# Electricity Bill



## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

Just got my first real bill since the new system came in. Last year it was 32 euros for 132 kWh. This year 47 euros for 154 kWh. So roughly a 25 % increase!!.( very quick mental arithmetic). Now that is quite a hike !!.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

I think we established in an earlier thread that the increase in your bills was due to the fact that you are on a PVPC tariff. Have you done anything yet about switching to a free market one?


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

Lynn R said:


> I think we established in an earlier thread that the increase in your bills was due to the fact that you are on a PVPC tariff. Have you done anything yet about switching to a free market one?


I dont think the free market ones will make much difference in the long term. Electricity is now at it's most expensive price ever in Spain so everyone is going to be paying more this year eventually. I suppose there may be a drop in price as post- pandemic economic production gets back to normal- but I wouldn't hold my breath.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

So the answer is no then. If you're not going to bother even investigating if you could be getting a better deal then there's little point complaining about the bills on here.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Lynn R said:


> So the answer is no then. If you're not going to bother even investigating if you could be getting a better deal then there's little point complaining about the bills on here.


I have also been investigating prices. Since June, the unit costs (P1, P2 and P3) have increased (for me) by over 65%. In fact, they increased over 30% since last month alone.

I am with the 'cheapest' supplier according to a well known comparison company and am defo not on the PVPC rate


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## stevec2x (Mar 24, 2012)

Whichever supplier you are with, it's one V. Putin who is in control right now.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

snikpoh said:


> I have also been investigating prices. Since June, the unit costs (P1, P2 and P3) have increased (for me) by over 65%. In fact, they increased over 30% since last month alone.
> 
> I am with the 'cheapest' supplier according to a well known comparison company and am defo not on the PVPC rate


My unit cost for electricity has gone up a lot too - but I am on a flat rate tariff where I pay the same price no matter what time of day or day of the week the appliances are used. I prefer that to the P1, P2 and P3 charging. However, my supplier (Naturgy) was giving a 5% discount on electricity consumption plus a 25 % discount on the potencia charges (for one year, from the beginning of June this year and the unit price for electricity is fixed too), and those discounts together with the IVA reduction meant that my bills for June and July this year were lower than for the same months last year. Not by much, around €7 per month but better than an increase. Now the Government has also reduced the 5.11% tax on electricity consumption to 0.5% I may see another small reduction.

I am paying 0.1596 per kwh for electricity (less the 5% discount). Last year I was paying 0.1266 which went down to 0.1066 in March this year.


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## Roy C (Sep 29, 2012)

We put our hot water on at 5:30 off just before 8, laundry done at weekends, don't use the oven or dishwasher much anyway , our bill has dropped and we are with Endesa.


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## blondebob (Aug 16, 2019)

Also with Endesa, not been bothered to change any routine stuff such as dishwasher or washing machine and not noticed any difference in latest bills.


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## MataMata (Nov 30, 2008)

Lynn R said:


> I am paying 0.1596 per kwh for electricity (less the 5% discount). Last year I was paying 0.1266 which went down to 0.1066 in March this year.


The kWh price is only part of the equation, the real cost is the net bill divided by the kWh's


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## stevesainty (Jan 7, 2011)

We are permanent residents, two people with Iberdrola on their night tariff and have been for about 8 years. We run a pool pump we use a tumble dryer when the weather is dodgy, and always for towels as we don´t like them rough. We have a gas hob and gas water heating and we have a log burner for cold weather heating. We use the AC whenever we feel the need either hot or cold. Our annual electricity bill for 2019/20, to September, was 1,187.81€ average 98.98€ per month. For 2020/21, also to September, was 1,057.48€ average 88.12€ per month.
Conclusion, barring weather fluctuations and holidays, electricity is pretty static for us, if anything down by 10€ per month.
Gas bottles 132€ per year, logs 320€ per year. 
For heating, lighting, and cooking around 1,550€ per year, still cheaper than my 2012 UK gas and electric bills.


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## davexf (Jan 26, 2009)

Lynn R said:


> I am paying 0.1596 per kwh for electricity (less the 5% discount). Last year I was paying 0.1266 which went down to 0.1066 in March this year.


Hola 
My top rate is 0.13 and the cheapest rate is 0.006 or half a cent per unit. 

It is possible to install a battery which will be charged up overnight on the cheapest rate so you never use P1 or P2 rates- as a quick quote, about a five year payback after which you should have a minimum of five years of gain and probably nearer 15 years of gain with modern LiFePo batteries (Lithium, Iron and phosphate) 

Davexf


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Latest bill received today, covering the months of August and September, is for €78.79 (€20 lower than the same two months last year). Usage was 303 kwh, 150 -ish per month is pretty standard for us in the summer months. So I'm quite happy with that, and no need to bother about what time of day or day of the week we use appliances.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Ours have been quite low too, but we just got a letter from our supplier (Electrica Cadiz) saying that they had delayed putting up the prices until 1 October. 

Is anyone considering (or already using) photovoltaic panels to supplement their supply? They have come down in price a lot in the last few years and there are grants of up to 40% for installing them apparently.


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

Maybe expats are more savvy with companies and usage. The spanish papers are full of people complaining about the rise in bills.


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

Isobella said:


> Maybe expats are more savvy with companies and usage. The spanish papers are full of people complaining about the rise in bills.


