Der Stromanbieter rechnet den Energieverbrauch ab.

the electricity provider

Breakdown of Der Stromanbieter rechnet den Energieverbrauch ab.

• der Energieverbrauch: the energy consumption
• abrechnen: to bill; charge

Questions & Answers about Der Stromanbieter rechnet den Energieverbrauch ab.

Why is ab separated from rechnet and placed at the end?

Because the verb here is abrechnen, which is a separable verb.

• Infinitive: abrechnen
• In a normal main clause: rechnet ... ab

So:

• Der Stromanbieter rechnet den Energieverbrauch ab.

This is very common in German. The main part of the verb goes to the usual verb position, and the prefix moves to the end.

Compare:

• Ich rufe dich an. from anrufen
• Er kauft ein. from einkaufen

So rechnet ... ab is the split form of abrechnen.

What does abrechnen mean in this sentence?

Here abrechnen means something like to bill, to charge for, or to settle the account for.

In this context, the idea is that the electricity provider is officially calculating and billing the amount of energy used.

So it is not just doing math in a general sense. It is more specifically about billing/accounting.

Why is it den Energieverbrauch and not der Energieverbrauch?