Adjusting Your Mainova Abschlag After a Baby or a Move: 11 Payments, One Bill, and When to Lower the Amount
Mainova charges 11 monthly Abschläge, and the 12th month is the annual bill, which settles the difference between what you paid and what you really used. You can change the amount yourself in the Mainova OnlineService under Abschlagsplan, or by phone with your Service-PIN. Mainova itself asks you to lower it only if your consumption has really fallen, because a lower Abschlag usually means a large payment at the next bill. After a baby, a new household member or working from home, raise it early rather than late.
How the Abschlag Works at Mainova
An Abschlag is a monthly advance on your electricity or gas bill. You do not pay what you used last month. You pay a fixed estimate, and the real consumption is settled once a year. Mainova bills 11 advance payments, because the 12th month is the month in which you receive the annual bill itself. So a plan of “12 instalments” at another provider is not directly comparable with Mainova’s plan of 11.
On the annual bill, Mainova takes the consumption actually read and works out the real amount, then subtracts the advances you paid. If you used less than expected, the difference is credited to your account. If you used more, you pay the difference. For new customers, the first Abschlag is set from the previous tenant’s figures, your own statement or experience values, so the first plan may not fit your household.
| Element | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Annual consumption | Last year's kWh, from the latest annual bill |
| Current price | Price per kWh and basic charge valid for you now |
| Taxes and levies | Electricity tax, and the carbon price for gas |
| Days of the period | The real length of the billing period, not a flat 365 |
| Result | Total divided by 12, rounded to full euros, charged for 11 months |
When Your Family Changes the Numbers
The Abschlag looks backwards, but life moves forwards. Typical moments when last year’s consumption stops being a good guide:
- A baby is born: more washing, more heating hours at home, a warmer bathroom.
- Another adult moves in, or grandparents stay for months.
- One of you starts working from home, or parental leave keeps someone at home all day.
- You move into a bigger flat or one with a different heating system.
- A real saving: new windows, an LED switch, or a flatmate moving out.
Mainova says that your Abschlag depends on the consumption of the previous year and that you may change it yourself if your consumption changes because of a new life situation. Raising it costs you nothing in the end, because any surplus comes back on the annual bill. Lowering it without a real saving is the move that hurts.
Change It Online or by Phone
Mainova’s customer service page gives the route in the OnlineService:
- Log in with your username and password.
- Under “Services für diese Kundennummer” open “Abschlagsplan”, then “Abschlagsplan anzeigen”.
- Click “Ändern”, enter the new amount in the column “neu €/mtl.” and save.
- Wait for the confirmation email.
If you prefer to call, Mainova’s invoice explanation says that customer service asks for your Service-PIN, which is stored in the OnlineService, and the Abschlagsrechner works without a login to test what a better amount would be. The portal does not accept every number. Mainova writes that it has set limits based on plausibility, and recommends that you call with your customer number, the Service-PIN and a current meter reading if your real consumption differs a lot from the basis. Our guide to submitting your meter reading shows how to send the reading first.
Rules Behind It
For households in basic supply, § 13 StromGVV sets the frame: the supplier may ask for advance payments, calculated from the consumption of the last billed period, or from comparable customers if that is not possible. If you credibly show that your consumption is considerably lower, the supplier has to take it into account. If prices change, the advances after the change may be adjusted by the percentage of the price change. Overpayments shown in the final bill must be refunded without delay or offset against the next advance, and after the end of the supply relationship they must be refunded without delay. If you have a special contract with Mainova rather than basic supply, the terms of your own contract apply, so read it or ask.
Price Changes, Delays and Credit
- After a price change, Mainova checks your advance and adjusts it, and a new plan arrives automatically. If you had already raised it yourself, the two changes can overlap, and Mainova asks you to contact customer service.
- After the annual bill, the Abschlag is raised automatically if the new bill is higher than last year’s. It can also be raised if the credit was large, for example after a tariff change or a higher levy, and you can adjust it afterwards.
