- This topic has 29 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 11 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
-
This article says electricity prices are rising 3% next week for the CDS again, not sure if this is for all of Spain, but makes Spain’s electricity the 3rd highest priced in the EU. Why is it so high in Spain, don’t the numerous wind farms generate power? 🙄 ❓
-
Is it though ? The basic unit price is often over 20p a unit in the UK and then the standing charges that you now have to pay. My belief is that it much depends upon your useage and consumption pattern. If you use the dual tarrif Day and Night you can cut you costs and it costs only 9 euros to change tarrif. In Spain I think you have Iberdrola and Endesa in competition under the liberalisation fewer than in the UK but there is the TUR tarrif fixed by the state something we don’t have in UK. In UK there are some zero standing charge tarrifs offered by Scottish Power and Ebico(SSE) which I recommend to British owners who spend substantial time in Spain but are Non Resident (up to 182 days).. Unfortunately in Spain they do not have Zero standing charge tarrifs at all..-so if you are only there 6 months you have to pay this for the other 6 months -for nothing !
-
Ptr, you ask ‘is it though?’, but the article states that Spain’s electricity is the third highest in the EU, I seem to recall others on here previously saying it was expensive, and comparing heating costs in the UK with air conditioning costs in Spain.
Can anyone on here give examples on monthly cost of electricity in Spain, and combined costs of gas and electricity per month in Spain, assuming gas is mains and not bottled? 🙄
-
I think its down to you Ange not to just make unsubstantiuated statements and give facts. My personal experience is you are posting stuff that can be misleading because it depends upon your consumption pattern and the tarrif you use for your particular circumstances.Obviously if you are on the wrong tarrif your experience will not be the best . I have posted much information about this over the last year facts you seem to either dismiss ?? or ignore ??
-
How on earth can a statement in an article be an assumption on my part, that’s ridiculous to say? 😡
You’re confused! I am not dismissing nor ignoring your previous posts when this article is the most up to date one yet and supercedes anything you may have said previously. Take it up with the author of the article 😆We have friends living near Malaga who complained that their electricity bills were too high back in earlier part of the year, before latest rises.
The article is about the general or basic cost, not individuals’ tariffs, duh ! 🙄
-
-
-
I think there are people on here who only want to run Spain down. They are people who do not even live there have not lived there for some time and seemingly don’t want anyone else to. Power price increases of 3% are a pittance compared with the recent increases in UK.- standing charges and tarrifs. I sometimes think there are one or two on here who have nothing else to do but sit on a computer all day running down Spain. Get a life !!!
-
What do you want on the forum…only myths and untruths. FACT Spain’s electricity is more expensive than the UK. Not because I say so, official figures state that is a FACT. BTW. Spanish internet and phone is more expensive too. Sorry for not ignoring your untrue statements 🙄
Are you unable to enjoy Spain just cos a few things aren’t cheaper than the UK
-
You often spout rubbish ptr, try to make an issue about topical facts that appear in the media, don’t or cannot even debate them properly despite being a grown up, then like to wind posters up, grow up 😡 Who wrote the article, not me, silly, just shoot the messenger do you?
BTW Very happy with my dual fuel set-up in the UK, assume it’s much cheaper than similar in Spain.
So far you’ve not giving any reasons for Spain being ranked 3rd highest for electricity in the EU, will you, can you? 😆
-
Thought you were making it up ptr, (Over 20p per unit plus standing charges 😆 ) so checked my dual fuel bill in the UK, yes you are talking rubbish 😆
Electricity 11.34p per KWH, Gas 3.45p per KWH Want to know the standing charges? Electricity 14p per day, Gas 22p per day.
Monthly dual fuel bill throughout year, £38 total, less than a tenner a week, that means despite combined monthly standing charges of £10.80 the actual fuel used is only £28.80 can you compare? This for dark cold, wet, snowy, UK
Get yourself a properly insulated house, and check your facts next time 😆
-
Because, unlike UK, not every household here has the same potencity of electricity and charged at the same amount per unit however much is used.
