German utility SWK Energie, the municipal power company of Krefeld, is selling an electricity plan called meinGAMING aimed squarely at gamers. The pitch is simple: a higher fixed monthly fee in exchange for a lower price per kilowatt-hour. SWK says the plan starts to make sense at around 2,500 kWh per year, which is where the calculator's "Casual Gamer" preset sits. The "Pro Gamer" and "Gaming Haushalt" presets default to 3,500 kWh and 5,000 kWh.
Of course, the wall socket doesn't know what's plugged into it. The same plan works just as well for a household with a heat pump or an electric car, so the gaming part appears to be branding more than anything else. Pricing depends on the postcode. One example for postcode 51381 listed 25.01 cents per kWh and a €23.67 monthly base fee, along with a €100 new customer bonus and a price guarantee of up to 24 months. Apparently, that per-kWh rate was raised after a rush of sign-ups. A gaming PC alone probably won't get most people to 2,500 kWh, though. An RTX 5090 at its full 575 W for 30 hours a week works out to roughly 900 kWh a year. SWK also says the power is 100% renewable, backed by certificates of origin from European hydroelectric plants. Readers in Germany are advised to compare the plan against regular tariffs for their own postcode before switching.
Source: TechPowerUp News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing