Beat The Cost of Electricity in Spain By Checking Your Consumption in Real Time

Spain electricity prices are at an all-time high, and are continuing to spiral higher. Spain now has the ignoble record of having some of the highest energy prices in the EU, and consumers are seeing their bills rise on a weekly basis.

On Thursday 9th September the price of electricity peaked again (the third high-peak in as many months) and now Spanish consumers are paying up to €141.71/MWh for their electricity. This means that by the end of the year, the average Spanish homeowner will have paid 821 euros on their electricity bills: that’s 150 euros more than the national average payment in 2020, and equates to an average monthly cost increase of 68.5 per month.

For many households, this massive increase in Spain electricity cost is unmanageable, and it is important that they are able to keep an eye on how much electricity they are consuming, and the expense involved, in real-time so that they are not shocked by a big bill at the end of the month. Luckily, there are tools to enable you to do so. Here’s how you can monitor the cost of electricity in Spain by checking your consumption in real time:

Understanding Spain Electricity Prices

In order to monitor your energy consumption in real time, you will need to have both a smart meter installed in your home and a reliable internet connection. If you don’t already have a smart meter, or if your smart meter is an older traditional model, then we would advise that you replace it with a newer one. The newer smart meters transmit data that you can follow online, meaning that you can check your consumption and the cost of the electricity you’re using, in real time.

How to Set it Up

To monitor your electricity consumption, you need to visit the customer area of your electricity provider: you can do this on their website or, in some cases, the electricity provider will have an app that you can use. Not sure who your electricity provider is? Their name will be on the top of the electricity bills that you receive each month. If the provider name doesn’t appear on your monthly bill or, for whatever reason, you still don’t know who your distributor is, then you will find a CUPS (Universal Supply Point Code) number on your bill. Each code is distinct and corrresponds to a distributor. Some examples of the most common of these are below:

Nedgia ES0230
Nortegas ES0229
Redexis ES0238
Endesa ES0031
Iberdrola ES0021
Union Fenosa ES0022

Once you know your distributor, access their website, log into your account, and click the button that reads ‘online access to meter’ or ‘meter consultation’ or similar. If you don’t yet have an account with your distributor then it is very simple to set one up, and the website will provide very clear instructions on how to do so. For safety and privacy purposes, please be aware that it’s not uncommon to have to scan in a copy of your ID to prove who you are.

Once you’re into your account the rest is easy! You can see how much power you are consuming, and how much it costs, in real time, so that you can monitor your electricity spend (and switch off the lights when you go over budget!). If you’d rather not do this all online, then you can also call your electricity company at any point, and they are legally obliged to let you know what your current electricity consumption and account balance is.

Have you always dreamt of living in Spain or retiring to Spain? Whether you’re looking for golden mile properties in Marbella or bargain property ready for renovation in Andalucia, our local property experts are perfectly placed to turn your dreams into a reality. Why not get in touch to find out more about how we can help you.