Is the EnBW advance payment too high?

Hello everyone,

we are currently in the final sprint of building our house. Since the beginning of August, the screed has been installed and the heat pump is currently running the screed program.

We have a separate electricity meter for the heat pump.

Today, two letters from EnBW were found in the mailbox. These can only be bills...

So, we opened the first letter:

"Welcome to EnBW blabla... Please pay 200 euros monthly as an advance payment for electricity!"

Wow, secretly we had expected something less, but well, it’s only an initial estimate.

I wonder what the second letter says...?

"Welcome to EnBW blabla... Please pay 200 euros monthly as an advance payment for electric heating!"

Whaaaat... are you serious??? In total, that would be 400 euros every month!!!

About the new building: semi-detached house, 130 sqm, Energy Saving Ordinance 2016

Can this be true? Somehow this advance payment seems totally made up out of thin air. Can someone give us realistic figures here? Can we do anything against excessively high advance payments?

Many thanks in advance.

First of all, the normal consumption figures are completely made up, as is the electric heating advance payment. But the screed heating costs quite a bit (must be written off under construction costs) so the advance payment should not be chosen too low to avoid additional charges. I would just wait a few months once you are living there, check the electricity meters and then adjust the advance payment so that it matches your consumption, but keep in mind that winter will consume a bit more electricity. Realistic figures are hard, as electricity, heating and hot water consumption are very individual. From on the road

Additionally, this very high initial discount has the charm that you almost pay off the screed heating in installments... of course, then adjust it after 3-4 months as Saruss says. However, I don't quite understand why there is an additional €200 per month for household electricity - but well, everything is individual.

It was the same for us with EnBW, plus the construction electricity was charged at 32 cents/kW. However, EnBW already had a direct debit mandate at that time and was diligently debiting. Of course, a flat rate of 108 euros per month. After one month, I called and provided the current meter reading.
For the entire construction phase, we only needed 348 kW "prefabricated house" with dry screed, and for the upper floor, the screed elements were even prefabricated in the factory.

Currently, we have consumed about 2980 kW heating electricity and 2600 kW household electricity.
At the beginning of October, the first year is over; we will at least switch the household electricity. And we will also receive a refund.

Can we defend ourselves against excessively high advance payments?

The necessary call to the hotline would have been completed faster than opening this thread.

I write this so directly because you use the word "defend". You don't have to "defend" yourself, but simply "talk" to them. That is (as so often) completely sufficient.

Thank you very much for the answers.

I have now significantly lowered the installment. In total, it is now only 170 €/month, instead of the previously demanded 400.

It was not easy, after 2 x 30 minutes on hold I was finally able to persuade the lady to lower the installment.

I will change the provider as soon as possible, I can certainly get poor service cheaper elsewhere...