ドイツでの水道光熱費の請求方法とタイミングについて

Summary:

The billing of heating and hot water costs, often referred to as energy costs, differs in Germany from other countries. Sometimes there are big surprises and the user/tenant is charged high additional payments. We explain here how this can be avoided.

How we define heating- and hot-water-costs?

• Costs for the heating-system and equippment
  • Energy-Consumption
  • Electrical current for control-systems and electrical pumps 
• Costs for water
  • fresh-water
  • waste-water
• Costs for service and facility 
  • Meters of heating system to measure energy consumption
  • Meters to measure water consumption
  • Service for meter reading and billing

How does the counting take place?

The fresh water consumption, is measured using water flowmeters.
Sometimes there are two flowmeters to distinguish hot water (red) and cold water (blue).

Waste water is not counted. It is assumed that the waste water* is the same amount as the fresh water.

The energy consumption required for the heating-system or to generate hot water is measured via central heat meters or decentralized/direct consumption meters on the radiators.

While heat meters display the energy consumption directly in KWh, when using direct consumption meters the energy consumption must first be converted by the metering service.

In order to determine the respective levels, an employee of the property management or measuring service comes to the apartment or house and records the corresponding values ​​in writing.

This is often very surprising, especially for our Japanese customers, because they are not used to strangers entering their home and reading measuring devices. In Japan, the measuring devices are always outside the house or apartment, which is why there is no reason to enter the apartment.

*(For the sake of completeness, please note that rainwater on the roof or in the property is also assessed as wastewater. Here, the amount of water that had to be disposed is estimated based on the roof area or property area and invoiced accordingly.)

How often the billing is done?

An invoice must be made for each calendar year. In order to keep the service costs of the measurement service as low as possible, the energy costs are only determined once a year.

This is also often very unusual, especially for our Japanese customers. Since the measurement service comes monthly in Japanese households and a bill is created for each month. Therefore, Japanese tenants can understand consumption behavior very well and react accordingly.

While in Germany the tenants are in an unknown situation for a year and then receive the total of the last 12 months as a consumption list In some cases this leads to surprises.

In the event that the rental agreement is terminated, an interim reading will take place.

The consumption values ​​are usually recorded in the handover protocol.

When and how the billing is done?

As already mentioned above, billing is done annually. Most homeowners' associations or landlords do the billing at the end of the calendar year. However, there is no legal determination as to when exactly the billing must be provided.

If the rental agreement is ended, the landlord has a maximum of 12 months to prepare the billing.
The landlord has the right to charge the tenant the service fee for the interim reading in the event the rental agreement is terminated.

Is the water and energy consumption to be proven by the landlord?

In suspect of incorrect billing, you have the right to request the relevant evidence/protocols. But the meters show the correct values, basically. It could just be a reading error.

Is it possible to claim against the high energy consumption?

Usually there is information about the previous years consumption. So you have a base to compare. In case of first-time occupancy apartments the information of the previous years is not given, naturally. Therefore there is only an estimated consumption possible.
If the additional payment exceeds more than 2 full months' rent, i.e. the estimate was either intentionally or accidentally completely out of scope, you have the right to extraordinary termination.

What costs can be saved?

Consumption costs can be saved. Since they can be influenced by action and behavior. The service costs cannot be influenced, since they are fixed costs, unless you want additional services.
Therefore only the costs of water consumption and the costs of energy (heating) consumption could be saved.

Which saving has the highest effect?

The highest costs are caused by the heating. Saving hot water also contributes, but the highest effect for saving is: heating behaviour.

How heating costs are saved?

1. Temperature only as high as necessary: ​​one degree reduction means several hundred euros in cost savings per year!
2. Adjust the temperature for each room: heat only the rooms, where the heat is currently really needed. Divide the apartment in "heating zones".
3. Keep doors between rooms closed: heating zones only work, if the zones are separated from each other.
4. Adjust clothing: Heating an apartment to a T-shirt-friendly 24 degrees in winter, will result in an additional payment in the 4-digit range.
5. Switch off the heating: Whenever possible and the heating is not currently needed. Especially when leaving the house!!!!
6. Reduce heating at night: switch off the heating at night and switch it on again in the morning.

In Germany, the points mentioned are self-evident. The heating cost estimation is based on the behaviors mentioned here.

If you deviate from this, especially at points A and point E, you can expect an enormous impact on heating costs.

Some expatriates believe that you set the temperature in an apartment once. Then that setting is no longer changed anymore.
But exactly this behavior is absolutely wrong and will lead to enormous heating costs! The right way to save energy is to constantly adjust the temperature for every situation.

How can hot water costs be saved?

1. Save water in general: economical water consumption automatically helps to reduce hot water consumption.
2. Keep shower times short: shower your body briefly, turn off the water while soaping your body, and rinse off the soap briefly. Complete!
3. Avoid baths: a bathtub requires hundreds of liters of hot water. A full bath costs several euros. 

終わりに：暖房費の請求の時期、方法。エネルギーコストの節約方法

• 水道光熱費には、サービスに関わる追加費用も含まれます。

• ドイツでは、計測会社の担当者が年に一度は必ず住居に入り、消費量を記録します。

• 請求は年に1回、通常は年末に行われます。

• 本文で紹介した節約方法は、ドイツにおいて「正しい使用方法」とされ、常識的な行動とみなされています。

• 使用方法を誤ると、エネルギー費用の請求に大きな影響を与え、高額な追加請求につながる可能性があります。ご不明な点がございましたら、お気軽にご連絡ください。

Do you have questions? Come in touch!