In Spain the higher the potencity of electricity required the higher the standing charge and units PLUS on top of this there is a ridiculously low usage level that if exceed incurs even higher cost per unit.
Something which is never discussed or written about.Relying soley on electricity I have a potencity of 13.5 and standing charge that is in excess of €50 bi-monthly.
Not quarterly as in UK. Consequently an average bi-monthly bill is about €440 .There are dual tariffs here but only useful for households cooking and heating using gas, oil or wood as well.
Making comparisons with my neighbours , as other fuels used are also costly here, seems whatever one uses most households pay on average more than € 2000 per annum. Which is considerable higher than UK.
Fortunately council tax and fuel costs here combined are still cheaper, just !! than the UK .
Seems if they don’t get you one way they will another.
-
-
To my knowledge everyone on bottled gas from Almeria City to Alicante outside of the main city centres and although there is talk ..lol…that gas will be piped in , don’t expect it to be in my lifetime.
Bottled gas is extraordinary expensive if using it for central heating.
Costs a friend of ours €50 a week in the coldest months !!!
We buy a small bottle just for the BBQ and now the cost is €19….. But it does last a year.We seem to be the only people all electric. Like it because it is cleaner. Most use oil..€1,000 to fill a tank apparently and bottled gas for cooking plus log fires.
-
Melosine, I’ve been to Cyprus several times and most of the properties have a cylinder and solar panels on their roof tops, they do look pretty ugly but serve a useful purpose, free heating of water. Clever people now put them in roof spaces with the panels either on the roof or in the garden 😉
I cannot understand why Spain with all it’s sun does not encourage this, it would save home-owners lots of money, although it appears to be a financial reason for them rather than individuals. Incidentally, a cylinder with panels could be installed 8 years ago in Cyprus for 400 euros for a basic model 🙄 😛
-
-
Since 2007 Spain has insisted all planning applications for new builds have to include solar panels and there are farms of them everywhere. Plenty of wind turbines as well.
Far most costly than €400. And now because of all the panels there was a recent article that Spain were going to tax the sun !!!! 😆
Don’t think the Government does a sell back electricity policy though. -
He’s off again, calling me a liar are you? Probably spent all afternoon trying to find them, wrong again! We had them fixed as well for 2 years so keep looking. 😆 Just looked at our last quarterly bill to end June 13, included cold months as well, unit prices as stated, oh plus a refund of £104 as DD was higher than necessary, expect a new bill imminently, will still be same unit price and standing charges, fixed, got it Pet? 🙄
Back to reality. Melosine, cannot understand why a country could tax something free like sun it’s iniquitous. I remember calor gas for a November a few years back in Bergerac France, 1 month cost something like equivalent of £120, not dissimilar to your bottled gas example given 🙄
Solar is the way forward, if Spain allows it 😉
-
-
I like this price comparison thing only took 5 minutes to do, must be doing something right. Just checked our annual dual fuel consumption and I could fix with another company until April 2015 and it will only cost us another £15 per year, not that we need to as already have a good fix and all Political Parties will be making promises to freeze prices as Labour are doing, in the run up to the next Election 😛
Melosine, you have an apt for this topic signature to your posts, ‘Always look on the bright side’, could be solar related 😉 😛
-
But this is supposed to be about Spanish electricity prices that you say are so expensive ! And you have to bear in mind the exchange rate too. But its good you have got off your high horse and got your finger out and dug out some figures. I will try and post recent TUR figures tomorrow -I looked up Iberdrola on-line but they are having one of their typical aberations -when I ticked on contracts for the facturas its said no existe! Typical again -they collect the money. But they have had an email. The TUR (Tarrif of ultimate Recourse)set by the Government -all the gob is at{ minetur.gob.es) that most people use but foreigners who buy properties often have transferred or are offered the ‘Liberalised’ alternative that you can imagine costs more)but that you can change to -t my memory is that the Day rate is 0.21(for 12 hours and the Night rate 0.7 cents again for 12 hours that varies from 10pm to 00.00 starting time. The night time period is much more generous than in UK and is useful for washing and pre -heating water for evening use plus air conditioning at night .The standing charge is about 16 euro per month which I think is a lot but you don’t have to pay one for gas that usually you buy bottled .and if used intelligently saves electricity. So you have to look at things over all. Sound bites without some facts are not very helpful to prospective property owners and us existing ones who like to see them about in Spain if one day we want to sell ourselves. I am surprised we get so little input from Spanish sources -it would certainly counter balance the negative postings from people who are not on the spot -indeed if all posts received automatic translation into Spanish it might encourage the Spanish to stand up for themselves and indeed listen more to what is said and that must be in their interest. But its particularly lacking -these days business does not come to you -you have to go out and get it it by making property attractive to buyers -if only by giving some home truths on occasions. .
