Green Electricity Comparison Germany 2026
Last updated: May 20, 2026 · meinetarife24 Editorial Team
A green electricity comparison shows you in two minutes which certified renewable tariff is available at your German postcode and how much you save against the default basic supply. In May 2026 the average household price is around 27.57 ct/kWh (Bundesnetzagentur / Verivox).
Key takeaways
- Real green electricity carries the ok-power, Grüner Strom Label or a TÜV certificate. Plain guarantees of origin (HKN) alone are not enough.
- Average price May 2026: 27.57 ct/kWh (BNetzA / Verivox), about 7 % below January 2026 thanks to lower grid fees.
- Independent providers recommended by the German Federation for Nature Conservation (DNR): Naturstrom, EWS Schönau, LichtBlick, Polarstern, Greenpeace Energy.
- 4-person household: 3,500-4,500 kWh per year (Stromspiegel) and about 1.5-2 tonnes of CO₂ saved against the grid mix.
- The switch is gap-free under § 20a EnWG. No outage, the new provider handles the cancellation.
- New in Germany? After your Anmeldung you land in the basic supply (Grundversorgung), usually 20-40 % more expensive than the free market.
Key German terms you will see in your contract
Know these eight words and the rest of the contract makes sense.
What "Ökostrom" really means in Germany
Ökostrom means the delivered electricity is sourced 100 % from renewables: wind, solar, hydro, biomass, geothermal. That is the marketing definition. In practice, many providers buy only guarantees of origin (Herkunftsnachweise, HKN)abroad, mostly Norwegian hydro, and label the domestic grid mix as "green". This is legal but does not change the physics of what arrives at your socket. That is why labels with concrete requirements exist.
ok-power
Awarded by Energie Vision e.V. The provider must actively fund new renewable assets and cannot operate coal or nuclear in the group. Federal Environment Agency considers it one of the strictest labels.
Grüner Strom Label
Backed by NABU, BUND, Naturschutzbund. A defined cent amount per kWh sold flows into new citizen energy projects. Excludes groups with coal and nuclear.
TÜV Nord / Süd / Rheinland
Several variants. TÜV Rheinland's Renewable Plus certificate requires at least a third of the energy from assets younger than six years - or a 0.25 ct/kWh investment in new capacity.
Tariffs without one of these labels are not automatically bad, but they deserve a critical look. If a provider only sells HKN/RECS-backed electricity, your switch does not necessarily build new German capacity.
Current price snapshot, May 2026
The average household electricity price in May 2026 is 27.57 ct/kWh per BNetzA and Verivox monitoring, about 7 % below January 2026 after the transmission operators cut grid fees.
Concrete Verivox example (May 8, 2026 snapshot): Göttingen, 4,000 kWh/year, PLUS tariff "PlusStrom GRÜNFAIR" - first year cost 953.77 EUR against 1,530.21 EUR at the local basic supplier E.ON. That is 576.44 EUR saved by the switch alone, before any consumption changes.
| 4-person household | Basic supply | Green tariff (example) | You save |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3,500 kWh | ~ 1,340 EUR | ~ 835 EUR | ~ 505 EUR |
| 4,000 kWh | 1,530.21 EUR | 953.77 EUR | 576.44 EUR |
| 4,500 kWh | ~ 1,720 EUR | ~ 1,075 EUR | ~ 645 EUR |
Source: Verivox calculator, postcode 37075 Göttingen, snapshot May 8, 2026. Your actual saving depends on postcode, provider choice and usage.
German grid mix 2024 - the real numbers
Renewables made up over 60 % of German power generation in H1 2024 (Umweltbundesamt). Inside the renewable share, the split looks roughly like this:
Source: Umweltbundesamt Strommix 2024 cross-checked with CHECK24 Ökostrom monitoring (May 2026). Quarterly values vary with weather and asset mix.
Recommended independent green providers
The German Federation for Nature Conservation (DNR) flags these six nationwide providers as genuinely independent. They are not subsidiaries of large coal or nuclear groups and demonstrably invest in new renewable assets. Listed alphabetically, no ranking.
Bürgerwerke eG
Cooperative of around 100 local energy co-ops. 0.5 ct/kWh into new capacity.
EWS Elektrizitätswerke Schönau
Black Forest citizen-energy pioneer. 0.5-2 ct/kWh into new assets.
Greenpeace Energy / Green Planet Energy
Subsidiary of the environmental NGO with its own generation.
LichtBlick
One of the largest fully independent green providers in Germany.
Naturstrom AG
Founded by environmental groups in 1998. Per-kWh contribution to new capacity.
Polarstern Energie
Combines green electricity with microfinance projects in emerging countries.
The 2023 Robin Wood Ökostromreport additionally rated Fair Trade Power, grün.power, MANN Strom, Ökostrom+ and Westfalenwind Strom highly. This list does not replace checking the specific tariff you sign - providers change conditions, and price guarantees, cancellation periods and bonuses differ a lot.