 Yes every Spanish person I know is remarking on how high the facturas are. We are even asking neighbours to refrain from using lifts unless it is for heavy items like shopping etc. On the news they were interviewing people about how facturas have been delayed and the shock of getting july and august together. Meanwhile the Brits claim they are paying less!!!


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Isobella said:


> Maybe expats are more savvy with companies and usage. The spanish papers are full of people complaining about the rise in bills.


Quote from a Sur in English article which you posted a link to elsewhere (so I'd have thought you understood the situation);-

"The fluctuations in the daily price of electricity directly affect consumers covered by the regulated tariff (PVPC), just over 10 million people. On the other hand, those in the free market - some 17 million clients - are exempt, since they have an agreed price with their company based on time slots and other concepts."

Those 10 million people can make a lot of noise about it, but unless they actually do something to switch their contracts to free market ones, unfortunately they're going to continue to suffer the consequences. There will obviously be many older people who aren't computer literate and don't have access to the internet at home, but you only have to read the beginning of this thread to see that there are others to whom that doesn't apply, educated and computer literate people, who haven't yet taken any action to protect themselves either. I don't know why, you'd have to ask them - inertia or fatalism, believing it wouldn't make any difference maybe.


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## Turtles (Jan 9, 2011)

The 'Free' market will not provide protection for ever. When contracts expire over the next few months the prices will get massively adjusted. Guess in which direction!


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Turtles said:


> The 'Free' market will not provide protection for ever. When contracts expire over the next few months the prices will get massively adjusted. Guess in which direction!


My supplier is still advertising the same tariff I am on, with the price fixed for 24 months (although they do seem to have dropped the 25% discount on potencia charges and the 5% discount on consumption which I got guaranteed for 1 year when I changed tariff in June).


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

My initial point was that electricity is very expensive and that is going to raise the cost of living. People seem to think that they are able to control energy prices by individual actions. You cant. Yes you can change provider but your provider is not controlling global prices . Your provider is trying to be competitive and its obvious that these smaller companies are not all going to survive and that's where the downside is for you. Good luck trying to negotiate facturas and payments when a small company hits the wall in Spain. It will be torturous task trying to prevent demands, cancelling contracts. It is nothing like as easy in the UK where you have far greater protection. So if you are happy with your provider and appear to have cheap energy comparedto the rest- but be careful in thinking that you have outsmarted the world


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

kaipa said:


> My initial point was that electricity is very expensive and that is going to raise the cost of living. People seem to think that they are able to control energy prices by individual actions. You cant. Yes you can change provider but your provider is not controlling global prices . Your provider is trying to be competitive and its obvious that these smaller companies are not all going to survive and that's where the downside is for you. Good luck trying to negotiate facturas and payments when a small company hits the wall in Spain. It will be torturous task trying to prevent demands, cancelling contracts. It is nothing like as easy in the UK where you have far greater protection. So if you are happy with your provider and appear to have cheap energy comparedto the rest- but be careful in thinking that you have outsmarted the world


Your thinking is flawed because my contract is not with a small supplier - it is with Naturgy (previously called Fenosa), who along with Endesa and Iberdrola make up Spain's big 3 energy providers.


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## blondebob (Aug 16, 2019)

If prices go through the roof then its pretty much out of my control, if you can afford it then its not an issue but if you live on a strict budget then I guess you need to take whatever steps you can to try and reduce your usage. I know a couple who seem to spend every waking hour stuck indoors calculating to the nth degree every single unit of energy used to save a € and they live in a pokey 2 room flat......seriously lifes too short.


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

Everyone should read their actual contract closely. 
We bought this house in Jan 2020 and changed to fixed rate 24/7 in June last year. The fixed rate was 9c per kwh which is great as the rates now are higher. 

My last bill, although in line with others in terms of overall cost (thanks to the compulsory 2 rates on standing charge) actually showed a price of 13c per kwh. 

I complained to Iberdrola who acknowledged my 5 year fixed contract and from the date of my complaint have changed the rate back to 9c. However in my bills I see they have been charging 11c for some months so I have escalated this and asked for a back credit. We see what happens. 

But... Check your contract. See what you signed up to and complain if they have done sneaky rises!


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## DonMarco (Nov 20, 2016)

F.W.I.W.

Compairing my current electricity bill from energia with one a year ago, excluding standing charges and taxes.

September 2020 - electricity used 382kw. - €38.11.
September 2021 - electricity used 397kw. - €85.94.

Quite a hike and whats more 214kw used in September 2021 was so called low tariff.


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## Barriej (Jul 23, 2012)

DonMarco said:


> F.W.I.W.
> 
> Compairing my current electricity bill from energia with one a year ago, excluding standing charges and taxes.
> 
> ...


And as a comparison we are with Iberdrola and 

11/9/2020 173kw- €64.95 (electric usage €29.66) However we were on a standard contract as we had only moved over a month or so before.
15/9/2021 289kw- €68.21 (electric usage €34.18)

This includes all taxes etc.

Go figure.. we have had this sort of thread before.
I have a fixed contract for 5 years and my rate has not changed.
Im happy if the standing charge etc is having that much of a positive effect on my bills.

Makes all you non residents a little bit richer as well....


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