# Electric Costs



## Pambie (Sep 21, 2011)

We have just had our latest electricity bill,and are still reeling from the shock.
We have daitsu air conditioning units in 4 rooms, but have not used these for heating as we believed it would be very expensive.
We have a halogen heater and two oil filled radiators which we run for a few hours a day.
Would it be cheaper to use the air conditioning units for heating?
Any advice please.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Pambie said:


> We have just had our latest electricity bill,and are still reeling from the shock.
> We have daitsu air conditioning units in 4 rooms, but have not used these for heating as we believed it would be very expensive.
> We have a halogen heater and two oil filled radiators which we run for a few hours a day.
> Would it be cheaper to use the air conditioning units for heating?
> Any advice please.


If they are modern units then I would say yes.

Many people would say otherwise but my experience and research shows that the modern units are extremely cost effective. 

What rating are the oil radiators and halogen heater?


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## Pambie (Sep 21, 2011)

I'll check and post the details.
Pambie


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## angil (Sep 24, 2012)

Got our 'lowest' bill so far!!! €287 for 2 months!!! That is me, 2 kids, dad works 28/28 rotation, 3 bed duplex, no pool, no other weird hidden extras!!
That would be 2 full months of no a/c (not even for heating), pulling the plug when not in use on everything & I even taped over light switches to stop my kids from leaving those ceiling spot light thingys on! I don't have an tumble dryer & have cut down on the number of days per week I use the washer. It would be funny if I wasn't sitting in a cold, dark bedroom typing this!!!
Not sure what else we can do. At least it is coming down! €422 for our first 2 months then €362 for our next 2 and now €287! Not a huge decrease given we are living in subdued lighting, with a paraffin heater and sometimes not enough hot water for us all to have a shower!!
Its like those heady days of my childhood! The 3 day week, bed by candlelight and 3rd degree burns from the paraffin heater in the bathroom!! Oh happy days!
Just thought it might help to know you aren't the only one dazed and confused by the 'leccy costs!!


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## CapnBilly (Jun 7, 2011)

angil said:


> Got our 'lowest' bill so far!!! €287 for 2 months!!! That is me, 2 kids, dad works 28/28 rotation, 3 bed duplex, no pool, no other weird hidden extras!! That would be 2 full months of no a/c (not even for heating), pulling the plug when not in use on everything & I even taped over light switches to stop my kids from leaving those ceiling spot light thingys on! I don't have an tumble dryer & have cut down on the number of days per week I use the washer. It would be funny if I wasn't sitting in a cold, dark bedroom typing this!!! Not sure what else we can do. At least it is coming down! €422 for our first 2 months then €362 for our next 2 and now €287! Not a huge decrease given we are living in subdued lighting, with a paraffin heater and sometimes not enough hot water for us all to have a shower!! Its like those heady days of my childhood! The 3 day week, bed by candlelight and 3rd degree burns from the paraffin heater in the bathroom!! Oh happy days! Just thought it might help to know you aren't the only one dazed and confused by the 'leccy costs!!


Sounds like there us something wrong your meter, or you're on the wrong plan, or you're either paying to light the street, or something else. We have an open plan villa with 5 metre high ceilings. Since the middle of November the moment, because it's cold I am running 2air con units all day from 7am until 10pm. I'm also running 2 temperature controlled radiators in 2 bedrooms from 6am until 10pm, and towel radiators in the bathrooms for a couple of hours. The temperature in our villa is generally 22c, and in the bedrooms 20c. We are on a day/night plan, so we run our pool, washer, dryer, dishwasher and water heater in the cheaper period. We have hot water all day. This will be our heaviest period, and based on the last reading I took, I expect it to be around €450 in .January for around 2 months.


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## CapnBilly (Jun 7, 2011)

snikpoh said:


> If they are modern units then I would say yes. Many people would say otherwise but my experience and research shows that the modern units are extremely cost effective. What rating are the oil radiators and halogen heater?


 Agree that air con units are the most efficient and cost effective form of heating for large areas. see my post below about how we use ours. I have found however, that in the bedrooms, the temperature controlled radiators are very efficient as well. They are a different form of heating because they heat the air, rather than recirculate it. They're not cheap to buy, but they are extremely efficient. Once the room is heated up, the temperature never drops, and yet when you feel the radiator, it's barely warm. Since I bought these, my wife has never complained of being cold.


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## ajw4tts (Oct 20, 2013)

Can I suggest anyone living in a flat or similar dies the following... switch your mains off and make sure the meter
is still not running.

Crazy but... my partner bought a flat in uk and found she was paying for another one in the development as well and hers. 

Simple check .. you never know !!!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

CapnBilly said:


> Sounds like there us something wrong your meter, or you're on the wrong plan, or you're either paying to light the street, or something else. We have an open plan villa with 5 metre high ceilings. Since the middle of November the moment, because it's cold I am running 2air con units all day from 7am until 10pm. I'm also running 2 temperature controlled radiators in 2 bedrooms from 6am until 10pm, and towel radiators in the bathrooms for a couple of hours. The temperature in our villa is generally 22c, and in the bedrooms 20c. We are on a day/night plan, so we run our pool, washer, dryer, dishwasher and water heater in the cheaper period. We have hot water all day. This will be our heaviest period, and based on the last reading I took, I expect it to be around €450 in .January for around 2 months.


