What Are the Best Energy Providers in Germany? (2026)
You choose the Stromanbieter, not the Netzbetreiber, whose network fee lands on the bill either way. The bonus-free tariffs with service in English come from Octopus Energy and Ostrom; the strongest green label in this catalogue belongs to naturstrom, which carries the Grüner Strom Label in Gold. If you want the exchange price itself, that is Tibber, Rabot Energy, and the dynamic tariffs from Ostrom and Octopus. Every annual figure on this page states its consumption profile, usually 3,500 kWh a year for electricity and 12,000 kWh for gas.
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Which electricity tariffs are worth switching to?
This shortlist shows the three shapes the German market actually offers: bonus-free tariffs whose second year costs what the first one did, suppliers whose service runs in English, and the big listings whose annual figure is a first-year price propped up by a new-customer bonus. No Grundversorgung tariff appears here: that is the tariff you are trying to leave.
Always read the Arbeitspreis and the Grundpreis together. Standing charges in this catalogue run from about EUR 72 to EUR 217 a year, which matters more on a small consumption profile than a cent of difference per kilowatt-hour.
- 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
- Trustpilot 4.8/5, top tier among large suppliers
- English-speaking customer service
- Smart-meter install organised and paid by Octopus
Cons
- Standing charge ~EUR 14.9/month above discounters
- 12-month term despite bonus-free pricing
- App ecosystem thinner than Tibber/Ostrom
- 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
- No bonuses, so year-two price equals year one
- Trustpilot ~4.4/5, App Store 4.7
- Smart-home integrations for EV, heat pump, PV
Cons
- No phone hotline, chatbot-first support draws complaints
- 12-month term on the fixed tariff
- Some billing-allocation glitches reported in reviews
- Unit rate (Arbeitspreis)
- EUR 0.25
- Standing charge (Grundpreis)
- EUR 214.80/year (EUR 17.90/month)
- Estimated annual cost
- EUR 852.40 (3,500 kWh/yr household, Berlin; first year incl. bonuses)
- Contract
- 12 months
- Price guarantee
- 12 months
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- Large established supplier with German call centres
- 12-month price guarantee plus 12-month term
- Up to EUR 320 combined first-year bonuses
Cons
- New-customer bonus clawed back if you leave inside 12 months
- Default Grundversorgung sibling costs ~60% more (37.93 ct/kWh)
- Bonus-heavy first year hides second-year price jump
- Unit rate (Arbeitspreis)
- EUR 0.33
- Standing charge (Grundpreis)
- EUR 99.20/year (EUR 8.27/month)
- Estimated annual cost
- EUR 919 (3,500 kWh/yr, first year incl. EUR 319 combined bonuses (bonus-free run rate approx. EUR 1,238))
- Contract
- 12 months
- Price guarantee
- 12 months
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- First-year cost under EUR 920 in Berlin with bonuses
- Low standing charge (approx. EUR 8.27/month)
- Dynamic tariff (ÖkoStrom Dynamic) also available
Cons
- Bonus-free run rate ~35% above year-one headline
- New-customer bonus clawed back inside 12 months
- Trustpilot 3.5/5 shows billing-complaint pockets
- Unit rate (Arbeitspreis)
- EUR 0.31
- Standing charge (Grundpreis)
- EUR 166.80/year (EUR 13.90/month)
- Estimated annual cost
- EUR 1,248.30 (3,500 kWh/yr, no bonus, the price is the price)
- Contract
- cancellable monthly
- Price guarantee
- no price guarantee
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- Double-label green certification (Grüner Strom, ok-power)
- Same list price nationwide, transparent
- Funds new renewable plants with 1 ct/kWh
Cons
- No price guarantee: rate can be raised with notice
- Costs ~EUR 300/yr more than bonus-driven deals
- German-only customer service
Which suppliers are the greenest?
Almost every tariff in the catalogue is sold as 100% renewable, usually through purchased guarantees of origin. The difference sits in the label: naturstrom carries the Grüner Strom Label in Gold, EWS Schönau holds ok-power plus, and LichtBlick, Polarstern, Green Planet Energy and Bürgerwerke carry the Grüner Strom Label. Those suppliers also pay a per-kilowatt-hour amount into building new generation. The tariffs shown here are the labelled ones that do not already appear in the sections above.
