# Electricity power levels?



## Grasparossa (Feb 28, 2011)

Hi,
I have been living in Spain for a couple of months and have a problems with my electricity. If I have the oven on, my electricity almost always trips. The other night I had to have no lights, tv etc on just to cook a pizza! 
On my bill it says I have 3.3 KW (I think) with a standing charge of 5euros22 per month and then I am billed for what I use. I have heard that there are different levels of power. Is this the lowest? How can anyone function at this level? Mine is only a problem when the oven is on. I am no great chef but this is a problem.
Does anyone know what the next level up is and how much it costs? My electricity bill is around 40 per month at the moment. 

Or could it be a problem with my oven? Should I get this checked? 
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

You have the converse problem to mine......
We have too high a rating....13.2 potencia.
I'm waiting to get ours lowered, it seems as if yours needs to be increased.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Grasparossa said:


> Hi,
> I have been living in Spain for a couple of months and have a problems with my electricity. If I have the oven on, my electricity almost always trips. The other night I had to have no lights, tv etc on just to cook a pizza!
> On my bill it says I have 3.3 KW (I think) with a standing charge of 5euros22 per month and then I am billed for what I use. I have heard that there are different levels of power. Is this the lowest? How can anyone function at this level? Mine is only a problem when the oven is on. I am no great chef but this is a problem.
> Does anyone know what the next level up is and how much it costs? My electricity bill is around 40 per month at the moment.
> ...


it could be the oven............but mrypg is probably right

one place we rented I could have the lights on or the oven & 2 hob rings - more than 2 rings and ANYTHING else in the apartment & it tripped

if you are renting & the bills aren't in your name, get the landlord to have it increased

if the bills are in your name get in touch with the electricity co & get it increased


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Yes, 3.3 is the lowest and cheapest. Spanish people can manage on it because traditionally they rarely use electric ovens - they tend to cook in a big pot on the hob. 

Check the wattage of your appliances. While an electric oven is warming up it can use 2 kW of power. A kettle can be up to 2 kW. Those two things alone will use more than your 3.3 kw potencia.

You will pay a higher standing charge and a higher price per unit if you upgrade to the next level (4.6 kW), and there is usually a fee for changing the contract. If you are planning to stay for a while it would be worth upgrading but otherwise you may need to learn to juggle - and get your pizzas delivered!


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## Beachcomber (May 10, 2009)

It depends whether the switch which is tripping is the ICP (the switch which controls the amount of power you can use) or the earth leak trip (the one with a 'Test' button).

Increasing the contracted power may not be that easy. The original bulletins will show the maximum power for the installation and any increase may require new bulletins and some extensive (and expensive) work on the installation.

If you are lucky you may be able to increase the power rating with no extra paperwork. Contracting for 5,5kw, for example, will result in a standing charge of €9,95 per month with Endesa. You will also have to pay for the replacement of the ICP.


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## zilly (Mar 9, 2010)

Grasparossa said:


> Hi,
> I have been living in Spain for a couple of months and have a problems with my electricity. If I have the oven on, my electricity almost always trips. The other night I had to have no lights, tv etc on just to cook a pizza!
> On my bill it says I have 3.3 KW (I think) with a standing charge of 5euros22 per month and then I am billed for what I use. I have heard that there are different levels of power. Is this the lowest? How can anyone function at this level? Mine is only a problem when the oven is on. I am no great chef but this is a problem.
> Does anyone know what the next level up is and how much it costs? My electricity bill is around 40 per month at the moment.
> ...


My power trips too if I put my big oven on with anything else-- but changed to using a worktop electric oven for day to day use and now a worktop halogen oven--uses very little power and far easier to use! My big oven is now only used on high days and holidays--and even then I think very seriously about it first!


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## country boy (Mar 10, 2010)

I've said this before, and I say it again, it is worth changing the trip. Like a lot of things in this wonderful, laid back country, the trips are not that accurate and loose integrity quite easily. We had a similar problem when we arrived and finally, after everything else had failed, changed the trip. Six years now and no problems ( we are 6.6 KW so you can imagine!!).


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

country boy said:


> I've said this before, and I say it again, it is worth changing the trip. Like a lot of things in this wonderful, laid back country, the trips are not that accurate and loose integrity quite easily. We had a similar problem when we arrived and finally, after everything else had failed, changed the trip. Six years now and no problems ( we are 6.6 KW so you can imagine!!).


