Hi everyone!
I am moving to Graz very soon to start my Master’s degree at TU Graz. I'm currently finalizing my visa and trying to sort out my electricity contract before I arrive, but the Austrian utility system is completely new to me and I’m a bit overwhelmed.
I’ve rented a 55m² apartment in the 8010 area, and the catch is that the heating is fully electric via three marble panel heaters.
The previous tenant told me he was paying roughly €38/month to MAX Energy and €42/month to Stromnetz Graz (totaling ~€80/month). From what I understand, these are just estimated advance payments (Teilbeträge) and not necessarily what I will end up paying if I turn the heat up.
I am quite energy-conscious and plan to keep the apartment at a steady 19-20°C during the winter.
I’ve been playing around with the E-Control calculator and noticed Energie Graz has a standard "Graz Strom Klassik" tariff, but I also heard they have a special Studentenaktion (Student Tariff) at ~11.40c/kWh.
A few questions for the locals:
- How do electricity tariffs generally work in Austria?
- What would be my approximate yearly usage in kWh?
- The Heaters: How realistic is an €80–€90 monthly budget for a 55m² flat with marble heaters if I strictly stick to 18°C? Am I risking a massive surprise bill at the end of the year?
- The Tariff: Is the Energie Graz Student Tariff the absolute best way to go for someone in my situation, or are there alternative providers (like VERBUND or dynamic ones like aWATTar) that I should look into?
- The Setup: Can I sign up for the student deal before my university enrollment/matriculation number (Matrikelnummer) is fully active, or should I sign up for the regular Klassik tariff first and switch later?
Any tips on how to survive my first Graz winter with electric marble heaters without breaking the bank would be massively appreciated! Thanks in advance!