- Unit rate (Arbeitspreis)
- EUR 0.32
- Standing charge (Grundpreis)
- EUR 166.80/year (EUR 13.90/month)
- Estimated annual cost
- EUR 1,219 (3,500 kWh/yr incl. EUR 50 new-customer bonus; price guarantee fixed to 31.10.2027)
- Contract
- 14 months
- Price guarantee
- 14 months
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- Price guaranteed to a fixed date (31.10.2027)
- ok-power plus certification, Robin Wood recommended
- Uniform national list price
Cons
- Fixed term to Oct 2027 limits flexibility
- Priced ~4-6 ct above cheapest discounters
- German-only service
Polarstern
Wirklich Ökostrom (Komfort)
Grüner Strom Label with highest-tier plant funding
Get this tariff- Unit rate (Arbeitspreis)
- EUR 0.31
- Standing charge (Grundpreis)
- EUR 217/year (EUR 18.08/month)
- Estimated annual cost
- EUR 1,311.80 (3,500 kWh/yr, no bonus)
- Contract
- 12 months
- Price guarantee
- 12 months
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- No bonus traps, stable honest pricing
- Also 100% biogas product for combined supply
- Robin Wood and Utopia recommended
Cons
- High standing charge (~EUR 18/month) hurts low users
- 12-month term despite no bonus
- Above discounter pricing by ~4 ct/kWh
- Unit rate (Arbeitspreis)
- EUR 0.33
- Standing charge (Grundpreis)
- EUR 134.90/year (EUR 11.24/month)
- Estimated annual cost
- EUR 1,105 (3,500 kWh/yr, first year incl. EUR 195 new-customer bonus)
- Contract
- 12 months
- Price guarantee
- 18 months
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- TÜV Nord certified 100% green tariff
- Consistently top-ranked discount service scores
- Up to EUR 300 first-year bonuses
Cons
- Bonus forfeited if you leave inside 12 months
- RWE ownership matters to green purists
- German-only contracts and support
- Unit rate (Arbeitspreis)
- EUR 0.31
- Standing charge (Grundpreis)
- EUR 154.80/year (EUR 12.90/month)
- Estimated annual cost
- EUR 1,222 (3,500 kWh/yr Berlin)
- Contract
- 12 months
- Price guarantee
- 12 months
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- Among highest new-plant funding contributions
- ProWind gas product pioneers windgas
Cons
- Regional price spread up to 5 ct/kWh between regions
- 12-month minimum term
- Rebrand from Greenpeace Energy still confuses searchers
Which tariffs follow the exchange price?
On a dynamic tariff the price of a kilowatt-hour follows EPEX Spot hour by hour, and at Octopus quarter-hour by quarter-hour. There is no price guarantee and no fixed unit rate, which is why several of these records carry no annual figure at all.
Ostrom SimplyDynamic, dynamicOctopus, and Tibber need an intelligent metering system. Octopus organises and pays for the installation, and Tibber bridges the gap with its EUR 89 Pulse device. rabot.home flex does not require one.
- 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
- Pulse hardware (EUR 89) bridges non-iMSys meters
- Monthly cancellable, no minimum term
- Deep smart-home and EV-charging automation
Cons
- No phone support, chat only, slow replies reported
- Monthly billing delays frustrate some customers
- Price spikes punish households that cannot shift load
Ostrom
Ostrom SimplyDynamic Monthly
Hourly EPEX pass-through with zero supplier surcharge
Get this tariff- Unit rate (Arbeitspreis)
- EUR 0.37
- Standing charge (Grundpreis)
- EUR 123.60/year (EUR 10.30/month)
- Estimated annual cost
- EUR 1,011 (3,500 kWh/yr at trailing average spot conditions, Berlin)
- Contract
- cancellable monthly
- Price guarantee
- no price guarantee
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- Monthly cancellable, no lock-in
- English app with live prices and automation
- Optional annual price-spike brake (EUR 49.90)
Cons
- Requires intelligent metering system (iMSys), only 5.5% installed
- Winter evening price spikes hit unmanaged households
- Savings need active load shifting to materialise
Octopus Energy
dynamicOctopus
15-minute pricing granularity, finer than hourly rivals
Get this tariff- Unit rate (Arbeitspreis)
- n/a
- Standing charge (Grundpreis)
- n/a
- Contract
- cancellable monthly
- Price guarantee
- no price guarantee
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- Smart meter installed at Octopus' cost
- Monthly cancellable
- Intelligent Octopus automates EV charging plans
Cons
- iMSys wait time can reach months in slow grid areas
- Exchange exposure without price cap
- Quarter-hourly billing detail overwhelms some users
Rabot Energy
rabot.home flex
Dynamic tariff usable without smart meter (load profile)
Get this tariff- Unit rate (Arbeitspreis)
- n/a
- Standing charge (Grundpreis)
- EUR 216/year (EUR 18/month)
- Estimated annual cost
- EUR 950 (3,500 kWh/yr modelled at trailing dynamic average (Jul 2026))
- Contract
- cancellable monthly
- Price guarantee
- no price guarantee
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- Monthly cancellable
- EV-charging optimisation built in
Cons
- Savings-share fee model is hard to compare
- No open API, weak for smart-home automation
- Without smart meter no targeted load shifting
Which suppliers are cheapest for gas?
