FAQs

Ostrom was founded on the idea that managing your energy shouldn't be such a headache. This is why we work hard to ensure all our customers get the best possible plan for them, no strings attached.

1. 📅 Flexible: you can sign up or cancel anytime, no 12-24 month lock-in.
2. 💶 Affordable: Energy-at-cost with just a flat 6€ fee, no margin on usage.
3. 📱 Digital: do everything on our site or within the app, no post or fax required.
4. 🌍 Green: we do well by doing good, only 100% renewable energy.
5. 👩‍💻 Customer Support: we make sure you never feel lost.

To fight climate change efficiently, we’ve established a digital energy management platform to ease Germany’s switch to 100% green energy — while enabling consumers to manage and reduce their own consumption. For this, we offer only one clear, transparent tariff with monthly cancellation, and end-to-end English & German support, all from our website to live customer care. By using modern tech, we keep things lean and simple, allowing us to focus on our customer’s needs and stay 100% green—without needing to markup our tariffs like other providers do.

More often than not, traditional providers will charge you fees as an additional part of the price per killowatt-hour, i.e. the more you use, the more they earn. We don't do that. We don't want to make money on your consumption—if anything, we want to reduce it!

To decouple our revenue from your electricity consumption, we have a set flat 6€ monthly fee that just covers our expenses.

Our pricing model is based on your kWh usage and these components:

1. Yearly Consumption kWh
2. Unit Price
3. Grid Fees
4. Basic Fee

1. The yearly consumption in kWh is how much electricity you use per year.
2. The Unit Price is calculated as cents per kilowatt/hour. At Ostrom, this is the average market cost for energy, with no markups.
3. The Grid Fees comprise all taxes and levies that are needed to get electricity from a power plant to your home.
4. The Basic Fee is our flat 6€ per month fee at Ostrom. Unlike other providers, we only have this flat fee and do not earn more on your Unit Price.

Example

For example, a unit price of 30 ct/kWh at a yearly consumption rate of 1200 kWh, grid fees of 4€, plus the basic fee of 6€ would calculate a monthly cost of:

• 1200 kWh / 12 months = 100 kWh
• 100 kWh x 30 ct = 30€
• 30€ + 4€ grid fees + 6€ flat fee= 40€
• → 40€ final monthly price (example)

Since we pass on the purchase price of electricity to our customers, we cannot guarantee electricity prices. However, this also means that you pay less when electricity prices fall. We plan our prices for the medium to long term and monitor developments on the electricity market very closely.

We calculate an average price accordingly, which can cushion extreme peaks. In the event that we do have to adjust prices, we will inform you at least four weeks in advance — so you always have enough time to react.

See here when we have made our price decreases for all (new and existing) customers:

• Ostrom Price Decrease #1
• Ostrom Price Decrease #2
• Ostrom Price Decrease #3
• Ostrom Price Decrease #4
• Ostrom Price Decrease #5
• Ostrom Price Decrease #6
• Ostrom Price Decrease #7

Unlike pretty much every other utility provider, we are against 12 or 24 month lock-in periods. We believe you should never pay for energy you aren't using, that's why we have no minimum contract period.

To cancel, simply just let us know via our app, and we'll cancel it within 14 days (this is to give us time to hand your contract over to the grid properly, and to be sure your home doesn't lose power during that time).

We do not provide Gas. As a digital green energy provider, we currently focus only on electricity.

Whether you're brand new to Germany or just switching providers, signing up to Ostrom is easy!

You just need these three pieces of information:

1. Address
   Enter your address and house number on our signup form (we have added a Google autocomplete function to make it easier for you).‍
2. kWh Consumption
   The standard rule of thumb is 1,400 kWh for 1 person, 2,300 kWh for 2 people and so on (we also added these to the form).‍
3. Meter Number (Zählernummer)
   You'll find your meter number at the top of your old electricity invoice. If you don't have any invoices, you can also find the meter number on your physical electricity meter. The meter is usually in your home by the front door, in the hallway, or in the basement. If you live in an apartment and can't find it, it's best to ask your landlord or your building manager (Hausverwaltung) for details.