Find a green tariff for your postcode
Enter your German postcode and yearly consumption. The comparison runs through our partner CHECK24.
Affiliate disclosure: if you switch through us, we earn a small commission. Your price stays the same.
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Comparing certified providers in your area
How the switch works
Switching electricity provider in Germany has been regulated since 1998 (§ 20a EnWG). No outage, your local grid operator keeps delivering. You only change the billing counterparty.
- Read your usage. Check your last annual bill. If you have none yet, use Stromspiegel benchmarks: 1 person about 1,500 kWh, 2 people about 2,500 kWh, 4-person household 3,500-4,500 kWh.
- Run the comparison. Enter postcode and consumption, then filter for ok-power or Grüner Strom Label.
- Pick the tariff. Check the price guarantee (at least 12 months is sensible), contract term (12 months typical) and cancellation notice (4-6 weeks before contract end is ideal).
- Order online. The new provider handles cancellation with the old one and registers the switch with the grid operator. Nothing else for you to do.
- Submit the meter reading. On the switch day you submit the reading to the new provider. Some networks do this automatically via the metering operator.
Total time: typically 3 to 6 weeks. Under § 41 EnWG you do not have to cancel at the old provider yourself.
New in Germany? The basic-supply trap
What actually happens with your first electricity contract here.
When you register at the Bürgeramt and move into your first apartment, you automatically land in the Grundversorgung of the local grid operator. This is fixed by law (§ 36 EnWG) so no one is left without electricity. In practice it is usually the most expensive tariff on the market: 20-40 % above the free market.
You can cancel the basic supply at any time with two weeks notice to the end of the month (§ 20 StromGVV) and switch to a free tariff, including a green one. If you have just registered, a comparison is especially worthwhile because you work with Stromspiegel benchmarks - you do not have a usage history yet.
Tip for non-EU citizens without a German SEPA mandate yet: many green providers accept bank transfer too. Ask the provider directly. A Schufa lookup is normal; switching is only refused in exceptional cases (for example active negative entries).
Frequently asked questions
Everything you should know before switching.
Is green electricity really more expensive in Germany?
No. According to Finanztip data for 2023 and 2024, certified green tariffs are on par with or slightly below comparable standard tariffs. In May 2026 the Verivox calculator shows savings of 400-600 EUR per year against the basic supply (Grundversorgung) for a typical postcode, regardless of whether the tariff is green.
What is the difference between the ok-power and Grüner Strom labels?
Both exclude providers that operate coal or nuclear in the wider group. ok-power (Energie Vision e.V.) requires a per-kWh investment in new renewable capacity. Grüner Strom Label (backed by NABU, BUND and Naturschutzbund) requires an additional cent amount per kWh to flow into local citizen energy projects. The German Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt) names both as the strictest labels in the German market.
What is a Herkunftsnachweis and why does it matter?
A Herkunftsnachweis (HKN, "guarantee of origin") is a digital certificate proving one megawatt-hour of electricity from a renewable source. HKNs can be traded separately from the electricity itself, so providers can buy certificates from Norway and sell their conventional German mix as "green". This is legal but does not fund new build-out in Germany. Providers with ok-power or Grüner Strom Label go beyond raw HKNs.
How long does a switch take?
Usually 3 to 6 weeks. Your new provider handles the cancellation with the old one and registers the switch with the local grid operator. If you order online, the process is fully digital. You only have to submit the meter reading on the switch date - sometimes the metering operator does this automatically.
Will there be a power outage when I switch?
No. The physical electricity still flows from your local grid operator. The switch only affects contract and billing. This is fixed in § 20a EnWG and has been working without exception since liberalisation in 1998.
Does green electricity make sense for renters?
Yes. As a renter you always hold the electricity contract yourself; it is not attached to the apartment. When you move out you take the provider with you or cancel for the move-out date (special cancellation right under § 20 (4) StromGVV, usually with 6 weeks notice). In most German rentals only the heating system is central - household electricity is in your hands.
How much CO₂ do I save?
The average CO₂ intensity of the German grid mix was around 380 g/kWh in 2024 (Umweltbundesamt). Premium green providers with their own assets reach 30-40 g/kWh. For a 4-person household at 4,000 kWh this is about 1.5 tonnes of CO₂ saved per year, comparable to roughly 12,000 km of driving at 120 g CO₂/km.
What if my provider raises the price?
Then you have the special cancellation right under § 41 (5) EnWG. The notice period is usually two weeks from the day the price increase takes effect; the provider letter must explicitly inform you of this right. Verbraucherzentrale tip: cancel in writing or by email with confirmation, before the new price tier starts.
Helpful sources
- Bundesnetzagentur - electricity price monitoring
- Umweltbundesamt - grid mix, CO₂ intensity
- Verbraucherzentrale - switching consumer rights
- Stiftung Warentest / Finanztest - energy tests
- Stromspiegel / co2online - consumption benchmarks
- Robin Wood Ökostromreport - provider rating
All data in this article verified on May 20, 2026. We update this page when regulations or market prices change.
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