Boom in competition on Berlin's energy grid: there are already over 400 energy providers in the capital

29.07.2014

Berlin residents can now select their energy supplier from over 400 different providers.

Berlin residents can now select their energy supplier from over 400 different providers. This means that customers benefit from a huge selection of providers and rates, from which they can choose the best deal for them.

The deregulation of the energy market in the 1990s laid the foundations for a situation where each customer can independently choose their energy provider. The only prerequisite is that the desired provider must be active in that grid area. Providers who wish to offer their electricity in Berlin must conclude a "supplier framework agreement" with Stromnetz Berlin GmbH, which operates Berlin's energy grid.

The grid operator is obliged by law to treat all suppliers fairly and without discrimination. The constant increase in the number of providers in Berlin since the deregulation of the energy market is evidence of the fact that Stromnetz Berlin GmbH meets this obligation wholeheartedly. The considerable number of 400 suppliers in the capital was reached for the first time in the 2nd quarter of this year.

What's more, Berlin residents are making good use of their range of choices: Stromnetz Berlin GmbH processes around 500,000 change of supplier requests every year for the city's inhabitants.