# What Is the Best Electricity Tariff for Short Stays in Germany? (2026) > Electricity for a stay of a few months in Germany, ranked on a short-stay weighting: contract freedom at 50%. Why the Grundversorgung, with its two-week exit, usually wins. By Jules de Bruin · URL: https://www.guide-germany.com/energy/providers/best-for-short-stays **The verdict** For short stays, **SWM Grundversorgung (Munich)** leads at **4.2 out of 5**, unit rate **EUR 0.31/kWh** for the catalogue's reference postcode. For a stay of a few months, the **Grundversorgung** of your local supplier is usually the answer: you are supplied automatically from move-in (§ 2 StromGVV), and you leave on **two weeks notice**with no minimum term (§ 20 StromGVV). Munich's SWM default tariff tops this list because its unit rate is low for a Grundversorgung; in Berlin the same role falls to **Vattenfall**. A twelve-month tariff with a bonus clawback is the trap, not the saving. ## Which electricity tariff is best for short stays? Sort byOur rankingUnit rateContract freedomEnglish supportSorted by **unit rate**, not our recommendation. The default view is our ranking, weights published below. Sorted by **contract freedom**, not our recommendation. The default view is our ranking, weights published below. Sorted by **english support**, not our recommendation. The default view is our ranking, weights published below. #3 by unit rateEUR 0.31/kWh#1 by contract freedomno minimum term#3 by english supportGerman-only supportSWM ### Grundversorgung (Munich) 3.0Score 4.2/5. No-commitment supply that ends when you leave [Get this tariff](https://www.swm.de/privatkunden/energie/strom/grundversorgung)Unit rate (Arbeitspreis)EUR 0.31Standing charge (Grundpreis)EUR 161.60/year (EUR 13.47/month)Estimated annual costEUR 1,253 (3,500 kWh/yr Munich)Contractno minimum termPrice guaranteeno price guaranteePrices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site. Pros - Auto-supply from day one of a Munich move - Two-week cancellation, no term Cons - ~**EUR 360**/yr above cheapest Munich switcher tariff Best for Short stays who want the strongest overall fit. SWMGrundversorgung (Munich)EUR 0.31/kWh#3 by contract freedomcancellable monthly#1 by english supportEnglish support availableTibber ### Tibber dynamischer Tarif 4.1Score 4.1/5. Monthly term fits; hardware cost amortises poorly [Get this tariff](https://tibber.com/de)Unit rate (Arbeitspreis)n/aStanding charge (Grundpreis)EUR 71.88/year (EUR 5.99/month)Estimated annual costEUR 980 (3,500 kWh/yr at ~27.5 ct/kWh average dynamic rate (modelled, Jul 2026))Contractcancellable monthlyPrice guaranteeno price guaranteePrices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site. Pros - Hourly exchange prices with market-best app - Pulse hardware (**EUR 99.95,** **EUR 34.95** for ADAC members) bridges non-iMSys meters Cons - No phone support, chat only, slow replies reported Best for Short stays in a different city or with a different priority. TibberTibber dynamischer Tarifn/a/kWh#2 by contract freedomno minimum termVattenfall ### Berlin Basis Privatstrom (Grundversorgung) 2.6Score 4.0/5. No contract term, two-week exit; fine for sub-90-day stays [Get this tariff](https://www.vattenfall.de/strom/grundversorgung)Unit rate (Arbeitspreis)EUR 0.38Standing charge (Grundpreis)EUR 160.80/year (EUR 13.40/month)Estimated annual costEUR 1,500 (3,500 kWh/yr household, Berlin)Contractno minimum termPrice guaranteeno price guaranteePrices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site. Pros - Automatic supply from day one, no signup needed - Cancellable any time with two weeks notice Cons - Most expensive way to buy power in Berlin: ~**EUR 560**/yr over cheapest Best for Short stays in a different city or with a different priority. VattenfallBerlin Basis Privatstrom (Grundversorgung)EUR 0.38/kWhRabot Energy ### rabot.home flex 3.8Score 4.0/5. Monthly term and no hardware need suit short stays [Get this tariff](https://www.rabot.energy/)Unit rate (Arbeitspreis)n/aStanding charge (Grundpreis)EUR 216/year (EUR 18/month)Estimated annual costEUR 950 (3,500 kWh/yr modelled at trailing dynamic average (Jul 2026))Contractcancellable monthlyPrice guaranteeno price guaranteePrices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site. Pros - Dynamic tariff usable without smart meter (load profile) - Monthly cancellable Cons - Savings-share fee model is hard to compare Best for Short stays in a different city or with a different priority. Rabot Energyrabot.home flexn/a/kWh#2 by unit rateEUR 0.31/kWhNaturstrom ### naturstrom 4.4Score 3.5/5. One-month term is the best green option for short stays [Get this tariff](https://www.naturstrom.de/privatkunden/oekostrom)Unit rate (Arbeitspreis)EUR 0.31Standing charge (Grundpreis)EUR 166.80/year (EUR 13.90/month)Estimated annual costEUR 1,248.30 (3,500 kWh/yr, no bonus, the price is the price)Contractcancellable monthlyPrice guaranteeno price guaranteePrices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site. Pros - Monthly cancellable, no lock-in, no bonus traps - Double-label green certification (Grüner Strom, ok-power) Cons - No price guarantee: rate can be raised with notice Best for Short stays in a different city or with a different priority. NaturstromnaturstromEUR 0.31/kWh#2 by english supportEnglish support availableOstrom ### Ostrom SimplyFair12 4.3Score 3.0/5. Monthly SimplyFair option suits shorter stays better [Get this tariff](https://www.ostrom.de/)Unit