Electricity bill huge increase - Utilities: Electric, gas and water recommendations and advice in Roldán - Roldán forum - Costa Cálida forum in the Murcia province of Spain
Los Alcazares car repair  service
ASSSA Insurance
Jennifer Cunningham Insurances SL

Join the Roldán forum

Join the Roldán forumMy name's Alex and this is my website all about Roldán in Spain. Register now for free to talk about Utilities: Electric, gas and water recommendations and advice in Roldán and much more!

Electricity bill huge increase

Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2021 12:35pm
25 replies764 views9 members subscribed
Zaza1963

Posts: 45

14 helpful points

Location: Roldán

Joined: 4 Apr 2021

Does anyone else notice a considerable increase on their electricity bill since the changes of tariffs?

Just received the latest bill covering August. With the same levels of consumption as July, I am now paying double of what we paid at the same time last year. We don't even use the washing machine during the week! €172 for 1 month takes us back to the levels we paid before privatisation...the good old days of Iberdrola! So what has changed apart from new electricity providers' names? They were adamant that our bills would not be effected with the new system! They even sent a letter to reassure us!!

Moving in to a new house soon, we will definitely look into going all solar...

RichT

Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2021 2:03pm

RichT

Super helpful member

Posts: 1134

1259 helpful points

Location: Lorca

Joined: 13 Sep 2019

Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2021 2:03pm

I understand that the hours for low, medium & high tariffs were changed for the whole country (from 1st June?). However, if you were already on a fixed plan (e.g. the Stable Plan that we are on), then your tariffs shouldn't have changed. If you were on the equivalent of the Standard Variable Tariff, then you would have incurred higher charges due to the change in hours / tariffs. This is my understanding anyway...

We are on the Stable Plan tariff, where we pay a flat rate of approx. €0.16 per kWh for all consumption. On the variable tariffs, I think you can pay as high as €0.22 per kWh in the peak times. The Stable Plan from Iberdrola is currently available at €0.15 per kWh fixed for 5 years; and they have other plans, so maybe worth looking at what suits you best?

However, we have recently had solar panels installed and are in the process of moving to the Solar Plan, where we will pay €0.12 per kWh for consumption from 6pm to 9am and €0.18 per kWh for consumption from 9am to 6pm (when we will be generating, so expect to have minimal consumption from the grid). We will also receive €0.05 per kWh for excess electricity exported to the grid.

Our solar panels have cost us approx. €4,000, with a maintenance plan and a 10 year guarantee. The payback period is calculated to be 6-7 years, so it's clearly a long-term investment. However, as we expect our next car to be electric in a few years time, we can only see us benefitting more.

Hope this helps!

Zaza1963

Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2021 2:20pm

Zaza1963

Original Poster

Posts: 45

14 helpful points

Location: Roldán

Joined: 4 Apr 2021

Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2021 2:20pm

RichT wrote on Sat Aug 28, 2021 2:03pm:

I understand that the hours for low, medium & high tariffs were changed for the whole country (from 1st June?). However, if you were already on a fixed plan (e.g. the Stable Plan that we are on), then your tariffs shouldn't have changed. If you were on the equivalent of the Standard Variab...

...le Tariff, then you would have incurred higher charges due to the change in hours / tariffs. This is my understanding anyway...

We are on the Stable Plan tariff, where we pay a flat rate of approx. €0.16 per kWh for all consumption. On the variable tariffs, I think you can pay as high as €0.22 per kWh in the peak times. The Stable Plan from Iberdrola is currently available at €0.15 per kWh fixed for 5 years; and they have other plans, so maybe worth looking at what suits you best?

However, we have recently had solar panels installed and are in the process of moving to the Solar Plan, where we will pay €0.12 per kWh for consumption from 6pm to 9am and €0.18 per kWh for consumption from 9am to 6pm (when we will be generating, so expect to have minimal consumption from the grid). We will also receive €0.05 per kWh for excess electricity exported to the grid.

Our solar panels have cost us approx. €4,000, with a maintenance plan and a 10 year guarantee. The payback period is calculated to be 6-7 years, so it's clearly a long-term investment. However, as we expect our next car to be electric in a few years time, we can only see us benefitting more.

Hope this helps!

Very helpful information. Thank you! We are tenants currently so we do not have a lot of influence on the contract chosen but when we move to our new property which we own, we will definitely go for solar. As you say, the investment is worth it!

eduardo3332

Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2021 9:27pm

eduardo3332

Super helpful member

Posts: 1570

1178 helpful points

Joined: 21 Jan 2016

Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2021 9:27pm

Zaza1963 wrote on Sat Aug 28, 2021 2:20pm:

Very helpful information. Thank you! We are tenants currently so we do not have a lot of influence on the contract chosen but when we move to our new property which we own, we will definitely go for solar. As you say, the investment is worth it!

Out of interest, do you actually see the bill from  the electricity supplier or do the owners just give you a bill?

The reason I ask a friend was renting a ground floor apartment in a block of 3,and found her bill was getting extremely high, it turned out she was paying for the lighting in the hall and the lift she never botherd to check the meter attached to the property.

