Spanish Consumers Face New Electricity Tariffs From June 1

Spanish Consumers Face New Electricity Tariffs That Come Into Effect From June 1.

Encouraging electricity consumption in the hours when it is less used and simplifying the tariffs are just two of the objectives of the new electricity bill that comes into effect on June 1. The new tariff system has taken almost three years to come into force.

You can obtain your ‘electricity usage curve’ from your suppliers web site (by logging in to your client account)- this will give you an idea on your peak consumption for instance and give you ideas on how to save costs.

It is important to note that these updates to the meters and the way that the electricity is billed will be automatic – you do not have to actually do anything.

Jorge Morales, an industrial engineer and author of the book ‘Goodbye Petroleum’, believes that the changes are going in the right direction and that, in the long term, it leads to savings by not having to continue increasing supply networks. “That is the line, whoever pollutes, pays,” he said.

The three new tariffs are:

Peak- which will be between 10 am and 2 pm and 6 pm and 10 pm, and has a higher price.

Flat- which will be between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. and midnight.

Valley Rate, which is the cheapest of the three and runs between midnight and 8 am, also all weekends and holidays.

Energy-saving tips:

Install LED lighting or energy-saving light bulbs

Turn off electrical equipment that is on standby (such as the TV or the computer) and unplug the mobile charger when the phone is not charging. Some people think it doesn’t any power at all when the phone is not connected but the charger still uses quiescent current (a trickle of current), which, in a household of say 5 devices, can quickly mount up and add more to your ever-increasing bill.

For homeowners with swimming pools, this is very important- set your motors to come on AFTER 12 midnight to take advantage of the lower rate.

Taking advantage of daylight hours, you will reduce the cost of lighting and heating in winter.

This one is for the teenagers out there- Turn off the lights when you’re not using them!

As much as possible, try to buy efficient appliances, look for the green labels and check the wattage rating- lower is better of course.

Adjust the setting of the heating thermostat and/or the air conditioning, ideally, 25ºC in summer and 20ºC in winter.

Reduce the temperature when washing clothes.

Set the refrigerator temperature to 5ºC and the freezer temperature to -18ºC.

Use the ECO programs of the dishwasher when possible.

Most of all though, apply common sense, the cost has gone up and now it’s time to cut back and think about how much electricity you use and not only save money, but in the end, the environment we all live in.

The Euro Weekly News is running a campaign to help reunite Brits in Spain with their family and friends by capping the costs of PCR tests for travel. Please help us urge the government to cap costs at https://euroweeklynews.com/2021/04/16/ewn-champions-the-rights-of-brits-in-spain-to-see-loved-ones-again/

Thank you for reading, and don’t forget to check The Euro Weekly News for all your up-to-date local and international news stories.