What Is the Best Electricity Provider for New Arrivals in Germany? (2026)
The verdict
For new arrivals, Octopus Energy Relax12 leads at 3.9 out of 5, unit rate EUR 0.28/kWh for the catalogue's reference postcode. It has no sign-up bonus, so year two costs what year one did, and its support is marketed in English. Ostrom is the other bonus-free supplier with an English app and support. Until you sign, the local Grundversorgung supplies you automatically, so there is no day without power: choose in your first weeks, not on your first day.
Jump to section
How we ranked this for new arrivals 5 criteria, weights published
Ease of signing up carries 30% here against 15% on the general ranking, and Unit cost carries 20% here against 35% on the general ranking. The weights were fixed on 24 October 2026, before the catalogue was scored against them.
Which electricity tariff is best for new arrivals?
Sorted by unit rate, not our recommendation. The default view is our ranking, weights published below.
Sorted by contract freedom, not our recommendation. The default view is our ranking, weights published below.
Sorted by english support, not our recommendation. The default view is our ranking, weights published below.
Octopus Energy
Relax12
Score 3.9/5. English service plus simple flat pricing, no lock-in tricks
Get this tariff- Unit rate (Arbeitspreis)
- EUR 0.28
- Standing charge (Grundpreis)
- EUR 178.90/year (EUR 14.91/month)
- Estimated annual cost
- EUR 1,149.80 (3,500 kWh/yr; sibling Relax24: 27.37 ct/kWh with 24-month guarantee)
- Contract
- 12 months
- Price guarantee
- 12 months
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- 27.74 ct/kWh fixed without any bonus games
- Trustpilot 4.8/5, top tier among large suppliers
Cons
- Standing charge ~EUR 14.9/month above discounters
Best for New arrivals who want the strongest overall fit.
Ostrom
Ostrom SimplyFair12
Score 3.5/5. The reference newcomer pick: English contract, app, support
Get this tariff- Unit rate (Arbeitspreis)
- EUR 0.35
- Standing charge (Grundpreis)
- EUR 135.60/year (EUR 11.30/month)
- Estimated annual cost
- EUR 962 (3,500 kWh/yr Berlin, first year (no bonus scheme))
- Contract
- 12 months
- Price guarantee
- 12 months
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- Full English app and support, rare in German energy
- No bonuses, so year-two price equals year one
Cons
- No phone hotline, chatbot-first support draws complaints
Best for New arrivals in a different city or with a different priority.
E.ON
E.ON ÖkoStrom Pro Extra 12
Score 3.5/5. English-language support and national coverage ease first signup
Get this tariff- Unit rate (Arbeitspreis)
- EUR 0.31
- Standing charge (Grundpreis)
- EUR 149.50/year (EUR 12.46/month)
- Estimated annual cost
- EUR 1,220 (3,500 kWh/yr, Berlin, first year including EUR 314 combined bonuses (bonus-free cost approx. EUR 1,220-1,335))
- Contract
- 12 months
- Price guarantee
- 12 months
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- Nationwide availability in every grid area
- 100% renewable electricity as standard
Cons
- Second-year price without bonuses is ~30% higher
Best for New arrivals in a different city or with a different priority.
Tibber
Tibber dynamischer Tarif
Score 3.2/5. English-first app; Pulse device works without iMSys
Get this tariff- Unit rate (Arbeitspreis)
- n/a
- Standing charge (Grundpreis)
- EUR 71.88/year (EUR 5.99/month)
- Estimated annual cost
- EUR 980 (3,500 kWh/yr at ~27.5 ct/kWh average dynamic rate (modelled, Jul 2026))
- Contract
- cancellable monthly
- Price guarantee
- no price guarantee
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- Hourly exchange prices with market-best app
- Pulse hardware (EUR 99.95, EUR 34.95 for ADAC members) bridges non-iMSys meters
Cons
- No phone support, chat only, slow replies reported
Best for New arrivals in a different city or with a different priority.
SWM
Grundversorgung (Munich)
Score 3.1/5. Automatic safety net in Munich; exit quickly
Get this tariff- Unit rate (Arbeitspreis)
- EUR 0.31
- Standing charge (Grundpreis)
- EUR 161.60/year (EUR 13.47/month)
- Estimated annual cost
- EUR 1,253 (3,500 kWh/yr Munich)
- Contract
- no minimum term
- Price guarantee
- no price guarantee
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- Auto-supply from day one of a Munich move
- Two-week cancellation, no term
Cons
- ~EUR 360/yr above cheapest Munich switcher tariff
Best for New arrivals in a different city or with a different priority.