You can easily sign up through our website tariff calculator or through our Ostrom app!

kWh stands for kilowatt-hours, and the amount you put here is measured every year. There are 2 ways to find out your consumption amount:‍

Industry Estimates
The industry standards that we have already added to the signup form are:

1 Person 🙍♂️ = 1400 kWh

2 People 👫 = 2300 kWh

3 People 👩‍👧‍👦 = 3000 kWh

4 People 👨‍👨‍👧‍👦 = 3700 kWh‍

From An Old Invoice
If you have an old invoice, simply find the total kWh from your previous bill. If you didn't have any unique circumstances during that time (like working from home, or a long holiday), then you can use this number

The market location number (Marktlokations-ID) is an 11-digit number used to identify your electricity meter on the grid.

You can usually find it at the top of your last electricity bill.

Yes! We can supply businesses companies with up to 15,000 kWh per year.

Switching Providers?

Yes, you don't have to cancel your current electricity contract. We will gladly do that for you.

Moving?‍

Unfortunately, not in this case. You have to cancel your current electricity contract yourself. Since your registration is tied to a meter number and this number changes when you move, we unfortunately cannot cancel your old contract in this case.

TLDR: In this case, we cannot cancel for your old contract for you but we can assist you in the chat!

If your old electricity provider raises prices, you are entitled to a special right of termination (Sonderkündigungsrecht) in Germany which allows you to terminate your contract prematurely. This comes into effect as soon as your electricity provider has communicated the price increase in writing.‍

As a rule, this letter will also inform you of the deadline for your special termination right, which is usually two weeks. However, it is best to check this yourself. The exact contract details can be found in the terms and conditions of your contract.

If you want to claim the special termination right and switch to Ostrom, we can not exceptionally terminate for you. In this case, you will have to cancel your old contract yourself. But don't worry, we won't leave you alone! Of course, we will still support you and answer your questions directly in the chat.

TLDR: None at all!

Don't worry, your lights will stay on! We'll coordinate the exact timing of the switch with your previous provider. If there are any problems, your default provider will always cover you.

Here's an example of a timeline to explain it more clearly:

Sign Up

• Jan 1: You sign up to Ostrom
• Jan 1: We contact the grid or your previous provider
• Jan 1-14: Sometimes your old provider responds on the same day, but can take them up to 14 days to reply. Once they reply, your switch will be confirmed.

Start Date

• Depends on your previous minimum contract periods, but you will be automatically switched to Ostrom once that contract is over.

Ostrom starts the process as soon as you sign up, but when you can officially start depends on your previous provider's minimum contract period, the Mindestvertragslaufzeit, which is usually 12-24 months (side note: with us, you can cancel anytime!).

This may mean you’re stuck with your old provider for a while, but don't worry! We sort out everything right away to automate the transition smoothly when the time comes.

You can track the current status of your order at any time in the Ostrom app.

So you've decided to switch to Ostrom—congratulations, and thank you! What are the next steps?

In short, two things are going to happen:

1. Sign up
   After you've signed up, Ostrom contacts the grid + your previous supplier to confirm that you're switching to us. Confirmation from them could happen within 30 minutes, but could also take up to 14 days (because the grid + your ex-supplier have no real incentive to quickly switch you over to us).
2. In Delivery
   When this is confirmed, we must wait for your minimum contract period from your previous supplier to end. Once this ends, a final meter reading will be sent by the grid and you will officially be switched to Ostrom!

And don't worry, no matter how long this takes we'll make sure you have electricity throughout the whole process!

You can track the current status of your order at any time in the Ostrom app.

Download our app available for both iOS and Android.

We'll take over from here! This includes contacting your previous provider to cancel your contract with them. Once we've determined the earliest cancellation date of your current contract, we'll begin the switchover process.

You can track the current status of your order at any time in the Ostrom app.