I agree with this - we had the same problem and the sparky just changed the trip in the distribution box - problem solved.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Beachcomber said:


> It depends whether the switch which is tripping is the ICP (the switch which controls the amount of power you can use) or the earth leak trip (the one with a 'Test' button).
> 
> Increasing the contracted power may not be that easy. The original bulletins will show the maximum power for the installation and any increase may require new bulletins and some extensive (and expensive) work on the installation.
> 
> If you are lucky you may be able to increase the power rating with no extra paperwork. Contracting for 5,5kw, for example, will result in a standing charge of €9,95 per month with Endesa. You will also have to pay for the replacement of the ICP.



Yes, I'e found it's not that straightforward. You have to have your system inspected by an officially-recognised electrician to see if it conforms to the 2007 legislation.
If not, it has to be brought up to that standard which work, we've been told, could cost anything from a couple of 100 euros to a thousand.
So whether you want to increase or decrease your potencia, it's not a simple process in all cases.


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## Beachcomber (May 10, 2009)

Grasparossa, can you say whether the switch that trips looks similar to this:








or this:


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

It would be cheaper to change the oven for a gas one !


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

I agree with gus. BUT if you are going to get a gas stove and oven get one with a thermostat on the oven because most Spanish gas ovens are either "on" or they are "off".

If you have a friendly qualified electrician nearby get him to run a check on the electrics, you may find that there are earth leakage faults causing your power to trip or if some useless Brit leccy has worked on it claiming to be qualified when he has only ever changed a fuse before (one worked on this place and I have since found bare wires, terminal blocks with loose screws and wires dropping out, earth wires not connected, etc.). Initially we had a tripping problem which turned out to be condensation from damp plaster causing momentary shorts which cleared when the plaster dried out. Now it only happens when my sister overloads the system.


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## donz (May 5, 2010)

handy thread this - we are on 4.6kw and although we have learnt to juggle (the kettle is never boiled when we are using a washing machine for example) it is still a pain when you need to use the oven, hob, have a light on AND be so spoilt as to watch tv too 

There is a new meter outside and a new consumer unit inside the house - would they be able to just increase my usage without too many issues?

And what are the usage options does anyone know? We are quite careful with our usage anyway, it's just when you NEED to have certain things on at the same time for a while that it's a ******.


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## Grasparossa (Feb 28, 2011)

Hi again,
Thanks for everyones help. It seems complicated!
I am renting and the landlady has said she could send an electrician to check things out. So I also won't be getting a new oven either!
The switch that trips is a single one on it's own. There are lots of others in a line together and they are fine. It seems to be a master switch that trips.
So it sounds like its my power level. I am with Endessa.
I didn't know that Spaniards mainly use the hob. Really, I don't use the oven often and it only happens when I use the oven. So if it is a complete pain and expensive to change it I could just get my pizza's delivered! 
I will ask my landlady to find 
And oven chips? And fish? I will think about it!
Thanks again!!


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## Grasparossa (Feb 28, 2011)

So, someone said the standing charge is 9 euros something instead of 5 something AND the electricity itself is more expensive. So it will cost more to heat an oven for the same amount of electricity. And I guess you will only know how much more it will cost when you sign up!!!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Grasparossa said:


> Hi again,
> Thanks for everyones help. It seems complicated!
> I am renting and the landlady has said she could send an electrician to check things out. So I also won't be getting a new oven either!
> The switch that trips is a single one on it's own. There are lots of others in a line together and they are fine. It seems to be a master switch that trips.
> ...



It seems that your potencia is indeed too low.
I think the minimum it could cost your landlady is 60 euros for a new contract with increased potencia.
Alcalaina knows about this.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Grasparossa said:


> Hi again,
> Thanks for everyones help. It seems complicated!
> I am renting and the landlady has said she could send an electrician to check things out. So I also won't be getting a new oven either!
> The switch that trips is a single one on it's own. There are lots of others in a line together and they are fine. It seems to be a master switch that trips.
> ...


LOL, sometimes it's easier to change your way of eating than change your electricity contract! Your landlady might not want to change as the next tenant might want the lower tariff (pensioners get a very big discount if they are on the 3.3 tariff).


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