- If a plan is late, Mainova says this brings no disadvantage and no interest, and the remaining months to the next billing become fewer than 12, which raises the rest of the instalments so that the next bill is not shocking.
- For gas, the bill needs the calorific value from the network operator, which arrives by the tenth working day of the next month, so a gas bill can come up to six weeks after the reading.
Step by Step
- Look at the last annual bill and ask what has changed since: household size, hours at home, heating.
- Test the amount in the Abschlagsrechner.
- Raise it in the OnlineService if consumption grows. Lower it only if you really use less.
- Send a meter reading if you change the amount in the middle of the year.
- Call customer service with the Service-PIN if the portal rejects your number.
- Check the annual bill against your readings and keep the confirmation emails.
Compliance Note
This guide summarises the pages of Mainova and § 13 StromGVV as read in October 2026. Mainova’s terms, tariffs and portal steps change, and your contract decides which rules apply to you. This is not legal advice. Check the current conditions with Mainova.
FAQ & Common Pitfalls
Why does Mainova take only 11 payments, not 12?
Mainova explains that the annual bill covers a period of 12 months, and in one of those months, the twelfth, you receive the bill itself. Advance payments are therefore charged only for the other 11 months. At most 11 Abschläge are set off in the annual bill. Mainova adds that advance payments of different providers cannot be compared directly, because some charge 11 and others 12.
How does Mainova work out my Abschlag?
According to Mainova, the amount depends on your consumption of the previous year and on the price. For the new plan it uses the annual consumption and the current price, plus items such as electricity tax, the carbon price for gas and the real number of days of the billing period. The imagined annual total is divided by 12 and rounded to full euros, and that amount is charged for 11 months. New customers get an estimate from the previous tenant's consumption, their own statement or experience values.
How do I change it?
In the Mainova OnlineService, according to Mainova, log in, open Abschlagsplan under 'Services für diese Kundennummer', choose 'Abschlagsplan anzeigen', click 'Ändern' and enter the new amount in the column 'neu €/mtl.'. A confirmation arrives by email. By phone, customer service needs your Service-PIN, which is stored in the OnlineService. Mainova's voice portal also takes changes, according to its customer blog. The Mainova contact page has a form for questions about changes.
Should I lower the Abschlag when I want more cash each month?
Only if your consumption really falls. Mainova repeats this on several pages: reduce the amount only when your consumption has dropped or will drop because of a changed life situation or energy-saving measures. A lower advance does not lower the real bill, it only moves the cost to the annual bill, where you then pay the difference at once.
My family grew. What should I change?
Raise the amount early. Mainova states that the Abschlag depends on the previous year's consumption, and that you can change it yourself if your consumption changes because of a new life situation. A baby, a new household member, a washing machine running more often or home office all mean higher consumption than last year's. Mainova's portal applies plausibility limits, so a very large jump may need a call.
Why does the portal not let me enter the amount I want?
Mainova says it has set limits based on plausibility, so that the next bill does not bring a high back payment or overpayment. If your real consumption differs a lot from the basis used, call customer service. They ask for your customer number, the Service-PIN and your current meter reading, and advise you on the right amount.
Do I get my money back if the Abschlag was too high?
Yes. According to Mainova, if consumption was lower than expected, the difference is credited to your account on the annual bill. In basic supply, § 13 StromGVV adds that an overpayment shown by the final bill must be refunded without delay, or offset against the next advance payment request at the latest. If you leave Mainova, overpaid advances must be refunded without delay.
What if my gas bill is late?
Mainova says it needs the calorific value from the local network operator, which is delivered by the tenth working day of the following month, before it can create a gas bill, so in some cases the bill can be sent up to six weeks after the meter reading. Mainova's FAQ states that delays in the billing and in the new Abschlag plan cost you no interest, and the remaining months to the next billing become shorter than 12, which raises the remaining instalments.