If you have just moved in to a new apartment or house, then you do not have a previous provider.

In this scenario, simply choose Moving In instead of Switch Provider during signup. This way, you only need to provide your meter number (Zählernummer) and your move-in date.

Calculate Tariff

No, unfortunately, this is not possible.

If your flatmate moves out, the contract must be terminated. You can then easily sign a new contract with us.

A handover protocol (Übergabeprotokoll) is a document that you receive from your landlord, which confirms your tenancy.‍

In order for us to be able to register you with your grid operator, we may need your handover certificate. This is important so that we can confirm that you are responsible for your electricity contract and no longer your landlord.

Since Ostrom is available throughout Germany, we are of course happy if you stay with us. However, since different network operators also charge different network usage fees, there is a possibility that your electricity costs may change slightly as a result of the move.

When you move, we will need the following information from you:

• Your new address
• Your new meter number
• Your annual consumption (kWh) for this meter
• Your move-in and move-out dates (if they are different)

We will then create a new contract and cancel the old contract on the move-out date. Your customer account will remain the same. For your loyalty, we will also add a 35 € - bonus to your new contract!

Please feel free to send us an email at hallo@ostrom.de or a message in the live chat.

Your electricity meter is usually located next to the apartment door, in the hallway or in the basement. If you live in an apartment and can't find the meter, it's best to check with your property manager or landlord

Your meter ID or meter number (Zählernummer) can be easily found on your electricity bill, usually written at the top.

Alternatively, you'll find the meter ID on your physical electricity meter. The meter is usually in your home by the front door, in the hallway, or in the basement. If you live in an apartment and can't find it, it's best to ask your landlord or your building manager (Hausverwaltung) for details.

No, you don't need a new electricity meter. Just tell us the meter number and we will do the rest for you.

If you made a mistake, just send us an email at hallo@ostrom.de or contact us via our live chat.

HT/NT stands for Hochtarif and Niedertarif. These meters have two counters which measure the consumption for two different time zones (during the day and during night).

If your meter covers only household electricity, you can simply sign up via our website! If your meter also covers heating please also sign up via our website but also notify us via email at hallo@ostrom.de and we will do the switch for you because our electric heating tariff has just recently been released.

We use the meter reading to determine your electricity consumption. For this, we calculate the difference between the last and current meter reading.

For example:

• On January 1, your electricity meter shows 1234 kWh
• On February 1 your electricity meter shows 1345 kWh
• That means your electricity consumption for the month of January is 111 kWh
  (1345 kWh - 1234 kWh)

All you have to do is locate your meter and read the numbers, which are in kilowatt hours (kWh).

Simply enter your current meter reading in the Ostrom app under Add Meter Reading.

You can easily sign a contract for an additional meter in the app. To do this, click More → Contract → Create Another Contract at the bottom right.

Electric meters rarely break. However, if you suspect that your electricity meter is still broken, simply just let us know in the chat or send us an email at hallo@ostrom.de.

As a rule, you read your meter yourself. However, as a supplier, we are in constant contact with your metering point operator, who is responsible for your electricity meter.

If necessary, they will inform us of your meter reading. In addition, we may also estimate your meter reading if we have not received a sufficient meter reading.

⚠️ Warning: Some customers have had scams where someone approaches them for a "meter reading" but actually signs them up to another provider. We have been made aware of this as our customers reach out saying they have not cancelled but received a cancellation email (we can revoke this fake request within 14 days).‍

Ostrom will never send someone to your door and ask for your signature.

We need your meter reading, the so-called Zählerstand, only 1-2x a year. The first at the start of delivery, the second when we issue the annual invoice.

If you want a better overview of your consumption, feel free to report your meter reading more often. This is all done easily through the Ostrom app!

Green electricity is electricity that comes from 100% renewable energy sources. This includes solar, wind and hydro energy.

If you are interested in this topic, then take a look at our blogposts in the category Energy. There we explain the individual forms of energy generation in different posts.