Our last bill was just under 300 euros for two months. Our villa is two storeys, spacious, loads of marble everywhere with pool. We have those units but never use them, summer or winter. If we did our winter bill would be the same as yours, around 450 euros for two months. Like you we use the washing machine and dishwasher after 11p/m.
It's warm here during the daytime most days so we don't heat until gone 7p.m. We used to heat with a paraffin stove but this winter bought gas heaters. We occasionally use one in the dining room but not that often at lunchtime, around 2.30 p.m.
We have found that using the gas heater from say 7pm until midnight each day we need two gas bottles per 32 days at a cost of 35 euros. This seems to us the cheapest and most efficient form of heating.


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## angil (Sep 24, 2012)

The last time I had a massive bill I switched my power off and watched the meter. Unfortunately it is one of the digital models and takes about an hour to move at all. & as I don't have access to my meter, other than by cornering the 'maintenance man' for the 20 mins he is at our build. per day with the key, it makes checking my meter simply by viewing it move a nigh on impossible task.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Beware of offers promising to reduce your bills if you switch to another company. If your contract is on the TUR tariff (potencia 10 kW or less) the price is fixed by the government anyway, they can't offer it any cheaper. The Spanish equivalent of the Consumers' Association, FACUA, report that your bills might actually increase after switching

'Descuentos' que hinchan tu factura: FACUA destapa en su revista las trampas de las eléctricas

NB You can follow FACUA on Facebook and get all sorts of useful stuff like this.


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## mazlester (Oct 30, 2010)

I expect our bill to be approx 200euros for the 2 months. We are on Day/night rate so do all washing, ironing between midnight and midday. We have a 3 bed finca with a pool and use the washer every 2 days. Our heat comes from wood burner but we're not neurotic about switching everything electrical off. Sounds like something's not right with your meter!


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## jonmlb748 (Oct 30, 2011)

snikpoh said:


> If they are modern units then I would say yes.
> 
> Many people would say otherwise but my experience and research shows that the modern units are extremely cost effective.
> 
> What rating are the oil radiators and halogen heater?


potencia rates have been upped considerably according to my Spanish electrician. if you have 15kw or more ,you can now expect to pay up to €150 / month before you use any electric !.check the potencia rating on the top of the bill.7-9 kw is more than sufficient for any villa.


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## CapnBilly (Jun 7, 2011)

jonmlb748 said:


> potencia rates have been upped considerably according to my Spanish electrician. if you have 15kw or more ,you can now expect to pay up to €150 / month before you use any electric !.check the potencia rating on the top of the bill.7-9 kw is more than sufficient for any villa.


 I think he needs a new calculator. The tariffs did go up in August quite considerably, but not as much as that. 15kw is around €65 inc IVA per month. I agree 9kw is ample, but that's still around €35 a month. I think it went up around 50-60%


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## jonmlb748 (Oct 30, 2011)

I can show you a bill from a client who has paid over €150 euros for one month for potencia of 19 kw. that is why he is getting his potencia reduced to a more manageabl


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## CapnBilly (Jun 7, 2011)

jonmlb748 said:


> I can show you a bill from a client who has paid over €150 euros for one month for potencia of 19 kw. that is why he is getting his potencia reduced to a more manageabl


 Sounds like he's being surcharged. That's one hell of a power draw.. Are you sure he's not lighting the street


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## jonmlb748 (Oct 30, 2011)

that's the point,it's not the power he has consumed its the potencia as follows
potencia 2011 nov =37.14
2013 nov =145.70
electric used2011=25.33
2013= 303kw=32.60 this bill added up to 244 euros when impto electricdad ?was added 9.14,rent of meter 13.85' then iva 42.36 .this is based on a potencia of 19.8 kw which is clearly far in excess of his needs .we assume this amount of potencia was normal 20 years ago when electric was cheap.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

jonmlb748 said:


> that's the point,it's not the power he has consumed its the potencia as follows
> potencia 2011 nov =37.14
> 2013 nov =145.70
> electric used2011=25.33
> 2013= 303kw=32.60 this bill added up to 244 euros when impto electricdad ?was added 9.14,rent of meter 13.85' then iva 42.36 .this is based on a potencia of 19.8 kw which is clearly far in excess of his needs .we assume this amount of potencia was normal 20 years ago when electric was cheap.


I would suggest that hge gets his potencia reduced to 5.75 or 7.xx which is adequate for a large villa.

We have 5.75 and are in a large villa running everything (pool, hot water, oven, hob, w/m, dish washer, freezer, a/c etc. etc.) on electric.


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## CapnBilly (Jun 7, 2011)

jonmlb748 said:


> that's the point,it's not the power he has consumed its the potencia as follows potencia 2011 nov =37.14 2013 nov =145.70 electric used2011=25.33 2013= 303kw=32.60 this bill added up to 244 euros when impto electricdad ?was added 9.14,rent of meter 13.85' then iva 42.36 .this is based on a potencia of 19.8 kw which is clearly far in excess of his needs .we assume this amount of potencia was normal 20 years ago when electric was cheap.


No, I understood the point you were making, my point was about needing that power ( as you said previously) only to light the street . However, I still think he's being surcharged. Sounds to me that if it's 20 years old he may not have an ICP, which means they're surcharging him. IIRC, they more or less double it. The figure you quote in 2011 is about right without a surcharge. The only other point I would make, is I guess with that power, it's 3 phases, so he will need proper professional advice to downgrade, and either pay to downgrade to single phase, or make sure the phases are properly balanced.


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