With the end of the utility costs privilege, many tenants will also no longer be able to get cheap cable TV via their utility bill. Will there be a free basic service?
From July 2024, cable TV reception will no longer be included in the additional costs of rental apartments. (Source: Lenets_Tatsiana/depositphotos.com)
- From July 2024, landlords will no longer be allowed to charge cable TV fees through utility costs.
- For many tenants, this means the cable contract ends; without a new contract, there will no longer be a TV signal from the cable socket.
- A free basic supply of TV signals is only available via antenna, but TV streaming providers also offer free packages.
When the utility bill privilege is suspended in July 2024, some tenants will have reason to be happy: They will no longer have to pay the fees for unwanted cable TV as part of their utility bills, but can switch to cheaper alternatives. Others, however, will be annoyed because they will suddenly have to take care of TV reception themselves.
However, there is certainly reason to be happy: the fees for unwanted cable TV are no longer part of the additional rental costs and a switch to cheaper alternatives is possible.
The change is less pleasing for households whose cable fees are paid by the office as part of the operating costs due to the ancillary costs privilege. As soon as the regulation is suspended, cable television will only be available with a separate contract – and the costs of this are not currently covered by the citizen’s allowance and the associated services.
No public broadcasters free via cable
Reception of public broadcasters via antenna is free
Free TV via TV streaming providers
Satellite TV: reception is generally free
No public broadcasters free via cable
Anyone who is now wondering whether at least the public broadcasters will continue to be seen as usual without a new cable contract will be disappointed: If the provider stops supplying the service due to a lack of a new contract, there will simply be no TV signal anymore.
But no one has to grudgingly sign a new cable contract with Vodafone or other providers in order to continue watching TV – because there are several alternatives to continue watching various TV channels for free, including from the manufacturer Roku.
Reception of public broadcasters via antenna is free
In the past, TV reception via antenna was generally free of charge, but today this is only partially the case: While many can still remember watching private channels such as RTL and Sat.1 via grandma’s indoor antenna, this is no longer possible.
Since the switch to digital terrestrial television DVB-T2, you can only receive public broadcasters for free, i.e. up to around 20 TV channels depending on the reception conditions. If you also want to watch private channels via antenna, you need a contract with Freenet TV. For 7.99 euros per month, the number of channels you can receive increases to around 40.
Free TV via TV streaming providers If you have a sufficient internet connection and the right playback device, Joyn also offers private TV channels free of charge and without registration. (Source: Screenshot Joyn.de)
If you don’t want to buy an antenna, you can also use the free services offered by various TV streaming providers. Their apps can be found on most smart TVs, streaming sticks and app stores for mobile devices. All you need to use them is a sufficiently strong internet connection and, depending on the provider, the creation of a free user account.
The Joyn streaming service allows you to watch the public broadcasters’ offerings as well as the private channels of the ProSiebenSat.1 group, to which the streaming platform is affiliated, without having to register. Other TV streaming providers with free access are waipu.tv and Zattoo.
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Satellite TV: reception is generally free
A huge selection of German and foreign TV channels can be received free of charge via a satellite dish. However, the hardware must first be procured and installed. Tenants are not always allowed to install a satellite dish, as some rental agreements strictly prohibit work on facades and balconies.
In another article on the subject, we will inform you about the impact of the abolition of the ancillary costs privilege for apartment owners’ associations.
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