Additional costs privilege abolished: This is how much euros tenants will save from July 2024

• The ancillary costs privilege ends on July 1, 2024.
• Tenants will then no longer have to save on additional costs for the cable connection in their apartment.
• This way you can save a few euros per month.

In a few weeks, the cable TV fees will disappear from the additional living costs. That is because the last deadline for landlords to apply the so-called additional costs privilege will expire. For tenants, this means savings.

According to the German Tenants’ Association, the cable fees that are included in the utility bill are on average between 12 and 14 euros per month. According to Vodafone, which claims to be the largest cable provider in Germany, they are between 7 and 9 euros. This means that your monthly rent could be reduced by this amount in the coming year. However, this also means that you will no longer have access to the TV program, so you will have to take action yourself and spend money. There is no free basic service when receiving TV via cable.

1. Cable TV is not cheap – will it get more expensive?

2. TV streaming from 0 euros: Here you save the most

3. Satellite TV and antenna: This is what the classics cost

Cable TV is not cheap – will it get more expensive?

But how much does cable TV actually cost and what savings can be made each month by switching to other reception methods? Netzwelt provides you with an overview of the most sensible options for switching and how much you can save by doing so.

Cable provider Vodafone is currently advertising the basic TV Connect Start tariff for TV households that can switch to any offer from July 1, 2024. For less than 10 euros, TV reception will continue as usual, without any installation or hardware replacement. Compared to the average additional costs, this means that you can potentially save 2 to 4 euros – but Vodafone ties you to the offer for 24 months.

It remains to be seen whether the prices for cable TV will increase after the ancillary costs privilege for new customers is finally suspended. After all, providers are currently fighting for their current customers and are making tempting offers to keep them.

TV streaming from 0 euros: Here you save the most

No matter what cable TV costs in the future, the free offers from TV streaming providers will attract households that are currently still tied to cable fees in droves. At least those for whom the classic private channels on German television do not mean much.

The free tariffs from Zattoo and Waipu include many channels in addition to the public broadcasters, but these tend to be news channels, special interest channels and FAST channels. Anyone who takes out a paid subscription from the TV streaming providers also has the channels of the RTL Group and ProSiebenSat.1 included.

This is where Zattoo beats its competitor waipu.tv. With the “Smart HD” tariff, you can watch TV on your Smart TV via the Internet for just €6.49 per month. Compared to the average additional costs and the cable providers’ stay-at-home offers, this is a saving of over 25 percent. At waipu.tv, however, prices start at €7.49.

You can even watch German private channels for free on Joyn, because the streaming service from ProSiebenSat.1 lets you watch the basic version of its service for free and without any registration. If you can do without RTL channels, you can save all TV fees with Joyn. You can also receive the channels for free via Roku, you just need the right hardware.

At to offer*

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At Zattoo to offer*

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Deutsche Telekom now offers its IPTV service MagentaTV as a Flex option for 10 euros per month, which can be canceled at any time and, unlike many of the provider’s other packages, does not lead to long contracts or a barely understandable tariff jungle.

Satellite TV and antenna: This is what the classics cost

Cable television, reception via satellite and antenna form the triumvirate of classic TV reception methods. Basically, you can watch TV via both of these methods without any ongoing costs – but only at first glance.

While free reception via antenna (DVB-T2) is limited to public broadcasters, the full program including private channels costs 7.99 euros per month at Freenet TV and ultimately results in no more than 40 channels in the total selection.

When receiving TV via satellite, you should note that you need to buy and install a receiving dish. If you are renting, you should first check whether installing a satellite dish is even allowed in your area. You also need to consider the costs of the technology. After that, however, you do not have to pay any fees for watching TV via satellite.

We will clarify in another article whether and when you as a tenant have to terminate your cable contract due to the loss of the utility costs privilege.

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