ᐅ Heating Up with a Heat Pump – Switching from an Old Electricity Contract

Hello,

we have decided to heat our screed using a heat pump and are willing to accept a delay of about 3-4 weeks due to cost savings compared to a mobile heating device.

The schedule is as follows: Our house electric meter will be installed this coming Thursday. The heat pump will be connected the following Monday, and then the heating will start.

In my current rental apartment, I have an old electricity contract that is valid for another 4 weeks. The cost is 23 cents per kWh.

My plan is to transfer this old electricity contract to the new address, so I can get the large amount of electricity needed for heating at 23 cents per kWh.

I am not sure if this will work:

- When placing the transfer request, I need the new meter number. There probably also needs to be some buffer time to be able to transfer the contract. I doubt that the time from Thursday (when the meter is installed) until Monday is enough. I have not received clear answers from the electricity provider on this.

- Does it make sense to ask the technician a few days before for the new meter number to place the transfer request earlier? Or does a new meter only become "known" when it is installed and activated by the technician at the grid operator, meaning a transfer notification beforehand would not be accepted?

- Does it make sense to set the transfer date a few days later than the actual heating start to gain some time? Can I then have the billing adjusted retrospectively from the first heating day?

- After transferring the old contract, am I automatically on the default electricity supply in my current rental apartment? Do I need to actively register for the default supply?

Thank you very much for any information!

Sandra

Hello,

I have now received some information from my previous electricity provider that partially answers the questions I raised above:

A relocation order can be processed up to 6 weeks retroactively.
At the same time, it can take up to 6 weeks for the new meter to be registered by the grid operator.

Is there anyone here who is a professional and can say whether my plan is feasible?

If it takes several weeks until my new meter is officially "registered," can I really only take action after that time and submit the relocation order retroactively for maybe 3-4 weeks? And at that time also inform the default supplier that I want to pay for default supply electricity in the old apartment retroactively for those 3-4 weeks?
This would mean not taking any action on the day of the meter installation or the day the heating starts, but only after the meter has been reported by the grid operator (I don’t know their exact date, but I could regularly inquire by phone).

This is likely about saving a few hundred euros if the relocation of the old contract can be arranged.

Sandra.M85 schrieb:

The following schedule is set: Our house electricity meter will be installed next Thursday. The heat pump will be connected the following Monday and then heating will start.

In my current rented apartment, I have an old electricity contract that is still valid for 4 weeks. The cost per kWh is 23 cents.

So, theoretically, the old electricity will last for three weeks.

Now let’s assume the heat pump runs at full capacity — a 5 kW heat pump typically has a power consumption of 1 kW. That means you use 24 kWh per day or 504 kWh in three weeks (assuming continuous full load).

The new electricity contract costs 40 cents/kWh, so you save 17 cents/kWh. Over three weeks, that adds up to €85.68.

This effort and stress aren’t worth it, especially since this is the maximum possible saving. Every day less and every kWh less used (the heat pump definitely won’t run at full load constantly) will shift the balance further toward “it’s not worth it.”

You also mention a 3-4 week delay with this approach. I wonder if it's really worth moving into the house 3-4 weeks later just to save money, since you probably continue paying rent and loan availability fees during that time.

Does this really make sense for you? I can hardly imagine it, even with current energy prices.

SaniererNRW123 schrieb:


Now let's run the heat pump at full power — a 5kW heat pump typically draws about 1kW of power. So you consume 24kWh per day or 504kWh over three weeks (assuming constant full load).

In winter and generally, the electric heating element may activate frequently despite the heat pump, which can increase costs by several times!

Still, I wouldn't let it get on my nerves. You can certainly try, but if it doesn’t work out, I wouldn’t be upset about it.

Interrupt schrieb:

You also mention a 3-4 week delay with this approach. I wonder if it’s really worth moving into the house 3-4 weeks later for the savings, considering you’ll likely still be paying rent and loan availability fees during that time.

The decision has already been made.

We pay 600 euros in rent and are supposed to save 1000 euros compared to heating with a portable unit.

And with both options, we would have ended the rental agreement at the same time.