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Electricity & gas · Germany
Checked 2026-09-30

🌡️ District heating, heating oil or bottled gas in Germany: what are my rights?

The short answer

Not every home is on the gas grid. District heating, heating oil and LPG have their own rules, and often a different body handles complaints.

📜 The rules in Germany

Heating without the gas grid

District heating is not regulated by the Bundesnetzagentur. Contracts follow the AVBFernwärmeV: price change clauses must reflect both the supplier's costs and the heat market, and the supplier must publish its terms, prices and price clauses online.

  • Suppliers must publish their general terms, price rules, price change clauses and price components online, clearly and barrier-free. (gesetze-im-internet.de)
  • You can lower your contracted heat capacity once a year by up to 50% with four weeks' notice. If you switch to renewable heat (e.g. a heat pump), you can reduce it further or end the contract with two months' notice, with proof of the plan. (gesetze-im-internet.de)
  • The Schlichtungsstelle Energie only handles grid-supplied electricity and natural gas, not district heating or LPG. (schlichtungsstelle-energie.de)
  • Private district heating customers can always challenge an unlawful price clause in the civil courts. The Bundeskartellamt checks district heating prices for abuse of market power. (bundeskartellamt.de)
Universalschlichtungsstelle des Bundes (Zentrum für Schlichtung e. V.)Free consumer mediation where no sector-specific body exists; only after you have tried to settle with the company. Taking part is voluntary for both sides.🔗 universalschlichtungsstelle.de
BundeskartellamtCompetition authority; runs abuse proceedings against district heating suppliers over price clauses.🔗 bundeskartellamt.de
Official source: gesetze-im-internet.de · Checked 2026-09-30

🪜 Step by step

  1. Know what heats your homeDistrict heating from a network, oil or LPG from a tank, or bottled gas. The rules differ for each.
  2. Check the rules for GermanySee below who supervises heat and fuel suppliers and what they must tell you about prices.
  3. Complain in writing firstWrite to the heat or fuel supplier with your bill and what you want changed. Keep a copy.
  4. Escalate to the right bodyIf that does not help, go to the body named below.

📇 Who to contact

Universalschlichtungsstelle des Bundes (Zentrum für Schlichtung e. V.)Free consumer mediation where no sector-specific body exists; only after you have tried to settle with the company. Taking part is voluntary for both sides.🔗 www.universalschlichtungsstelle.de
BundeskartellamtCompetition authority; runs abuse proceedings against district heating suppliers over price clauses.🔗 www.bundeskartellamt.de
VerbraucherzentralenIndependent advice for consumersFor advice, template letters and a second opinion🔗 www.verbraucherzentrale.de

❓ Questions

Can I leave district heating?

That depends on the network and the rules in Germany. Contracts are often long; check the notice terms.

Are heating oil prices regulated?

Usually not; you compare offers. Where there is an official price or cap, it is shown on this page.

Who checks the safety of LPG tanks and bottles?

The supplier and the installer have safety duties. If you smell gas, leave at once and call the emergency number from outside.

📎 Sources

Checked: 2026-09-30

🧭 Is this still correct?

We check this information carefully, but phone numbers, websites and rules change — and sometimes we get something wrong. Spotted a mistake or a change? Let us know below.

🔗 Also useful

🔑Energy costs for tenants→🏠Heat pump and insulation grants→🤝Help with energy costs→🔄Switching supplier→📈Price increase→

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