Application to the energy conciliation body, Schlichtungsstelle Energie (Germany)
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This document is in German
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An application for conciliation to the Schlichtungsstelle Energie e.V. in Berlin, for when your electricity or gas supplier, network operator or meter operator in Germany rejected your complaint or did not answer within four weeks (§§ 111a and 111b of the German Energy Industry Act, EnWG). The procedure is free for consumers and the company must take part. The letter sets out the dispute, your earlier complaint, the company's answer and what you want, and states that no court is involved. The body also offers its own free online and paper form; this letter is the informal alternative by post or e-mail. In German.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Customer
- Customer's address
- Conciliation body (Schlichtungsstelle Energie e.V.)
- City
- Date
- Client number
- Energy or gas supplier
- Energy supplier's postal address
- Meter number
- Supply address (where the energy is used)
- Electricity or gas (Germany)
- What the complaint is about
- Date of the complaint
- Outcome of the complaint to the supplier
- Remedy requested
- Amount claimed
Preview
This document is produced for you. Your answers are typed into it and the finished PDF is yours to keep.
Common questions
- When can I apply to the energy conciliation body in Germany?
- Once you have complained to the company and it has rejected the complaint or not resolved it within four weeks (§§ 111a and 111b EnWG). Only consumers who use electricity or gas for their own household may apply, and only while no court is dealing with the matter. Disputes about bills, instalments, meter readings, a change of supplier or the grid connection are covered.
- Is the energy conciliation body's recommendation in Germany binding?
- No. The body examines the case in writing and proposes a solution; you may accept or reject it and can still go to court afterwards. The procedure is free for consumers and the company must take part (§ 111b EnWG). According to the body, a case usually takes about three months.
- Do I have to use the energy conciliation body's own form in Germany?
- No. The Schlichtungsstelle Energie offers a free online form and a printable one, but it also accepts an informal application by post, fax or e-mail — which is what this document is. Enclose your complaint to the company, its answer and the disputed bills; without proof of the earlier complaint the application is refused (§ 14(1) VSBG). Address: Friedrichstraße 133, 10117 Berlin.
- Is there an authority besides conciliation that helps with energy disputes in Germany?
- The Federal Network Agency's consumer service for energy (Verbraucherservice Energie der Bundesnetzagentur) explains your rights towards energy companies, but it does not decide individual cases and is not a conciliation body. The Land consumer advice centres (Verbraucherzentralen) also advise. The Schlichtungsstelle Energie is the body that settles the dispute with the company; its recommendation is the next step before going to court.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
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