By switching to Ostrom, you are driving the energy transition in Germany. Currently, the share of renewable energies in the German electricity market is only about 50%, meaning a mix of fossil and green electricity. The electricity from your socket is therefore referred to as "gray".

However, Ostrom only ever feeds electricity from renewable sources into the grid. In addition, your money automatically goes to the promotion and maintenance of renewable energies and generation plants — instead of continuing to support electricity generation from fossil fuels.

We buy directly through our partnerships with green power producers when we can, or in the wholesale market from certified green sources.

Through our several direct power purchasing agreements (Direct PPAs), we not only purchase our electricity directly from the producer but also support the energy transition in Germany as two thirds of the park's electricity generation is sold without EEG surcharges (EEG = German Renewable Energy Sources Act).

Our SimplyFair tariff e.g. is already certified by TÜV Nord. This guarantee of origin ensures that the electricity from our green power generators and the volume purchased on the wholesale electricity exchange comes entirely from renewable energy sources.

However, there are additional factors to consider. It is best to look for suppliers that purchase electricity from domestic generation plants through power purchase agreements, for example.

PPAs (Power Purchase Agreements) are a power supply contract between two parties, a power producer and a power purchaser (Ostrom).

Find out more about our energy sources for direct power purchase agreements (PPA) here.

When you sign up with Ostrom, we don't want you to have to worry whether or not your energy is ACTUALLY green. That's why we only buy 100% green energy from a renewable pool of solar, wind, and hydro sources—absolutely no fossil fuels involved.

On top of that, we've signed signed direct contracts (PPAs) with generators in Germany. This means you'll be able to point to exactly where your power comes from on a map!

Our SimplyFair tariff is already certified by TÜV Nord.

That is a common misconception. Actually green electricity sources such as solar and wind have been much cheaper than fossil fuel sources like oil and coal per megawatt of production.

This is a trend that has happened in Germany and worldwide. For more information, you can see here.

TÜV Nord is a global certification institution based in Hanover, founded in 1869. Among other things, they certify that the energy we procure for our SimplyFair tariff is certified 100% renewable. The energy for our dynamic tariff is of course also 100% renewable but not certified yet.

B Corp™ is a global certification awarded by the non-profit B Lab to companies who have shown to pass a certain standard on sustainability, workplace wellbeing, governance and more. We are extremely proud at Ostrom to have received our B Corp certification on March 2023, one of only 71 companies in Germany and 6500 globally to do so.

🤝 Invite your friends and family to Ostrom using your referral code and both of you can earn up to 50€ each!

How?

1. Share your code: After you register with Ostrom and open the app, you'll find your personal referral code under the "Credit" section. You can copy and share this code with your friends and family. Additionally, after signing up with Ostrom, you'll receive an email containing your code.

2. Once your referral's contract signup is confirmed, you have two options for your rewards:

- Deduct 35€ from your invoice: Simply open the Ostrom app, go to the "Credit" section, and select the deduction option. This will reduce your next invoice amount by 35€.

- Shop with 50€ at the Ostrom Store (coming soon): Open the Ostrom app, go to the "Credit" section, and choose the shopping option. You can spend your 50€ credit on various products available at the Ostrom Store.

To receive the referral credit, a few requirements must be met:

- Your contract must have been in place for at least 2 weeks.

- Your contract and the contract of the referred person must be confirmed by the grid operator and the supply must have started.

Download our app available for both iOS and Android.

Invite your friends and family to Ostrom using your referral code and you both have the opportunity to earn up to 50€ each!

Once your referral's contract signup is confirmed, you can either deduct 35€ from your invoice or use 50€ for shopping at the Ostrom Store (coming soon). Remember, your contract and the referred person's contract need to be confirmed by the grid operator and the supply must have started for you to receive the referral credit.

Download our app available for both iOS and Android.

After you sign up with Ostrom, you will receive an email with your personal code that you can share with your friends. If you can't find the code, we will be happy to help you in our live chat.

