Supplier contracts (electricity/internet) for new buildings

Good morning,

I just had the question of how to handle utility contracts when moving into a new building (planned move-in September 2021).

[*]Electricity: Contract until 31.3.22, since on 1.4.20 a new contract automatically started due to a tariff change. Here the contract would probably just continue in the new house, right? Apparently, you cannot terminate the contract early due to moving in (e.g. to a cheaper competitor) if I understand correctly.
[*]Cable internet: Contract until 28.03.2022. This is a bit more interesting. The plan is not to install telecommunications via cable in the new building (bad experience, as it is a shared medium), but to rely on good old DSL with empty conduit for possible fiber optic. How does it look here? Must payment continue until March 22, even though cable can no longer be used from September 21, or can one get out earlier due to the absence of the infrastructure?

Thanks in advance! Best regards

I can only tell you something about part 2 of the question because I experienced exactly the same. Fortunately, when moving to an unserved area, there is a special right of termination. You can terminate at the end of the month in which the move takes place, with a notice period of three months. That means you pay for three months (and a bit) for nothing. This is valid case law and confirmed by recent court rulings. You need proof of the move, meaning the termination is only accepted once you have officially registered your new address. You might be able to optimize the period a bit if you register your new address promptly. My provider also claimed on top that I had not returned all the equipment (the store does not accept the equipment) and wanted 80€ for a plug-in card (which will probably just be disposed of anyway). So I can only advise documenting the contents of the package.

Electricity depends on the supplier and what is regulated in the applicable [AGB] regarding moving / cancellation. I had a contract that stated the contract would automatically end upon moving if I notified it within the deadline. Newer [AGB] of the same provider now include a clause that the contract cannot be terminated this way and must be transferred. You need to carefully read through your contractual documents. However, I do not know how lawful it is that a "new" contract automatically begins for you with a tariff change? Did you sign that? Normally, both parties must agree. Otherwise, an electricity provider could simply make a tariff change every year and customers could never cancel and would be trapped in their network forever? Muahahaha.