They make it sound like they will give you money but it is just a discount on your first bill really. It can also sometimes hide a bad deal on the long run. Keep an eye out!

Take time to read the fine prints and use the comparison tools to navigate the market

FAQ when switching providers

Can I be left without gas supply while I switch?

No, your gas supply will not be interrupted when switching providers in Germany. The local network operator (Grundversorger) is required by law to ensure a continuous supply. If somehow end and start dates don’t match perfectly, this operator will send you a bill for the days they took over.

I was rejected when trying to get a better contract from another supplier, why?

The Verbraucherzentrale has received reports of energy suppliers rejecting customers despite good credit ratings. One reason could be that frequent switchers who regularly claim bonuses are less attractive to suppliers. If you switch providers often, consider asking your previous supplier to delete your personal data. You can use a sample letter for this. To check if your data has been removed, request a disclosure from your former supplier.

What if I never switched? Is it bad?

Not all. You won’t run into any issues. You are probably not getting the best terms, that’s all.

Are there German gas providers with English customer support?

If you need English support, you’ve got options.

  • Vattenfall offers dedicated English phone service for gas.
  • Regional providers like Stadtwerke München (SWM), Stadtwerke Tübingen, Stadtwerke Konstanz, and SWK Stadtwerke Kaiserslautern also cater to English speakers with translated sites and customer service.

However, those aren’t probably the cheapest providers out-there. You have to make choice between savings and English support. Switching gas providers is not that complicated using built-in translation tools in your browser, we recommend you go for savings.

Terms and vocabulary to know

Switching gas providers in Germany is unfortunately still done in the German language, you might need to know those terms (or else, make use of Google translate.)

  • Postleitzahl : your postal code
  • Verbrauch : your estimated consumption at home.
  • Vertragslaufzeit : Contract duration.
  • Mindestlaufzeit : Minimum contract duration.
  • Verlängerung : Duration of the contract when (automatically) renewed
  • Kündigungsfrist : Notice period – how much time in advance should the supplier be noticed of contract termination.
  • Preisgarantie – Preisfixierung : Price guarantee as mentioned above (for x amount of months)
  • Vorauskasse : Payment in advance (not advised, prefer monthly installments, see “Abschläge”).
  • Nützung : Is this contract for your house (Privat) or your office – commercial (Gewerbe) space ?
  • Ökogas : Gas coming from renewable sources
  • Abschlagszahlung – Abschläge : Installments intervals
  • Sofortbonus & Neukundenbonus : Bonuses for signing up a new contract.
  • Gaszähler: Your gas meter

I hope all this info to switch gas providers in Germany is now clearer for you. Don’t hesitate to ask questions in the comments if i haven’t answered all of them in this post. Also don’t forget you can do the same for electricity bills, a similar guide on this blog is available there.

Bastien

Sources & references:

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