The best time to register electricity for your new flat is four to six weeks before you move in. You can sign up with any supplier you like. You need your move-in date, the meter number and, once you have the keys, the meter reading. You cannot really forget it in the strict sense: if you use electricity without a contract, the local default supplier (Grundversorger) automatically supplies you. So the lights stay on, but in many cases you pay much more than you need to. This guide shows you which details you need, which deadlines apply, how to end your old contract or take it with you, and what you should do on moving day itself.
Key points at a glance
- Electricity flows in your new flat from day one. Without your own contract, you end up in the basic supply (Grundversorgung), which is usually more expensive than a tariff you choose yourself.
- To register, you need your move-in date, new address, meter number, meter reading and an estimate of your annual consumption.
- When you move, you can cancel a running electricity contract with six weeks' notice, unless your supplier keeps supplying you on the same terms.
- Read the meter on the day you move out and on the day you move in. Ideally do this together with your landlord or the next tenant, and take a photo.
- Gas, internet and your mobile contract follow their own rules. Put them on the same checklist so that nothing runs twice.
Do I actually need to register electricity in my new flat?
Yes, but not to make the electricity flow. You register so that you decide the price yourself. The power connection of a flat usually stays active when tenants change. If you move in and switch on the light, you have already entered into a legal contract with the default supplier. This is the energy company that supplies most households in your grid area, often the local municipal utility (Stadtwerke).
This is set out in the Electricity Basic Supply Ordinance (Stromgrundversorgungsverordnung): a basic supply contract also comes into being when you draw electricity from the grid, and you must inform the default supplier of this in writing without delay (§ 2 StromGVV). Without delay means without culpable hesitation. In practice, that means in the first few days after you move in, not months later.
The basic supply is a safety net, not a budget tariff. It is open to everyone and you can cancel it at any time. However, in many cases it costs noticeably more than a special contract (Sondervertrag) from the same or another supplier. If you choose your own tariff right when you move in, you skip the detour via the expensive standard price and avoid a second bill.
You can usually find out who the default supplier is at your new address on the website of the local grid operator (Netzbetreiber). You can also ask the property management company (Hausverwaltung). You do not need to know this to register with the supplier of your choice, because the new supplier handles everything with the grid operator. It only matters if you have already moved in without a contract and need to report your move to the default supplier.
When should I register electricity for my new flat?
Register your electricity about four to six weeks before you move in, as soon as you have signed the rental agreement and the move-in date is fixed. This gives the new supplier enough time to register the supply with the grid operator for your move-in day. It also means you avoid spending the first weeks on the basic supply.
On the technical side, things are faster now. According to the Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur), since 6 June 2025 a change of electricity supplier is processed technically within 24 hours and is possible on any working day. This helps if your move comes at short notice. Still, the supplier needs time to check the contract and send a confirmation, and you may need to cancel your old contract. A buffer of a few weeks still makes sense.
If you missed the date, it is no big deal. You simply contact the default supplier, give them the meter reading from your move-in day and then look for a cheaper tariff. You can cancel the basic supply with two weeks' notice (§ 20 StromGVV), so you are not stuck for long.
What details do I need to register electricity?
You need five details about the flat and some personal information. Most of them are in your rental agreement or on the meter itself. Only the consumption is an estimate.
| Detail | Where to find it | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Move-in date | Rental agreement or handover appointment | Give this as the start of supply, not the date you register |
| New address | Rental agreement | Floor and position (e.g. "2nd floor left") help when there are several meters in the basement |
| Meter number | Printed on the meter, often marked "Nr." or with a barcode | Ask your landlord or the property management in advance |
| Meter reading | Display on the meter on your move-in day | Take a dated photo and leave out the decimal places |
| Annual consumption | Last annual bill or an estimate based on household size | Estimate realistically rather than too low, or you may face back payments |
| Personal details | ID card, bank card | Name, date of birth, IBAN for the direct debit mandate |
The meter number is the most important detail. It links your contract clearly to the right meter. In a block of flats with twelve meters in the basement, a mixed-up number is the most common reason why a bill turns out wrong later. Ask the property management before you move which meter belongs to your flat.
