Millions of households across Germany are facing inflated costs for electricity and gas due to remaining in standard supply tariffs, according to a new analysis by comparison portal Verivox. The findings, reported by newspapers within the Funke-Mediengruppe, highlight a significant financial burden on consumers.
The analysis indicates that unnecessary additional expenses totaling approximately 3 billion euros were incurred by households during the first half of 2025. This figure is based on the most recent monitoring report from the Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur), which reveals that one in four electricity customers (25%) and one in five gas customers (19%) are still tied to these default tariffs, which are among the most expensive available on the market.
Overall, households utilizing the standard supply tariff paid roughly 8.5 billion euros for electricity and gas during the first half of 2025. Had these households opted for the most advantageous tariff with a price guarantee, the total expenditure would have been approximately 5.5 billion euros.
“Year after year, households are losing billions of euros due to complacency, lack of awareness, or apprehension, remaining within the standard supply” stated Thorsten Storck, energy expert at Verivox. “This inaction costs more than any price increase. Electricity and gas customers should therefore review their current tariffs and consider switching.
The standard supply tariff is automatically provided to all households upon moving into a new residence, effectively serving as a default option for those who do not actively seek alternative providers. While offering the convenience of immediate availability and easy cancellation, these tariffs are notably more expensive. Importantly, switching to a new provider simplifies the process; the new provider handles the cancellation with the former supplier and no technical adjustments are required, while uninterrupted service is legally guaranteed.
According to Verivox’s calculations, the average cost of a kilowatt-hour of electricity within the standard supply tariff reached approximately 43.96 cents during the first half of 2025, compared to 27.85 cents with an advantageous, price-guaranteed tariff – a difference of 37%. For gas, the average prices were 13.99 cents per kilowatt-hour under the standard supply versus 9.71 cents with the most consumer-friendly alternative, representing a 31% difference. This difference translates to potential savings of around 2.2 billion euros on electricity and 700 million euros on gas across all households.
The analysis further quantifies the potential savings for a typical household. A single-family home consuming 4,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity and 20,000 kilowatt-hours of gas could save an average of 1,628 euros annually by switching to a more favorable tariff – a combined 671 euros for electricity and 957 euros for gas.
Verivox conducted the analysis by evaluating publicly available prices from approximately 700 gas suppliers and 800 electricity suppliers across Germany. Consumption figures were sourced from the Bundesnetzagentur’s latest monitoring report, indicating that approximately 27.8 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity and 33.5 billion kilowatt-hours of gas were delivered to households within the standard supply.