-
Not quite sure what you mean ptr when you say ” giving some home truths….”
The truth is that if one buys a property with a low potencia the bills might be very reasonable but two high powered items on at once and the chances are the fuse will trip…..result annoyance plus possible cost of other fuel.
Buy with a high potencia and no tripping fuses ,sans problems ..result happiness…but the cost will be far greater and the taking up the dual tariff totally impractical unless you cook by gas because apart from the washing machine every other electrical item most people use it’s when they awake not asleep.
My Iberdrola bill has been electronically automated for the last 2 bills and our NIE number doesn’t want to work , typical, so have to get it sorted .
However can see this bi- monthly total and it is €451.83.Found 2011 July to September factura
Potencia contrada @ 0.095074……………………………….82.99
Energia consumida 1.245x 0.150693…………………,…187.61
Impuesto SOBRE electricidad @1.05113………………. 13.83
Aquiler equipos……………………………………………………….3.24
IVA @ 18%…………………………………………………………..51.78Total………………………………………………………………….€ 339.45
If memory serves me correct last years bill for this period was about € 380. ( lucky…only 10% increase)!!
So a 30% increase over two years. Even taking the exchange rate into consideration would only be a few euros difference.
Perhaps, you might argue, I used more electricity this year .
Family usually stay for 5 weeks during this period for last few years with aircon on permanently but only 10 days this year.
So don’t think so.Gosh ,I wished I hadn’t looked now 😥
Fact is , fuel of any kind and water is far more expensive here than in UK…and that’s the home truth.
To tell prospective buyers the opposite just isn’t true but for most the rates will be cheaper. -
Interesting post Melosine-I am still up at 01.45 doing an ISA transfer. You do have to accept that all charges for power have gone up everywhere including Spain and UK. This is due to a number of factors including money printing (QE) by central banks and Governments trying to recover lost tax revenues due to economic weakness -to balance their books. In Spain this has been worse than in UK. I would point out dual tarrif runs longer in Spain up to at least 10am and 12 noon some of the year. So you can shower bath and do washing in the morning. You could have early lunch sometimes if you do not use gas and you can re-heat your water for an evening shower. Why not use gas to cook ? I cannot remember seeing 18% VAT on any power bill. I admit I am a low user but the figures I remember are 3% for some units and 5% for the rest-cannot remember the 18% but will look up my bill when Iberdrola come back.
-
Ptr can tell you are a guy because we girls , young and old, do things differently.
After a day in the pool ( pump on continuously) it is showers ( hot for hair washing) at 5 followed by aircon and hair dryers blasting away getting ready for an evening out.
Although we do use a gas BBQ as much as possible kids like chips and it is a well document gripe that visitors use our homes like hotels.
So going dual would cost a fortune in my house.
