Why use a tariff comparison in Germany?

A tariff comparison lines up many providers for electricity, gas, insurance or loans next to each other. For electricity, switching out of the default basic supply saves around 390 euros a year on average (Finanztip), up to 850 euros in some cases. Comparing is free for you, because the portal earns a commission from the provider, not from you.

That sounds like an ad, and partly it is. But a comparison has real benefits and a few catches that most portals will not mention on their own. This guide covers both, with figures from official sources, plus what to tackle first when you are new to Germany.

What is a tariff comparison?

A tariff comparison (German: Tarifvergleich) is a free online tool that shows you many offers at once for one area, say electricity or car insurance. You enter a few details, such as your postcode and annual usage, and get a sorted list of prices and terms.

Why it helps: Germany has hundreds of providers for almost every contract. According to the Bundesnetzagentur, households could choose from 139 electricity providers in their grid area on average in 2024. Nobody checks all of those by hand. That is exactly the work a comparison does for you.

What does comparing really get you?

The biggest lever is where many people stay stuck for years, in the most expensive default tariff: the basic supply (German: Grundversorgung). That is the tariff you land in automatically if you never actively pick a provider. In 2024 about 22 percent of households still got their electricity this way (Bundesnetzagentur, Monitoring Report 2025). Convenient, but rarely cheap.

The consumer association Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband ran the numbers in October 2025: the cheapest tariff was on average about 27 percent below the basic supply. Finanztip puts the typical saving from switching at around 390 euros a year. The 850 euros you often see in ads is possible, but it applies to a high-consumption household in an expensive region, not to everyone.

Your actual saving always depends on your usage, your current contract and your region. Only a comparison run with your own data can give honest euro figures.

How a comparison works

A comparison usually takes a few minutes. The steps are almost always the same:

1. Enter your data: postcode, usage, or a few details about your current contract.
2. Check the results: you get a sorted list. Sort by total cost in the first year, not just by the headline price.
3. Read the details: look at the term, the notice period, and whether a bonus only applies in year one.
4. Switch: you can start the switch online. The new provider usually cancels the old contract for you.

The easiest way is to try it. Here you can compare electricity tariffs for your postcode, free and with no obligation:

Where comparison sites fall short

An honest word: a comparison is a good tool, not a magic wand. Germany’s consumer organisation has flagged a few points for years that are worth knowing.

My tip: use two portals and also check your preferred provider’s own site. When all three point the same way, you are on solid ground.

Tariff comparison for newcomers

If you are new to Germany, comparing is especially useful, because you do not know the system yet and cannot tell what is normal. Three things many people do not know at first:

• Comparing works without a Schufa. You do not need German credit history to see prices. The Schufa (Germany’s credit scoring system, similar to a credit score) only matters once you sign a loan or certain contracts.
• Start with electricity and gas. You switch these with no risk and no credit check. They are a good first step to get used to switching.
• You do not need perfect German. meinetarife24.de explains the key terms in German, English and Turkish, so you understand what you are choosing.

If your question is specifically about health insurance as an expat, see the guide Tariff comparison for expats. For how our comparison works technically, see How it works.

Which tariffs to compare first

You do not have to do everything at once. A sensible order is by effort and impact: the easy ones first, then the ones where the most money is at stake.

• Quick and risk-free: electricity and gas. The easiest savings.
• Once a year: your car insurance, ideally before 30 November.
• When larger sums are involved: a loan. Even a small difference in interest adds up over the years.
• For travel and everyday use: the right credit card saves on annual fees and foreign costs.

Each comparison is free and non-binding. Looking at the offers does not commit you to anything.

Key terms (DE / EN / TR)

Frequently asked questions

Related comparisons

Sources and methodology

Every figure on this page comes from official data sources. We name them openly so you can check them yourself.

• Bundesnetzagentur, Monitoring Report 2025: basic-supply share about 22 percent, on average 139 electricity providers per grid area.
• Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband: cheapest tariff about 27 percent below the basic supply (October 2025), notes on the limits of comparison sites.
• Finanztip, switching electricity provider: average saving from switching around 390 euros a year (2025).

Advertising notice (Werbehinweis): This page contains affiliate links and comparison calculators from our partners (Tarifcheck, CHECK24). If you sign a contract through them, we receive a commission. This costs you nothing extra and does not change the results shown.

Last updated: June 2026. All information without guarantee. Prices and terms can change at short notice.