After you have registered with us and in the app, you can also view your personal code under Wallet.

Download our app available for both iOS and Android.

Elinor refers 10 new customers to Ostrom. This means she can choose between two options for her referral rewards:

Option A: Elinor decides to use the full 500€ in the Ostrom Store (coming soon). In this case, her remaining credit will be 0€.

Option B: Elinor chooses to credit the full 350€ to her next invoice. This amount will be considered as a payment alongside her deposits. If the total payments exceed her consumption, she will receive a payout. The next invoice can be either the regular annual invoice or a requested in-between invoice. In this case, her remaining credit will be 0€.

Additionally, Elinor can also consider Option C: She can use 100€ (equivalent to 2 referrals) to shop in the Ostrom Store (coming soon). This means she will still have 8 referrals in her Wallet, which is equal to a 280€ invoice deduction or a spending value of 400€ in the Ostrom Store.

We hope this clarifies how the referral feature works. If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out to us.

Download our app available for both iOS and Android.

Most of the time, no. Feel free to recommend us to as many friends as you like!‍

However, the code is intended only for those you actually know, and not for the general public. So please do not share it on Ostrom domains such as Google Reviews and Trustpilot Reviews. In such cases we reserve the right to cancel its validity and restore it if you remove the code from those public sites.

Download our app available for both iOS and Android.

It's easy, because it happens automatically! Just share your referral code with your friends or family and you'll get on the leaderboard. In the app, you can view the leaderboard and see where you rank, how many referral codes you've shared, and how much money you've already received.

Best of all, at the end of each quarter we give away one of our great Ostrom hoodies to our top three referrers of the quarter. Feel free to read more about it here in our blog post about our top referrers list.

The monthly deposit is a monthly billing amount based on your estimated annual electricity consumption.

After 12 months, or when you end your contract, your estimated electricity consumption and your actual electricity consumption will be compared. If you have used less electricity, you will receive a credit, and if you have used more, we will bill you for the amount.

As an Ostrom customer, you can easily monitor your electricity consumption in the Ostrom app and also adjust your monthly deposit.

Download the Ostrom app from the App Store or the Google Play Store.

Since we offer flexible monthly contracts, you pay for the current month at the beginning of the following month.

For example, the payment for May is due on the first banking day in June.

You can easily adjust your monthly deposit in the Ostrom app under the menu item Payments.

Note: If you are new to Ostrom, please wait until your contract is confirmed and you are supplied by us before adjusting your deposit.

Currently, Ostrom offers two different payment options:

1. With a direct debit (SEPA Mandat), you authorize Ostrom to automatically debit the monthly payment from your account.
2. Alternatively, you can transfer the monthly payment manually to our bank account.

You can easily change your payment method in the Ostrom app under Payments → Change Payment Method

If you have problems changing your payment method in the app, please make sure you are using the latest version.

There is no monthly invoice. In Germany, the deposit is based on the estimated annual electricity consumption and is due monthly.

After 12 months, or at the time your contract expires, you will receive an invoice with all electricity consumption details. We will settle your excess or shortfall in consumption either in the form of an invoice or a credit note for the difference.

In the Ostrom app under the menu item Payments you can see your past payments as well as invoices.

Your monthly consumption is based on the persons living in the household in combination with your address (and the associated network operator) and used to calculate your monthly payment.

Potential deviations (over or underconsumption) will be compensated with the end-of-year invoice. If you feel your monthly balance is not quite right, you can easily adjust it at any time in the Ostrom app, available for both iOS and Android.

Download the Ostrom App

You can find more detailed information on the balance and deposit payments in our Terms and Conditions.

When you receive your end-of-year bill or final bill in the event of termination, we compare your actual electricity consumption with the amount you have already paid.

If you have used less than you have paid, you will receive a refund. If you used more than you paid, we will bill you for the difference

Direct Debit (SEPA)

‍In case you are owed a refund, we will transfer the amount to your account. In case an amount is owed to us, we will deduct this directly from your account

Manual Bank Transfer

If there is a difference to be paid, we will ask you to tell us your bank account details so that we can transfer to or deduct from your account.