Vattenfall
Berlin Basis Privatstrom (Grundversorgung)
Score 2.7/5. You are supplied automatically on arrival; switch within weeks
Get this tariff- Unit rate (Arbeitspreis)
- EUR 0.38
- Standing charge (Grundpreis)
- EUR 160.80/year (EUR 13.40/month)
- Estimated annual cost
- EUR 1,500 (3,500 kWh/yr household, Berlin)
- Contract
- no minimum term
- Price guarantee
- no price guarantee
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- Automatic supply from day one, no signup needed
- Cancellable any time with two weeks notice
Cons
- Most expensive way to buy power in Berlin: ~EUR 560/yr over cheapest
Best for New arrivals in a different city or with a different priority.
Also a strong fit
The general weighting also picks Octopus Energy Relax12, so the winner holds for new arrivals. What moves is the shelf behind it: ease of signing up carries 30% here against 15%, and unit cost 20% against 35%.
Which tariffs are ruled out for new arrivals?
20 of the 26 electricity tariffs in the catalogue carry a hard blocker for this reader. Their score is capped at 1.0, however cheap they are.
- Vattenfall ÖkoStrom12: documents only in German.
- EnBW EnBW clever strom 12: documents only in German.
- eprimo eprimoStrom PrimaKlima 18: documents only in German.
- Yello Mein Yello Strom Basis: documents only in German.
- LichtBlick ÖkoStrom 12: documents only in German.
- Naturstrom naturstrom: documents only in German.
- EWS Schönau Ökostrom 12: documents only in German.
- Polarstern Wirklich Ökostrom (Komfort): documents only in German.
- Green Planet Energy green energy strom: documents only in German.
- Bürgerwerke BürgerÖkostrom: documents only in German.
- Ostrom Ostrom SimplyDynamic Monthly: smart meter (iMSys) required.
- Rabot Energy rabot.home flex: documents mostly in German.
- Octopus Energy dynamicOctopus: smart meter (iMSys) required.
- SWM M-Strom Fix 12: documents only in German.
- GASAG Strom Öko: documents only in German.
- enviaM MEIN STROM relax 12 Monate: documents only in German.
- immergrün! Spar Smart FairMax: documents only in German.
- E WIE EINFACH E WIE EINFACH Strom (MeinSmart Tarif): documents only in German.
- MAINGAU Energie MAINGAU StromGarant: documents only in German.
- Süwag Naturstrom Clever: documents only in German.
What do you need to sign an electricity contract as a new arrival?
A German supply address, a SEPA direct debit and your meter number (Zählernummer). None of the records ranked here asks for a formal Anmeldung certificate, but every one needs the address and the bank account. Read the meter on the day you move in, photograph it and give that reading to the new supplier.
Until a contract starts, the local Grundversorger supplies you under § 2 StromGVV, and switching is free of charge (§ 20a EnWG). The Grundversorgung averages 42.83 cents per kWh against 30.7 cents for new-customer tariffs (strom-report.com, October 2026), so leaving it in your first weeks is the saving. The full sequence is in setting up electricity and gas.
The same tariffs, ranked for other readers
Compare every tariff in the catalogueUnit rate, standing charge and term side by sideEach page scores the same electricity catalogue on the same five criteria, only with different weights. For families and for settled residents the weighting returns the same order as the general list, so they have no page of their own: the general ranking is theirs.
How did we compare the tariffs?
We scored the 26 electricity tariffs in the catalogue; gas is ranked separately. Each criterion gets 0 to 5 points from fixed record fields: unit rate under 27 cents = 5, under 30 = 4, under 33 = 3, under 36 = 2, above that 1, no fixed unit rate 3, minus one point for a new-customer bonus. Price guarantee of 24 months or more = 5, 18 = 4, 12 = 3, none = 0. No term, or monthly with up to two weeks notice = 5, twelve months = 2. Grundversorgung = 5 for signing up, smart meter required = 2, otherwise 4. English service = 5, otherwise 1.
A tariff can only be picked when its own persona verdict in the catalogue is at least 3 out of 5 with no blocker. Prices are for each record's reference postcode and consumption profile, because the grid operator at your address sets part of the price. Always re-check the tariff for your own postcode.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which German electricity providers offer support in English?
In this catalogue, E.ON, Ostrom, Tibber and Octopus Energy are the records with English-language service. Octopus Relax12 and Ostrom SimplyFair12 add no sign-up bonus, so their second year costs what the first one did.
Do you need an Anmeldung to get electricity in Germany?
Not for the tariffs ranked here. Their records ask for a German supply address and a SEPA bank account, not a registration certificate. If you have neither yet, the local Grundversorger supplies you automatically until you sign.
Will the power be cut off while you switch supplier?
No. The switch is paperwork at the grid operator and costs you nothing (§ 20a EnWG). If a contract falls away, the Grundversorger keeps supplying you under Ersatzversorgung (§ 38 EnWG) until a new contract takes over.
Should a new arrival take the tariff with the biggest bonus?
Usually not. The bonus is a first-year figure that is clawed back if you leave inside the term, and year two is priced without it. E.ON ÖkoStrom Pro Extra 12 lists EUR 314 of combined bonuses inside its first-year cost at 3,500 kWh in Berlin.