Have you ever felt that you are taking on all the Spanish electric companies alone? Or that they have picked on you and they are sending ever larger electricity bills?
Well, let me tell you that you are not the only one, it happens to the majority of electricity users throughout Spain, so let’s see what alternatives we have at hand to put an end to all that.
The electricity bill for May has risen by 8% compared to previous months. After this rise, the fifth month of 2018 is characterized as the one that has had the highest cost of energy since the hourly rate arrived, back in 2014. The intense heat has not yet started, so the consumption of electric has not yet shot up, but everything points to the fact that this summer the price of electricity will be even higher. Therefore, today we dedicate this article to find ways to prevent the oscillations of the electricity market to affect our pockets.
1.Let’s start at the beginning
Do you do not have the adequate electricity rate? There are options that allow savings of more than 160 euros per year with respect to the regulated fixed rate.
The basic trick would be to freeze the cost of the kWh. Although the hourly rate is the one that is supposed to have the lowest cost, its complexity is not attractive for many customers. In addition, its main drawback is that it applies a different price to energy depending on the time and day. In short, the regulated tariff is more complex than ever.
To make things easier, the reference electric companies offer alternatives with fixed price modalities; that is, the cost of the kWh is frozen and it is maintained for 12 months. The problem is that this advantage has a negative aspect: companies set the cost a little above the current market. Since they should foresee the possible oscillations next year.
However, there is still one more alternative. If in addition to having the same amount for a whole year, we want to pay as little as possible, we must go to the options of the free market. In this case, free competition makes it easier for companies to be more aggressive with their prices. So much so that for a while cheaper rates have been offered in this sector than in the regulated one. Of course, the trick is always the same: bet on products that must be managed online, from procurement to billing. Although this may be a disadvantage for those less technological, the savings for a contracted power of 4.4 kW and an annual consumption of 3,500 kWh is more than 160 euros a year with respect to the regulated fixed tariff.
2. Let’s attack
Knowing that these options are more economical, and above all stable, it is important to make an assessment of our current situation and, more specifically, how we consume and how much we pay for it. For example, to assess if we are paying just enough, we must consider how much we spend, when we use electricity, in what appliances... Based on this, do we have the most convenient rate?
In a ballpark fashion, if we make an indiscriminate use of electricity without fixed hours, the ideal thing would be to have a fixed price electricity tariff 24 hours a day. On the other hand, if our highest consumption can be transferred at night, we will notice a good saving betting on a modality of time discrimination.
To get an idea, if we take the example of the average consumer with a power of 4.4 kW and 3,500 kWh energy consumption, with the fixed price rate 24 hours we would pay about 61 euros per month. On the other hand, if we transfer the largest volume of our consumption to the night, the bill that will arrive will start at 53 euros per month. In short, time discrimination saves almost 100 euros a year.
3. Buy energy on sale
Finally, if we want to better our electric rates, similarly to supermarkets we must be aware of recent electric companies offers. In an attempt to improve customer satisfaction, some companies launch new rates with special advantages, such as free energy during certain times of the day.
But not only they offer better rates, the last proposal is to provide energy bonds. The concept is a bit strange, because who would buy a bonus of a few kWh to consume in up to two years? Although it sounds crazy, is one of the ways to stop the oscillations of the price of electricity. But in this case you have to look carefully at the plan offered by the company, as it is personalized.
In short, the cost of energy can go up and down, but it will only affect us if we stick with the rate regulated by hours. If we want to stop being inflicted larger electricity bills, we have many ways at our reach. The main trick is to be responsible and look at the conditions in our electricity contract, because just like the PVPC (hourly rate) can distract the domestic economy for a month, choosing a fixed price modality will affect us for a whole year.
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