On a 12,000 kWh a year profile, eprimoGas PrimaGas leads at 9.52 cents per kWh, followed by Octopus Relax12 Gas at 9.56 cents and Vattenfall Easy12 Gas at 9.78 cents. The GASAG Erdgas Grundversorgung in Berlin charges 11.64 cents per kWh, roughly two cents a kilowatt-hour more than the cheapest switcher tariff.
- Unit rate (Arbeitspreis)
- EUR 0.10
- Standing charge (Grundpreis)
- EUR 148.80/year (EUR 12.40/month)
- Estimated annual cost
- EUR 1,291 (12,000 kWh/yr)
- Contract
- 12 months
- Price guarantee
- 12 months
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- RWE-backed billing stability
- Simple online switching
Cons
- Bonus clawback on early exit
- German-only service
- No green gas option
- Unit rate (Arbeitspreis)
- EUR 0.10
- Standing charge (Grundpreis)
- EUR 152.40/year (EUR 12.70/month)
- Estimated annual cost
- EUR 1,299.60 (12,000 kWh/yr)
- Contract
- 12 months
- Price guarantee
- 12 months
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- 12-month guarantee without clawback traps
- Same-account dual fuel with electricity
Cons
- 12-month term
- Offsets are not biogas
- Limited brand awareness in Germany
- Unit rate (Arbeitspreis)
- EUR 0.10
- Standing charge (Grundpreis)
- EUR 190.80/year (EUR 15.90/month)
- Estimated annual cost
- EUR 1,364 (12,000 kWh/yr gas household)
- Contract
- 12 months
- Price guarantee
- 12 months
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- EUR 250 first-year bonus stack
- Large incumbent with stable billing
Cons
- Bonus clawback within 12 months
- Fossil gas; offset claims are not biogas
- Second-year price steps up without bonuses
How do you choose a Stromanbieter?
Start by checking whether the annual figure includes a new-customer bonus. Several catalogue listings are first-year prices: LichtBlick ÖkoStrom 12 shows EUR 919 at 3,500 kWh a year with EUR 319 of bonuses inside it, against a bonus-free run rate of roughly EUR 1,238. Vattenfall ÖkoStrom12 shows EUR 852.40 at 3,500 kWh in Berlin, which contains EUR 320 of bonuses.
Then check the consumption profile. Not every listing assumes 3,500 kWh: enviaM and immergrün! are quoted at 3,200 kWh a year and Yello at 2,500 kWh. And the price belongs to one grid area, not to Germany as a whole.
If you do not speak German yet, the list is short: E.ON, Ostrom, Tibber, and Octopus Energy are the catalogue records with English-language service. Last, read the term and the notice period: naturstrom and the dynamic tariffs are cancellable monthly, while most fixed tariffs run twelve months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which electricity tariff has the lowest unit rate?
In this catalogue the lowest unit rate is immergrün!'s Spar Smart FairMax at 24.12 cents per kWh, listed at 3,200 kWh a year in Berlin with the bonus included. Among the bonus-free tariffs, Octopus Relax12 leads at 27.74 cents per kWh on a 3,500 kWh a year profile.
Is a dynamic tariff worth it?
Only if you can move consumption into cheap hours. The price follows EPEX Spot hour by hour, there is no price guarantee, and Ostrom SimplyDynamic, dynamicOctopus, and Tibber all require an intelligent metering system.
Is the Netzbetreiber the same as the Stromanbieter?
No. The Netzbetreiber runs the cables and the meter at your address, you cannot choose it, and its network fee is on every bill. The Stromanbieter, the retailer that sells you the kilowatt-hours, is the one you choose and can change.