New-customer tariffs 2026: electricity up 18, gas almost 40 per cent on January — basic supply runs the other way

What the GET analysis for ZfK shows

The IT services provider GET analysed the 2026 tariff development for the trade publication ZfK, published on 16 October. New-customer tariffs for electricity cost 30.25 cents per kilowatt hour on a nationwide average in October — 18.4 per cent more than on 1 January. For gas they stand at 12.17 cents, a rise of 39.4 per cent. The basis is a model household using 4,000 kilowatt hours of electricity or 20,000 kilowatt hours of gas, gross in each case. Basic supply runs the other way: electricity there is around 8 per cent cheaper (39.61 cents), gas almost unchanged (13.43 cents, minus 0.3 per cent). GET attributes the rise in new-customer tariffs to higher procurement costs, which feed through faster in this segment; for gas the energy price rose by a good 34 per cent, while the base price fell slightly. What makes up a commercial price is explained in the guide to the components of the commercial electricity price.

Who the dearer new-customer tariffs hit

Mainly affected are households, landlords and businesses that are switching right now or have to move to a new contract after a cancellation — especially for gas. Those who sit in basic supply still pay the most in absolute terms, but at least feel a small relief. The days when the cheapest tariff was almost always a new-customer tariff are over for 2026.

Why switching no longer saves automatically

Switching was the safe saving trick for years — in 2026 that is no longer a given. New-customer tariffs mirror procurement on the wholesale markets almost in real time, while basic supply follows both directions sluggishly. Anyone who switches in an expensive procurement month freezes that price for the term.

In heating projects I have seen since 2021 that fuel and electricity procurement dominate the calculation, not the supplier’s margin. The same logic applies at the household and commercial meter: it is not switching itself that saves, but the right timing and term. For gas in particular, where the energy price carries the entire increase, looking at the split between energy and base price is worth more than the headline figure in a comparison portal.

What to do now

1. Before every switch, work out the new new-customer tariff against your own existing or basic-supply tariff; don’t switch automatically.
2. For gas, watch the split between energy and base price — the energy price carries the 2026 increase.
3. Factor in grid fees and the 2027 CO₂ price, and use heat costs per kilowatt hour as a common benchmark.