Quick Summary
Basic supply is the statutory supply of electricity or gas by the company that serves the most households in your grid area. It applies automatically once you draw energy without a supply contract of your own. You can terminate it with two weeks notice and there is no minimum term.
What the law says
§ 36 (1) of the German Energy Industry Act obliges energy companies to publish general terms and general prices for their grid area, both publicly and online, and to supply every household customer on those terms. The law requires the publication to be easy to find and unmistakably marked as basic supply pricing.
There is one exception that most guides leave out. Under § 36 (1) sentence 4 EnWG the obligation does not apply where supplying the customer would be economically unreasonable for the company. The threshold is high, but the exception exists, so an unconditional right is not what the statute grants.
Basic supply is not a tariff you sign up for. It is a contractual relationship that comes into being by drawing energy when no other contract applies.
Who your basic supplier is
Under § 36 (2) EnWG the basic supplier is the company serving the most household customers in the grid area. In cities that is usually the municipal utility, in rural areas often a regional supplier. The reference unit matters: it is the grid area, not the municipal boundary, so two neighbouring towns can have different basic suppliers.
The grid operator re-determines the basic supplier every three years on 1 July and publishes the result online by 30 September. Objections go to the competent state authority by 31 October. Where the supplier changes as a result, existing contracts continue on their previous terms under § 36 (3) EnWG.
Basic supply versus replacement supply
These two are constantly confused, and the confusion is expensive. Move into a flat without registering with any provider and you land in basic supply. If instead your existing supplier drops out, through insolvency or a terminated grid-use contract, you first fall into replacement supply under § 38 EnWG.
| Criterion | Basic supply (§ 36 EnWG) | Replacement supply (§ 38 EnWG) |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | No supply contract in place | Consumption cannot be assigned to any contract |
| Price | Published general prices | May be stated separately and higher (§ 38 (2)) |
| Price changes | At least six weeks after notice (§ 5 StromGVV) | On the 1st and 15th of a month, no notice period (§ 38 (3)) |
| Duration | Open-ended | Three months at most (§ 38 (4)) |
While replacement supply runs, the basic supply obligation is suspended: § 36 (1) sentence 5 EnWG excludes it for three months, and a contract cannot be formed by consumption alone during that time. Do nothing after a supplier insolvency and you may pay the most expensive available price for a full quarter.
What it costs
There is no nationwide basic supply price. Every supplier calculates its own general prices and they differ substantially between grid areas. For orientation: the average German household electricity price in 2026 was 37.0 cents per kilowatt-hour according to the BDEW electricity price analysis (August 2026), made up of 15.2 cents procurement and sales, 9.2 cents grid fees and 12.6 cents taxes, levies and charges. That figure mixes special contracts with basic supply tariffs, and basic supply usually sits above it.
To find your own price, use the publication duty. § 36 (1) EnWG requires every basic supplier to publish its general prices online, easy to find and clearly marked. Check both components: the unit rate per kilowatt-hour and the standing charge per year. An annual cost figure without the standing charge is incomplete and understates the bill.
Leaving basic supply
§ 20 (1) StromGVV allows termination with two weeks notice, with no minimum term, and § 20 (3) StromGVV bars any separate termination fee. Termination requires text form, and the supplier must confirm receipt without delay, stating the contract end date.
A price increase gives you a second route out. Under § 5 (2) StromGVV the change only takes effect at the start of a month and must be announced publicly at least six weeks beforehand, with a letter to you at the same time. § 5 (3) StromGVV then lets you terminate without notice as of the effective date. Prove a switch within one month of your termination and the increase never applies to you at all.
If you cannot pay
A poor credit record does not exclude you from basic supply, but it costs convenience. § 14 StromGVV lets the supplier demand advance payment where there is reason to believe you will not pay on time, or install a prepayment meter instead, and § 15 StromGVV permits a reasonable security deposit. What it may not do is turn you away over a score.
Disconnection for arrears requires two hurdles at once. Under § 41f (3) EnWG you must be in arrears by twice the instalment attributable to the current month, or by at least one sixth of the expected annual bill where no instalments were agreed, and the arrears must additionally reach 100 euros. Amounts you disputed properly and on time do not count.
Basic supply carries one further right that few people know about. Under § 41g (1) EnWG you may, after a disconnection warning, demand a deferral agreement: interest-free monthly instalments on the arrears while supply continues, as long as you keep paying the current instalments. The supplier must send the offer within a week. Six to 18 months counts as reasonable as a rule, and twelve to 24 months where arrears exceed 300 euros.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is my basic supplier?
Under § 36 (2) EnWG it is the energy company that supplies the most household customers in your grid area. The grid operator determines this every three years, on 1 July, and publishes the result online by 30 September. Your last annual bill names the grid operator, which is where you ask.
What notice period applies in basic supply?
Two weeks. § 20 (1) StromGVV allows you to terminate a basic supply contract with two weeks notice, with no minimum term. § 20 (3) StromGVV forbids the supplier from charging a separate fee for termination, including when you switch providers.
Is basic supply the same as replacement supply?
No, and the difference costs money. If your previous supplier fails, you first receive replacement supply under § 38 EnWG. The supplier may publish separate, higher prices for it, and the arrangement ends no later than three months after it began. During that period the basic supply obligation is suspended under § 36 (1) sentence 5 EnWG.
Can the basic supplier cut off my electricity?
Only under narrow conditions. § 41f (3) EnWG requires arrears of twice the current monthly instalment, and the amount must additionally be at least 100 euros. A reminder, a formal warning and a four-week waiting period come first, and the disconnection date itself must be announced by letter eight working days in advance under § 41f (5) EnWG.
Can I get basic supply with a poor Schufa score?
Yes. § 36 (1) EnWG does not tie the supply obligation to a credit score. It only lapses where supplying you would be economically unreasonable for the company. The supplier may, however, require advance payment under § 14 StromGVV or a security deposit under § 15 StromGVV where there is reason to believe you will not pay on time.
Legal notice
This page rests on § 36 (basic supply obligation), § 37 (exceptions) and § 38 (replacement supply) EnWG, together with § 41f and § 41g EnWG on disconnection for non-payment, and § 5, § 14, § 15 and § 20 StromGVV; the GasGVV contains the equivalent provisions for gas. Note that § 19 StromGVV no longer governs disconnection for arrears and expressly refers to § 41f and § 41g EnWG. All statements were checked against the official texts on gesetze-im-internet.de on 25 August 2026. This page is information, not legal advice.