Zaza1963

Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2021 10:25pm

Zaza1963

Original Poster

Posts: 45

14 helpful points

Location: Roldán

Joined: 4 Apr 2021

Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2021 10:25pm

eduardo3332 wrote on Sat Aug 28, 2021 9:27pm:

Out of interest, do you actually see the bill from  the electricity supplier or do the owners just give you a bill?

The reason I ask a friend was renting a ground floor apartment in a block of 3,and found her bill was getting extremely high, it turned out she was paying for the lighting in the hall and the lift she never botherd to check the meter attached to the property....

...

We get the bill sent to us directly by the electricity company so it is related to our consumption. Still back to the levels of the good old days with Iberdrola when they had monopoly. Christmas with lower bills did not last long!!

Advertisement - posts continue below

Roland

Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2021 10:03am

Roland

Legendary helpful member

Posts: 3519

2581 helpful points

Location: Camposol

Joined: 23 Feb 2018

Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2021 10:03am

@Zaza1963

172 euro seems an awful lot of electric for one month.

I would presume from your bill that you are using air con ??

Have you checked the actual meter reading on your meter against the reading on your bill ??

Was July an estimated bill ??

Which supplier are you with ??

This link gives you the tariff times.

Tariff Times

On that link there is also another link some good info on reducing your electric bill.

Reduce Your Electric Bill

Zaza1963

Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2021 3:08pm

Zaza1963

Original Poster

Posts: 45

14 helpful points

Location: Roldán

Joined: 4 Apr 2021

Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2021 3:08pm

Roland wrote on Sun Aug 29, 2021 10:03am:

@Zaza1963

172 euro seems an awful lot of electric for one month.

I would presume from your bill that you are using air con ??

Have you checked the actual meter reading on your meter against the reading on your bill ??

Was July an estimated bill ??

Which supplier are you with ??

This link gives you the tariff times.

Tariff Times

On that link there is also another link some good info on reducing your electric bill.

Reduce Your Electric Bill

We have a big house with 2 aircon that we use mainly at night. We compared with last year at the same period (August) and it is clear that the new system is a rip-off, despite them trying to tell us otherwise. We consumed less this year yet the bill is €36.80 more for 74 Kwh less consumption although we can argue that before the bill stopped on date of issue (27th) whereas now it runs from 1st to 30th each month.

August 2020: consumption of 707 Kwh for €136,08

August 2021: consumption of 633 Kwh for €172.88

Increase of approx. 25%

Not everybody can run washing machines at night (those who live in buildings for example) and apparatus such as fridges cannot be stopped at night.

As I said, back to high bills to the levels of pre-free market, probably because Iberdrola from which a few ministers get a kickback, complained they were losing money. Prior to privatisation, we were with Iberdrola and one month, we got a bill of €700!! Their meter was broken but they never gave us a refund, stating we had used that much electricity (something like 1500 kwh!). Strangely enough, one month later they came to change the meter! Bunch of thieves all of them!

eduardo3332

Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2021 3:39pm

eduardo3332

Super helpful member

Posts: 1570

1178 helpful points

Joined: 21 Jan 2016

Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2021 3:39pm

Zaza1963 wrote on Sun Aug 29, 2021 3:08pm:

We have a big house with 2 aircon that we use mainly at night. We compared with last year at the same period (August) and it is clear that the new system is a rip-off, despite them trying to tell us otherwise. We consumed less this year yet the bill is €36.80 more for 74 Kwh less consumption al...

...though we can argue that before the bill stopped on date of issue (27th) whereas now it runs from 1st to 30th each month.

August 2020: consumption of 707 Kwh for €136,08

August 2021: consumption of 633 Kwh for €172.88

Increase of approx. 25%

Not everybody can run washing machines at night (those who live in buildings for example) and apparatus such as fridges cannot be stopped at night.

As I said, back to high bills to the levels of pre-free market, probably because Iberdrola from which a few ministers get a kickback, complained they were losing money. Prior to privatisation, we were with Iberdrola and one month, we got a bill of €700!! Their meter was broken but they never gave us a refund, stating we had used that much electricity (something like 1500 kwh!). Strangely enough, one month later they came to change the meter! Bunch of thieves all of them!

The  price  fuel has increased every where, including the uk I believe  petroleum, diesel, gas everything .  I don't . necessarily agree it is Ibdrola in fact my bill for July actually decreased from last year. Saying this all hot water and cooking is done by gas,and as an experiment we did not use the dishwasher and turned off all standby functions on tvs etc.

Roland

Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2021 4:00pm

Roland

Legendary helpful member

Posts: 3519

2581 helpful points

Location: Camposol

Joined: 23 Feb 2018

Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2021 4:00pm

@Zaza1963

Which electric supplier are you with now ??

eduardo3332

Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2021 4:27pm

eduardo3332

Super helpful member

Posts: 1570

1178 helpful points

Joined: 21 Jan 2016

Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2021 4:27pm

Roland wrote on Sun Aug 29, 2021 4:00pm:

@Zaza1963

Which electric supplier are you with now ??

I believe if you look at the previous posts you will see they are with Ibdrola and cannot change supplier as they are tenants

Sign up for free or login to reply to this topic

Want to reply to this topic? Login or register for free to post your message:

Find more Utilities topics from a particular area:


Register for free!

Login to your account

Los Alcazares car repair  service
ASSSA Insurance
Jennifer Cunningham Insurances SL
Advertise your business here
Advertise your property
Help with my computer