Always curious why other energy providers offer you free stuff when you sign up? The industry's dirty little secret is that they know they will find a way to make their money back from you — usually by making it really hard to end your contract, or by raising prices partway through.

This is why we believe that transparency is key. We offer you electricity at cost with a fixed monthly fee, no tiers or tricks (or "free" stuff).‍

Ostrom Referral Program

If you invite friends to Ostrom with your referral code, you will both receive 35€. As soon as your two contracts are officially confirmed and delivered, you will receive your bonus. If you have set up a SEPA mandate (direct debit), the money will be paid directly to you. Otherwise you will receive the bonus in your semi-annual, annual, or final statement.

We offer renewable electricity at cost with no markup. Considering this, we're already cheaper than most providers. Other providers seeming cheaper on price comparison sites is usually due to a Neukund:innenbonus (new client bonus). If you read the fine print, you'll probably find that the monthly rates increase after a certain period, at which time you’re already locked in. But not with Ostrom!

In Germany, you're billed monthly based on the amount you set when you signed up to your energy provider. After 12 months, or whenever you cancel, you will receive a PDF invoice detailing your actual consumption. We will then also debit or credit you, depending on your consumption.

You don’t have to check your current meter reading, but you can always submit it via the app or email if you like. An interim bill will not be issued automatically. We will calculate the old and new prices transparently in your next annual bill.

If you have received a contact from a collection company on behalf of Ostrom, it is because you have not paid your Ostrom invoice. Your outstanding payment has been handed over to our collection partner. Please contact coeo Inkasso GmbH with your request:

🌐 Online portal: https://www.coeo-inkasso.de/

☎️ Phone support: +49 2133 2463 888

📧 E-mail: energie@coeo-inkasso.de

✉️ Postal address: coeo Inkasso GmbH, Kieler Str. 16, 41540 Dormagen, Germany

🏦 Bank details: IBAN DE39 3605 0105 0000 2071 59, BIC SPESDE3E

While it would be a shame to see you go, full flexibility is part of our Ostrom promise! Unlike basically every other energy provider, we make it super easy for you to switch out.

1. Via App: this is the fastest way to cancel. Download our app for iOS & Android.
   Download the Ostrom App

1. Via our Cancellation Form:
   Click Here To Cancel‍

We will send you a confirmation email when we have received your cancellation request.

You can cancel your Ostrom contract at any time with just 14 days notice.

There are no minimum contract period for cancellation with Ostrom.

Yes, we will need your meter reading for your final invoice.

Simply just use the Ostrom app and enter the meter reading. It takes just 1 minute!

The Ostrom app makes your electricity consumption transparent for you: keep track of your bills, report your meter readings, change your monthly budget accordingly and check your annual bills—all bundled in one place. By the way: We're constantly optimizing the app and welcome your ideas and suggestions!

Download the app, available on the App Store for iOS and the Play Store for Android.

You set your password with your email when you log in for the first time. We will then send you a confirmation email, so don't worry!

For security reasons, only you can see your login credentials — not even us! So if you forgot your login, simply use the Forgot Password function when logging in to set a new password!

Don't worry, if you have forgotten your password, you can easily change it in the app.

As soon as you have entered your email address when logging in and confirmed it by clicking Next, you have the option to request a new password by clicking Forgot Password?.

You will then receive an email with your new access data.

The Ostrom app is available on both iOS and Android! With our app, you can track your energy consumption, toggle your payment amounts, see your CO₂ emissions and more!

You can easily change your password in the app.

To do so, click on More → Account → Change Password at the bottom-right.

Just open the app and change your data under the menu item Contract.

Don't worry if it doesn’t sync right away, sometimes it takes a few minutes until the changes are received in our system.

In the app under the menu item

More → Contract → Price Composition → Price Details

you can view your current and past prices in your supply period.

