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SPIEGEL:
Ms. Weitemeier, comparison portals like Check24 or Verivox advertise that you can save up to 800 euros when changing electricity providers if you follow their recommendations.
Is that really true?
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Marion Weitemeier
Weitemeier:
That can be true with very high consumption.
The savings depend on how expensive the customer's current tariff is, where they live and how high their consumption is.
The higher the consumption, the more you can save.
And whoever has never changed is in the expensive basic service tariff.
Accordingly, the savings are particularly high.
SPIEGEL:
But do I even need a comparison portal to switch providers?
Weitemeier:
Yes, because only here can customers get an overview of current prices and tariffs.
Some of them change daily and vary from region to region.
It is difficult to see through without a comparison portal.
SPIEGEL:
You sounded out the market for comparison portals and analyzed seven portals in more detail.
What did you find out?
Weitemeier:
All portals have preset filters with which you can pre-sort the tariff landscape.
Some filters relate to the tariff conditions and are positive, such as a six-week notice period or a price guarantee that is at least as long as the initial contract period.
We rate other filters critically.
For example, one of them ensures that tariffs that are cheap, especially in the first year of the contract, are right at the top of the price ranking.
This is due to the new customer bonuses, which only apply in the first year.
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