Energy audits and energy checks for private households

The Federation of German Consumer Organisations and the consumer centres

The consumer centres provide advice on energy to private households across Germany at around 740 advisory centres (in German) and municipal institutions (such as mayors’ offices). If you have a brief query or want to schedule an appointment, you can call the central hotline at +49 800 809 802 400 (free of charge for calls made from a German landline or mobile phone). If you only need a quick answer or are unable to visit the advisory centre in person, you can use the free online consultation tool (in German). Depending on how complex your query turns out to be, you can follow up on it by scheduling an appointment at the centre or having an energy check carried out in your home.

Further information can be found here on energiewechsel.de (in German).

Energy auditing services for residential buildings (on-site audits, tailored modernisation roadmaps)

Wide-ranging upgrades to a home should only be carried out following an extensive energy audit that sets out a plan for the modernisation to be done and assesses how much energy can be saved. The tailored modernisation roadmap sets out the measures that need to be undertaken in order to modernise a home in several stages and provides the energy auditor and the home owner with a good basis for communication.

More information is available here on energiewechsel.de (in German).

Helping low-income households reduce their electricity consumption

The ‘Stromspar-Check PLUS’ programme aims to help low-income households – including recipients of long-term unemployment benefits, welfare or housing benefits – find ways to reduce their electricity consumption and therefore save money. Long-term unemployed persons also have the opportunity to undergo training as ‘energy-saving advisors’ as a way to help them re-enter the workforce. Stromspar-Check PLUS is funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment and managed by the German Caritas Association and the Association of Energy and Climate Protection Agencies in Germany.