Ostrom treats your data and your privacy with utmost respect. Please send a short email to hallo@ostrom.de and we will support you with this.

Data privacy and protection is extremely important to us. You can find all information about this in our privacy policy.

We monitor the electricity market very closely. We take past prices and forecasts of future developments into account in our analysis.

We do not pass on price peaks directly. We form an average monthly price that corresponds to the current price level.

Any price adjustment is announced four weeks in advance, so the price is valid for at least one month period.

Your monthly deposit is automatically adjusted when prices change.

You can track the changes in your app. In such cases, we will also inform you by email. If you do not agree with the change, you can adjust your deposit at any time in the app.

No, you don't have to read your meter reading. Of course, you can enter it in the app at any time if you want to get an even better overview and adjust your monthly deposit accordingly.

An interim statement is not created automatically. Instead, the old and new prices will be calculated proportionately and listed transparently on the next annual invoice.

In case of a price adjustment, you can cancel your contract at any time without the usual 14-day notice period. Please use the Ostrom app to cancel your contract.

You can simply cancel the contract under More→ Contract.

The merit order effect means that prices across all energy sources are affected by the lower supply. You can read more about the merit order here in our blog.

The THG quote (Treibhausgas-Quote or Greenhouse Gas Quota) stands for greenhouse gas reduction quota or greenhouse gas ratio and is a government created measure to reduce harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.‍

The THG quote describes the proportion of sustainable fuels in relation to the total amount and is therefore expressed as a percentage. Through the THG quote, companies that bring a certain amount of fossil fuels into circulation are obliged to adhere to the required quota (in 2023, this will be around 8%).

It is just one of many measures to achieve climate neutrality by 2045.

For some years now, oil companies have been obliged to offset their CO₂ emissions and to help finance the switch from fossil fuels to electro mobility. Since 2022, owners of electric cars can benefit from this by selling their own THG quote.‍

Instead of having all the paperwork yourself, you can simply sign up to Ostrom and we can handle this for you. Get up to 300€ back annually through your THG quote with Ostrom!

After your registration, your data and your vehicle registration certificate will be checked to see if you are eligible for the THG quota. If you are eligible to receive the THG quota, your registration will be sent to the Federal Environment Agency. Once the Federal Environmental Agency has certified your quota, your quota will be pooled with others and traded with major oil companies. Once the trade is completed, your quota will be paid into your bank account within approximately 14 days.

You will be kept informed about the whole process by email. The process from registration to payment of your bonus takes about 12 to 16 weeks.

The THG quote is traded in bundles with companies that distribute fuels. Often, these are petroleum companies that must reduce their high THG emissions due to conservation laws.

The quota price depends on the fixed level of penalties and on supply and demand.

Thus, prices per ton of CO₂ are subject to fluctuations. Bonus payouts of between 200 to 400 euros per ton of CO₂ is realistic.

1. You must own an all-electric vehicle (not plug-in hybrid)

2. You must be the owner of the vehicle

3. You must also have a valid vehicle registration certificate

You can register for the THG quote once a year through Ostrom!

Signing up for the THG quota is, of course, voluntary. However, if you do not sign up for the THG quota and do not sell it to petroleum companies, the government can participate in quota trading on your behalf. Thus, not participating in quota trading does not hurt the petroleum companies.

The basic idea of the THG quota is that companies that put CO₂ emitting fuels on the market will have to pay financially for the damage they cause, and the cost of doing so will increase year after year. These rising costs will presumably be passed on more and more to consumer prices for gasoline and diesel in the future. This should ultimately lead to a switch to vehicles that have less to no impact on the environment. The THG quota alone will certainly not solve the climate crisis but it is one of many instruments to promote a transition to e-mobility.

At Ostrom, we have been working hard in recent months to offer our customers the opportunity to use electricity when it is cheapest. This is now possible with our dynamic tariff offer.

Everyone that owns a Smart Meter can now sign up for our dynamic tariff.