For the rest of the year it is the kettle ,oven and heating that work the hardest and even then we are very careful….but obviously not enough…..What annoys me the most though is the big leap in price once you have exceeded a certain usage.
Same with mains water which is only 14 cubit m , thereafter rising after every 10 cubit m the price almost doubling each time. -
@Ptr what don’t you understand? Quote ‘but this is supposed to be about Spanish Electricity prices that you say are so expensive’ WRONG, the article says that, in fact it says they’re the 3rd highest in the EU, check your facts first, I asked the question why, you’re the one who made a contentious post from upon your high horse, a reference you’ve made before and then deleted, weird or what? 😆
Seems like you spent all afternoon ‘getting your finger out’ trying to prove me wrong but you couldn’t, now you have the nerve to ask me who supplies our fuel, do your own research, why would I tell you when you post wum posts?
I would of course help anyone genuinely interested 😉 😆Melosine gave relevant information based on her own usage and experience, I also said friends of ours near Malaga said it was expensive, Mark said Spain was the rip-off country for utilities. Melosine also answered my question about who gets mains gas in Spain, and how bottled gas is 50 euros a month and oil tanks cost 1000 euros to fill, all in all pretty damn expensive. BTW Melosine, you are correct about fuses tripping with more than a couple of high usage things on, it happens regularly at our friends 🙄
Melosine also said ‘Fact is, fuel of any kind and water is more expensive here than in the UK…. and that’s the home truth’ echoes what Mark said.
The topic was about an article in the media, about electricity, leading on to gas etc, I’m sure some other things are cheaper in Spain, on another topic no doubt 🙄
-
Another saving in the UK compared to Spain is the VAT, charged at 5% (not 18%) for all domestic energy charges 😛
Melosine, our friends also use a wood burning stove which pretty much heats the living areas of their house, they burn olive wood which creates a quick and bright flame, without the smoke, do you use a wood burner and would this be an option for you? However they have to use electric heated rails in bathrooms, and back up their heating with expensive bottled gas in one of those portable heaters. Their air-con usage is expensive but necessary in Summer. 🙄
-
IVA on electricity is now 21%.
Friend going to sort our problem re opening bill so will be interesting to see what else has increased.Should have had ceilings fans and a wood burner but what was available here at that time wasn’t modern enough for us !!
Only when temperature initially drops do we need to reach for hot water bottles and thick coats but am now thinking of buying a portable fan/ heater for bedroom use.Big problem is coming here, in winter, from UK our bodies think it is summer. After living here a year realise it is not.
Pride cometh before a fall in our case…lol
-
-
I was able to access my Iberdrola bill today.The last one was for 43 days and amounted to Euro 16.08 This included 0.44 for IGIC @3% on the standing charge and it included 0.08 @7% on the balance. This was for a period in which I used no electricity as in UK. There is a difference in what you pay in Spain compared with Canarias where you have IGIC instead of IVA and it is charged at 7% generally but some things are different -wine I think is 15% but its not much on day to day bottles that cost around 1.30 to 1.50. Obviously this IVA rate if now 21% -a problem and a big one for people on low incomes. I cannot see Rahoy getting re-elected but where will the socialists get the money from ? What else can you do ? Make a solar shower with a plastic bag.! Refill your plastic water bottles with sea water from the beach to flush the toilet -I do that anyway. Buy property in the Canaries and avoid Spain or buy in areas where you do not have extremes of temperature ie coastal areas near the sea where you do not need air conditioning except in July and August and heating in the winter. Use the dual tarrif if you can. In Melosine’s case -well sorry spoils the fun -send Snr Rahoy a rude postcard ! In UK I use Ebhco Day rate 21.18 Night rate 7.07 Gas 5.06 all units I pay £18 per month No standing charge and no exit fees Scotthish Power have similar tarrif ideal for people who are dual resident and economical in their useage.
-
-
- The forum ‘Spanish Real Estate Chatter’ is closed to new topics and replies.
