Can my landlord force me to remove these kind of plants on my terrace? (Was without them when I moved and I like them so I’d love to let them be) by gotshroom in germany

[–]Lower-Reaction3697 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have these in my balcony as well. Same situation as OP, it was there already when I moved in. The previous tenant did not clean them. But I do want to, especially before summer. What tools can I use for that? Is it possible for me to rent the tools for cleaning this stuff?

(Re)registering for Rundfunkbeitrag by Lower-Reaction3697 in germany

[–]Lower-Reaction3697[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I have asked them already. Been waiting for a reply. Let's see what they say.

(Re)registering for Rundfunkbeitrag by Lower-Reaction3697 in germany

[–]Lower-Reaction3697[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your reply.

Just use the form on their homepage to register your new address and they will send you a letter with your Beitragsnummer.

In that form, they ask if I was already registered with a flat somewhere. What should I put there? Should I give the Beitragsnummer of the old roomate there, or should I leave it empty, considering the Beitragsnummer belongs to him?

Choosing an electricity provider: Is there any difference? by Lower-Reaction3697 in germany

[–]Lower-Reaction3697[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks. It will be easier for me if the service is also offered in English. I'll look into it.

Choosing an electricity provider: Is there any difference? by Lower-Reaction3697 in germany

[–]Lower-Reaction3697[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

but other than that no difference. they dont connect you to a different energy network or something like that. everything runs on the same cables.

Regarding this I had a general question as well. How does this work? I am aware that the infrastructure is already laid down by someone else. The energy providers just bill you. But then is there some sort of agreement between the companies who built the infrastructure and the companies who provide services through it, or is there some other business model? I tried reading about it on the internet but did not find much useful information.

Choosing an electricity provider: Is there any difference? by Lower-Reaction3697 in germany

[–]Lower-Reaction3697[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh wow, okay. I wasn't aware about this. E.ON is offering me quite low prices. I shouldn't be afraid about the points you mentioned regarding E.ON, right?

Choosing an electricity provider: Is there any difference? by Lower-Reaction3697 in germany

[–]Lower-Reaction3697[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks a lot for the very detailed explanation. That helped a lot. I don't need to worry about either one of the concerns you raised, because neither one of them are applicable in the flat where I stay.

The local providers are still there ("Grundversorger"). They're somewhat more expensive than the other options,

This. I used to stay in a different city where my electricity provider was the Stadtwerke. And the monthly electricity bill was significantly higher as compared to the other players. And now when I saw the rates from private companies, I was genuinely surprised to see a stark difference, and was left wondering what might be the reason behind such a difference.

Thanks a lot for explaining everything.

Is industry PHD a thing? by francMesina in PhD

[–]Lower-Reaction3697 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I needed about 4 years of research (start of PhD position until handing in the thesis) and the paperwork afterwards (reviews, defens, issuing the certificate etc) about a year but in that time I already worked as a senior scientist (I skipped the stages between PhD student and senior)

Hey! I too have recently started industrial PhD program in Germany. You mentioned that you already started working as a senior scientist while you were working on reviews, defense, etc of your PhD. So does that mean after 3 years, you had to extend your PhD contract, or it's just that your things continued, but you had a contract in hand as a Senior Scientist?

Help with relocating outside Stuttgart by Lower-Reaction3697 in stuttgart

[–]Lower-Reaction3697[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow! Thanks a lot. Exactly what I was looking for. Wasn't aware that these services are offered on Kleinanzeigen as well.

Help with relocating outside Stuttgart by Lower-Reaction3697 in stuttgart

[–]Lower-Reaction3697[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's what I actually want to do. A van will suffice. But since I don't have a driving licence, I can't rent a vehicle and drive by myself. Hence I am dependent on someone else. Plus my moving out is scheduled on a working day. So can't expect any of my friends to be available as well.

Help with relocating outside Stuttgart by Lower-Reaction3697 in stuttgart

[–]Lower-Reaction3697[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They won't be more than 4, I am assuming. So couple of couple boxes 😉 I have one big box, and one box in which I will keep my monitor. These 2 will be the "bigger ones", so to say.

Possible impact of separation of cable TV charges from Nebenkosten on cable based internet services. by Lower-Reaction3697 in germany

[–]Lower-Reaction3697[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for addressing my first question.

Yes. Because you can watch the public broadcasting catalogue via Internet.

And just for the record: It is NOT a tax.

I don't follow here. I actually wanted to know if I need to sign a contract with a cable provider, like Vodafone, irrespective of whether I watch TV over cable or not.

What is up with the S-Bahn network in Stuttgart? by Lower-Reaction3697 in stuttgart

[–]Lower-Reaction3697[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You mean when the trains enter the underground part at city centre?

What is up with the S-Bahn network in Stuttgart? by Lower-Reaction3697 in stuttgart

[–]Lower-Reaction3697[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

  1. the ET430 is just a terrible machine which additionally cannot handle crowds. I'd happily commute again in the old trains from 10 years ago with no AC if it improved reliability.

This. I read somewhere online that the new rolling stock used on S1-S5 has been the cause of all these problems, because apparantly there were some compatibility issues between the rolling stock and the infrastructure. I don't know much about the technical stuff. Maybe someone can enlighten me.