What does this mean for you?

• Your electricity consumption will be billed by the hour at the current electricity price on the stock exchange.
• This allows you to shift your consumption to low-cost hours, such as at night or when there is a lot of sunshine, and thus save money day after day.
• Our app allows you to keep an eye on both your consumption from the previous day and the electricity price on the stock exchange, so you can only use electricity when it is the cheapest.

You can find more info here.

A smart meter is a modern measuring device with an additional smart meter gateway that automatically sends your electricity consumption values to the grid operator and electricity provider in real-time, so that you no longer have to read your meter readings manually. For more information, check out our blog post. If you already have a smart meter, you can use our dynamic tariff and save money by using electricity during the cheapest time of day.

If you signed up for our dynamic tariff and do not have a smart meter, we will switch your contract to our SimplyFair tariff.

You can find all contract details in our app. Just go to the tab "More" → "Contract" → "Price" and you can see all information regarding your contract.

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Smart meters are the most advanced meters in Germany. They look quite similar to digital meters, as they also have a digital display, but they come with an important extra component: a smart meter gateway. This gateway is a communication device, often built into the meter, that sends your real-time energy usage data directly to your energy supplier over a secure network. The beauty of a smart meter is that it enables you to monitor your energy consumption in near real-time via a connected app or online platform, allowing for more informed decisions on energy use. So, if you can check your energy consumption in an app, or if you haven't needed a meter reading for a while, chances are you have a smart meter.

Per regulation, you usually only have a smart meter if your yearly consumption is above 6.000 kWh (or PV panels above 7kW Peak) otherwise, it is quite unlikely that your meter is fully smart.

Per law, you are eligible to receive a smart meter from the grid operator if your consumption is above 6.000 kWh per year. Usually, they are very slow, so if you are interested, you can also purchase your smart meter from us. We offer those devices to our customers with consumption above 6.000 kWh.

Please reach out to us via: hallo@ostrom.de if you are matching the above requirements and want a smart meter from us.

The two tariffs differ in the technical requirements that must be met before registration. In order to use the SimplyDynamic-tariff, a smart meter is essential. What exactly a smart meter is and how you can identify it, you can read in our blog post. The smart meter allows us to receive your consumption data from the metering point operator, and you are charged monthly at the hourly spot market price. There is no monthly deposit or periodic invoice, as opposed to the SimplyFair-tariff.

With our dynamic tariff, you’re consumption is charged at the hourly rate based on the day-ahead price of the energy exchange, including taxes and levies. The SimplyFair tariff can be used by anyone and depicts the average energy at cost price, including taxes and levies.

Smart Charging means you can charge your car based on the cheapest hour of the energy exchange. At Ostrom, you can choose to which percentage and to when you need your car, and we’ll charge it at the cheapest rate for you.

You can connect almost any brand and EV with our mobile app. The full list of compatible cars can be found here.

You can connect almost any brand and chargers with our App. The full list of compatible chargers can be found here.

If you have a smart meter and are signed up with our dynamic tariff, you can connect your car/charger with our app and also use our smart charging integration. If you do not have a smart meter yet, you can check out the requirements to receive one here and if you already have a smart meter, you can easily switch to our dynamic tariff by contacting our customer support team: hallo@ostrom.de.

You can connect your car and charger with any of our tariffs. But to truly benefit from the cheapest hour, you require a smart meter and our dynamic tariff.

HVAC means Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (AC).

We have started to offer contracts for heat pumps and electric heating! If you are interested please sign up via our website ostrom.de and notify us via email at hallo@ostrom.de and we will make the switch for you.

You can connect a lot of different Smart Home and HVAC brands with us. Check out which ones here: https://www.ostrom.de/smart-hvac.

You can connect your smart home devices or heat pump to the app regardless of the tariff. But to truly benefit from the cheapest hour, you require a smart meter and our dynamic tariff.

We do not yet offer to connect to solar panels or storage units, but we are already working on integrating them soon.