The easiest way to get your annual consumption is from the last bill for your old flat. If your household size changes, for example because you move in with a partner or have a baby, adjust the number. A family of four in a three-room flat uses much more electricity than a single person. If your hot water comes from an electric instantaneous water heater (Durchlauferhitzer), your consumption rises even further.
How do I read the meter correctly?
On your move-in day, write down the number before the decimal point, the meter number and the date, and take a photo. These three details are the basis for the first bill in your new flat and the final bill in your old one.
When you read the meter, you will find one of two types, depending on the device. On a classic Ferraris meter with the rotating disc, you read the number wheels. Digits with a red frame are decimal places, so leave them out. On a digital display, known as a modern metering device (moderne Messeinrichtung), the display sometimes switches between several values. The value that counts is the one marked "1.8.0". This is the electricity you draw from the grid.
If you can, read the meter together with your landlord, the property management or the next tenant, and enter the reading in the handover report (Übergabeprotokoll). That way there is no dispute later about who paid for which consumption. Do the same in your old flat on the day you move out: note the final reading, take a photo and send it to your current supplier.
What happens to my old electricity contract when I move?
You have two options: take the contract with you to your new flat or cancel it. Which is better depends on whether your current tariff is good value and whether the supplier delivers to your new address at all.
If you want to keep your contract, you need to transfer it to your new address. You tell the supplier your move-out date, your new address, the new meter number and both meter readings. The term and the price usually stay the same. This is convenient, but it only pays off if your tariff is still one of the cheaper ones. Check this first, because a move is a good chance to switch without any waiting period.
When you move, you have a special right of termination (Sonderkündigungsrecht) for electricity. Household customers can cancel a contract outside the basic supply because they are changing their place of residence. The notice period is six weeks, and the cancellation takes effect on the move-out date or a later date (§ 41b Abs. 5 EnWG). This also applies during a running minimum term.
There is one exception. If your current supplier offers, within two weeks of receiving your cancellation, to keep supplying you at the new address on the same terms, and this is possible there, the special right of termination does not apply. Your contract then continues. In the basic supply, you do not need this right, because the normal notice period of two weeks is enough.
Cancel in writing or by email and include proof of your move, such as your registration certificate (Meldebestätigung) or your new rental agreement. The supplier must confirm your cancellation and the end date of the contract within one week. If you do not receive a confirmation, follow up.
How do I find a cheap electricity tariff for my new flat?
Compare tariffs for your postcode and your estimated consumption. Look at the base price, the unit price, the contract term and the price guarantee. A low monthly instalment on its own tells you little if the price goes up after a few months.
Two terms appear in every offer. The base price (Grundpreis) is the fixed amount per month or year, no matter how much you use. The unit price (Arbeitspreis) is the price per kilowatt hour. For a small household, the base price matters more. For a family with high consumption, the unit price matters more. A new customer bonus can make the first year cheaper, but it sometimes hides what the tariff costs from the second year on.
The monitoring report of the Federal Network Agency shows how much leaving the basic supply can pay off: according to the agency, around 23% of households were still on the basic supply for electricity in 2024, and if you leave it, you can save several hundred euros a year. How much you save depends on your consumption, where you live and your tariff.
If you do not want to compare tariffs yourself, we will do it for you. We check electricity, gas, internet and mobile contracts together and handle the registration for you. Find out more in the overview of our switching service for private customers.
An example shows why both parts of the price matter. A couple moves from a small flat into a three-room flat and expects to use about 2,500 kilowatt hours a year. Tariff A has a low base price but a higher unit price, and tariff B is the other way round. With low consumption, tariff A often wins. As consumption goes up, the balance can shift. So always calculate with your own consumption estimate and compare the annual costs, not the monthly instalment. Also check the minimum term: twelve months is common. A longer term is only worth it if the price is guaranteed for the same period.
What do I need to consider for gas, internet and my mobile contract when I move?
For gas, almost the same rules apply as for electricity. For internet and mobile, telecommunications law applies instead. Plan all your contracts together, but keep track of their separate deadlines.
Gas: if your new flat has gas heating or a gas cooker with its own meter, you register gas in the same way as electricity, with the meter number, meter reading and estimated consumption. Without a contract, the default supplier supplies you here as well. The special right of termination with six weeks' notice when you move also applies to gas contracts for household customers. With central heating in a block of flats, however, the landlord often bills you through the service charges (Nebenkosten). In that case, you do not need your own gas contract.
Internet and landline: your provider must continue to provide the service at your new address without changing the contract term, as long as it offers the service there. It may charge a fee for the move, but no more than for a new connection. If it does not offer the service there, you can cancel with one month's notice (§ 60 TKG). Report your move early, because setting up a connection often takes longer than registering electricity.
Mobile contract: your mobile contract is not tied to your flat. You only change the billing address. But do check the reception at your new home, especially in basement or ground-floor flats. If you want to change your tariff at the same time, our guide to Ay Yildiz tariffs and keeping your number gives you an example of how to switch while keeping your current number.
Which checklist helps on moving day?
Deal with your energy tasks in three stages: six weeks before, on moving day and in the first week after. That way nothing gets lost while boxes and the removal van take up all your attention.
- Six weeks before: note your move-in date, ask the property management for the meter number of your new flat and compare tariffs.
- Five to six weeks before: take out a new electricity contract, and a gas contract if needed, starting on your move-in date, or transfer your old contract to the new address.
- At the same time: if you do not want to take your old contract with you, cancel it and refer to your special right of termination.
- Four weeks before: tell your internet provider about the move and arrange a date for the connection.
- On the day you move out: read the final meter readings in your old flat, take photos and write them in the handover report.
- On the day you move in: read the starting meter readings in your new flat, take photos and send them to your new supplier.
- In the first week: check that you have received all confirmations, and update your address for your mobile contract, bank and insurance.
Keep all photos and confirmations until your first annual bill. If a number is wrong, you have the proof right at hand.
What does it cost if I forget to register?
Forgetting does not cost you your electricity, but it does cost you money: you pay the basic supply tariff until you switch yourself. You do not face a penalty or a cut-off, as long as you pay your bills.
It gets awkward if the default supplier does not even know you have moved in. Your consumption is then booked to nobody for the time being, or to the previous tenant. Months later, you get a bill based on estimated values. Without a meter reading from your move-in day, it is hard to prove which part of the consumption is yours. That is why the photo on day one matters so much.
Your old flat can also get expensive. If you do not report your move-out and do not send a final reading, your instalments keep running. In the worst case, you end up paying for the next tenant's consumption too. A short phone call or an email with the meter reading and date prevents this.
Frequently asked questions about electricity in your new flat
Can I still register electricity after I have moved in?
Yes. Until then, the default supplier supplies you. Report your move to them with the meter reading, then choose a tariff and cancel the basic supply with two weeks' notice.
Where do I find the meter number if I have not been in the flat yet?
Ask your landlord, the property management or the previous tenant. The number is on the meter and is often also in the handover report or in old bills for the flat.
Does the landlord have to be there when I read the meter?
No, the law does not require it. However, a handover report with the meter reading, signed by both sides, prevents disputes about the consumption between move-out and move-in.
Does the special right of termination also apply if I only move within Moers?
The right applies to every change of residence. However, if your supplier also delivers to your new address on the same terms and offers you this within two weeks, your contract continues.
Registering electricity with Connected Mobile
Moving house is enough work as it is. We compare electricity, gas, internet and mobile contracts for your new address, cancel your old contracts and register the new ones for you. You will find us in our shops in Moers and Duisburg, and we can help you in German, Turkish, Kurdish or Arabic. You can find all our services on our page for private customers, and more guides on the Connected Mobile Blog. Send us a photo of your last electricity bill and your move-in date via WhatsApp, and we will work out which tariff suits your new flat.