rate (Arbeitspreis)EUR 0.35Standing charge (Grundpreis)EUR 135.60/year (EUR 11.30/month)Estimated annual costEUR 962 (3,500 kWh/yr Berlin, first year (no bonus scheme))Contract12 monthsPrice guarantee12 monthsPrices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site. Pros - Full English app and support, rare in German energy - No bonuses, so year-two price equals year one Cons - No phone hotline, chatbot-first support draws complaints Best for Short stays in a different city or with a different priority. OstromOstrom SimplyFair12EUR 0.35/kWh#1 by unit rateEUR 0.30/kWhMAINGAU Energie ### MAINGAU StromGarant 3.7Score 2.5/5. StromAktiv 3-month variant usable for short stays [Get this tariff](https://www.maingau-energie.de/)Unit rate (Arbeitspreis)EUR 0.30Standing charge (Grundpreis)EUR 180/year (EUR 15/month)Estimated annual costEUR 1,233.90 (3,500 kWh/yr Berlin, no bonus)Contract12 monthsPrice guarantee12 monthsPrices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site. Pros - Bonus-free pricing, year two equals year one - 3-month StromAktiv option for flexibility Cons - Not the cheapest unit rate in Berlin Best for Short stays in a different city or with a different priority. MAINGAU EnergieMAINGAU StromGarantEUR 0.30/kWhAlso a strong fit The general weighting picks **Octopus Energy Relax12**. This page picks **SWM Grundversorgung (Munich)** instead, because **contract freedom** carries 50% here against 15%, and **unit cost** 10% against 35%. ## Which tariffs are ruled out for short stays? 19 of the 26 electricity tariffs in the catalogue carry a hard blocker for this reader. Their score is capped at 1.0, however cheap they are. - **Vattenfall ÖkoStrom12**: 12-month minimum term. - **E.ON E.ON ÖkoStrom Pro Extra 12**: 12-month minimum term. - **EnBW EnBW clever strom 12**: 12-month minimum term. - **eprimo eprimoStrom PrimaKlima 18**: 12-month minimum term. - **Yello Mein Yello Strom Basis**: 12-month minimum term. - **LichtBlick ÖkoStrom 12**: bonus clawback inside 12 months. - **EWS Schönau Ökostrom 12**: fixed term to 31.10.2027. - **Polarstern Wirklich Ökostrom (Komfort)**: 12-month minimum term. - **Green Planet Energy green energy strom**: 12-month minimum term. - **Bürgerwerke BürgerÖkostrom**: 12-month minimum term. - **Ostrom Ostrom SimplyDynamic Monthly**: smart meter (iMSys) required. - **Octopus Energy Relax12**: 12-month minimum term. - **Octopus Energy dynamicOctopus**: smart meter (iMSys) required. - **SWM M-Strom Fix 12**: 12-month minimum term. - **GASAG Strom Öko**: 12-month minimum term. - **enviaM MEIN STROM relax 12 Monate**: 12-month minimum term. - **immergrün! Spar Smart FairMax**: 12-month minimum term. - **E WIE EINFACH E WIE EINFACH Strom (MeinSmart Tarif)**: 12-month minimum term. - **Süwag Naturstrom Clever**: 12-month minimum term. ## What does a short stay actually need to arrange? Often nothing at all. If you move in, use electricity and choose nobody, the local default supplier serves you under the **Grundversorgung** automatically (§ 2 StromGVV). Supply is never interrupted, and the contract ends on **two weeks notice** at any time (§ 20 StromGVV). The price of that freedom is the unit rate. The Grundversorgung averages **42.83 cents per kWh** nationally against **30.7 cents** for new-customer tariffs (strom-report.com, October 2026). Over three months in a small flat that gap is tens of euros, not hundreds. On move-in and move-out, read the meter, photograph it and send the reading, as [the set-up guide](/energy/setting-up-utilities) explains. ## The same tariffs, ranked for other readers [Compare every tariff in the catalogueUnit rate, standing charge and term side by side→](/energy/providers-price-research)[Short stays](/energy/providers/best-for-short-stays)[New arrivals](/energy/providers/best-for-new-arrivals)[Students](/energy/providers/best-for-students)[General ranking](/energy/providers)Each page scores the same electricity catalogue on the same five criteria, only with different weights. For families and for settled residents the weighting returns the same order as the general list, so they have no page of their own: the general ranking is theirs. ## How did we compare the tariffs? We scored the 26 electricity tariffs in the catalogue; gas is ranked separately. Each criterion gets 0 to 5 points from fixed record fields: unit rate under 27 cents = 5, under 30 = 4, under 33 = 3, under 36 = 2, above that 1, no fixed unit rate 3, minus one point for a new-customer bonus. Price guarantee of 24 months or more = 5, 18 = 4, 12 = 3, none = 0. No term, or monthly with up to two weeks notice = 5, twelve months = 2. Grundversorgung = 5 for signing up, smart meter required = 2, otherwise 4. English service = 5, otherwise 1. A tariff can only be picked when its own persona verdict in the catalogue is at least 3 out of 5 with no blocker. Prices are for each record's reference postcode and consumption profile, because the grid operator at your address sets part of the price. Always re-check the tariff for your own postcode. ## Related Guides - [Best energy providers in Germany](/energy/providers) - [Setting up electricity and gas](/energy/setting-up-utilities) - [How electricity and gas work in Germany](/energy/electricity-gas) - [Every tariff in the catalogue](/energy/providers-price-research) --- Source: https://www.guide-germany.com/energy/providers/best-for-short-stays Last updated: n/a Format: LLM-readable Markdown twin (.md) of the canonical HTML page.