Registering Electricity in Frankfurt: It's Yours to Do, Mainova Is Who You Do It With
If you've just moved into a Frankfurt apartment with its own electricity meter, registering it is your job as the tenant, not something your landlord arranges for you. Frankfurt's grid operator and Grundversorger (basic supplier) is Mainova, majority-owned by Stadtwerke Frankfurt Holding (75.2 percent) with Thüga holding the rest (24.5 percent), and it supplies electricity, gas, district heating, and drinking water across the region. Registering online takes three steps: calculate your rate by entering your postal code and estimated consumption, enter your full details including the meter number and, ideally, the 11-digit Marktlokations-ID (market location ID), then confirm the switch, which Mainova says it can process technically within 24 hours on business days, though your actual start date still depends on any notice period with a previous provider. If you do nothing at all, automatic basic supply (Grundversorgung) kicks in the moment you start drawing power, typically at a less favorable rate than a chosen tariff, though it comes with a short 2-week cancellation notice if you switch later. Mainova's prospective-customer line is 069 80088077, and its dedicated meter reading line is 0800 0004263.
The Official Rule
If you’ve just moved into a Frankfurt apartment with its own electricity meter and haven’t signed a contract yet, registering it is genuinely your job as the tenant, not your landlord’s. Frankfurt’s grid operator and Grundversorger (basic supplier) is Mainova, and its ownership is squarely local: Stadtwerke Frankfurt Holding holds 75.2 percent, with the Thüga network holding the remaining 24.5 percent. Mainova supplies electricity, natural gas, district heating, and drinking water to roughly a million people across Hesse and neighboring states, a genuinely broad utility rather than an electricity-only company.
Mainova’s own registration process runs in three steps online. First, calculate your rate by entering your postal code and either your estimated annual consumption or household size. Second, enter your complete details: full name, date of birth, phone and email, your delivery address, the meter number found on the meter itself, and, ideally, the 11-digit Marktlokations-ID (market location ID), which speeds up matching your registration to the correct connection. Third, confirm the switch, and if you’re moving from a previous provider, Mainova handles canceling that contract within its legal notice period on your behalf.
| Detail | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| Meter number | Printed directly on the meter |
| Marktlokations-ID (11 digits) | Previous tenant's bill, handover documents, or ask your landlord |
| Move-in date | Your lease or handover protocol |
| Annual consumption estimate | Previous bill, or household-size estimate at registration |
On timing, Mainova states that the technical process of switching electricity providers can be completed within 24 hours on business days once your registration is submitted, though your actual supply start date can still hinge on any notice period owed to a previous provider if you’re switching rather than registering fresh.
Photo by Connor Scott McManus on Pexels
If You Do Nothing
Automatic basic supply, Grundversorgung, begins the moment you start drawing power at the address, whether or not you’ve filled out any form. This is a legal fallback built into German energy law, not a gap where you’d simply be without electricity. The trade-off is straightforward: Grundversorgung rates typically run less favorably than a tariff you’d choose deliberately, but it carries no minimum contract term and only a 2-week cancellation notice, so switching out of it once you do register properly, or once you compare tariffs and pick a better one, is quick and low-friction.
What About My Landlord?
Registering electricity for a specific occupant without that person’s own involvement raises genuine data protection concerns and would restrict your free choice of provider, so a landlord unilaterally registering an account in your name isn’t the standard path. What landlords commonly do instead, and this is worth watching for in your own lease: make clear that if you haven’t arranged your own contract by the handover date, your basic details, name, address, move-in date, may be passed to the Grundversorger so the apartment doesn’t simply lose power. That’s a safety net for a gap, not a substitute for registering yourself, and it typically only applies if you were informed of it in advance.
What You’ll Need
- Your meter number, found printed on the meter itself.
- The 11-digit Marktlokations-ID if available, from a previous bill, your handover protocol, or your landlord.
- Your move-in date and delivery address.
- An estimate of annual consumption, or your household size if you don’t have a previous bill to reference.
- Bank details for SEPA direct debit, if you’re setting up payment online.
Step by Step
- Check your handover protocol for the meter number and any Marktlokations-ID already on file.
- Calculate your rate on Mainova's site using your postal code and estimated consumption.
- Enter your full details: name, contact info, delivery address, meter number, and Marktlokations-ID if you have it.
- Confirm the switch. If you're moving from a previous provider, Mainova cancels that contract within its legal notice period for you.
- Don't wait too long if you want to avoid Grundversorgung rates, though remember it carries only a 2-week cancellation notice if you do end up defaulting into it.
- Call the meter reading line, 0800 0004263, if you're unsure which meter or Marktlokations-ID belongs to your unit.
Compliance Note
This page explains the general framework for registering electricity in Frankfurt with Mainova. It is not legal advice. Processes, fees, and contact details can change; confirm your specific situation directly with Mainova via mainova.de or its prospective-customer line, 069 80088077, before relying on any detail here.
FAQ & Common Pitfalls
Can my landlord just register electricity for me to save me the hassle?
Not on their own initiative, no. Registering electricity for a specific occupant without that person's involvement raises data protection issues and would restrict your own free choice of provider, so a landlord handling this unilaterally isn't the normal path. What landlords commonly do instead is make clear in the lease or shortly after handover that if you haven't arranged your own contract by move-in, your basic details may be passed to the Grundversorger so the apartment doesn't simply go without power, this is a safety net, not a substitute for registering yourself.
What is the Marktlokations-ID and do I really need it?
It's an 11-digit code identifying your specific electricity connection point, and Mainova's own registration process recommends providing it, though it isn't always strictly mandatory depending on how the rest of your details check out. You'll typically find it on a previous tenant's bill, in your handover documents, or you can ask your landlord or property manager directly, having it on hand generally makes registration faster and reduces the chance of a mismatch with the wrong meter.
What actually happens if I never register at all?
Automatic basic supply, Grundversorgung, kicks in the moment you start drawing electricity at the address, this is a legal fallback, not a gap in service. The catch is that Grundversorgung rates are typically less favorable than a tariff you'd choose deliberately. The upside is flexibility: Grundversorgung carries no minimum contract term and only a 2-week cancellation notice, so switching out of it once you do register a proper tariff is quick.
How fast does Mainova actually process a registration?
Mainova states that the technical process of switching electricity providers can be completed within 24 hours on business days once you've submitted your registration. That figure covers Mainova's own processing, though, your actual supply start date can still depend on any notice period owed to a previous provider if you're switching rather than registering fresh at a new address.
Does Mainova handle water and heating too, or just electricity and gas?
Mainova is a genuinely broad utility for the region: majority-owned by Stadtwerke Frankfurt Holding (75.2 percent) and Thüga (24.5 percent), it supplies electricity, natural gas, district heating, and drinking water to roughly a million people across Hesse and neighboring states. If you're setting up a new household, it's worth checking whether your building's heating and water are also billed through Mainova rather than a separate provider.
I'm not sure which meter is mine in a shared building. What do I do?
Check your handover protocol (Übergabeprotokoll) from your landlord first, it should list the meter number assigned to your unit. If that's unclear or missing, Mainova's dedicated meter reading line, 0800 0004263, can help confirm which meter and Marktlokations-ID belong to your address before you submit your registration, better to clarify this upfront than register against the wrong meter.