Electricty Bills gone through the roof.....

My Electricty bill was about €60 every 2 Months now the last one was €96, I went down to Pilar to the Iberdrola office and they told me that there was €50 tax on the bill which sounds very high, she also said that the Spanish are broke and need the money, when I came back I asked all the other owners and they also said there Bills were very high, we live near Villamartin I was wondering is this happening all over Spain or has and other owners got high bills......

 Yes we had the same thing, we have a place in Playa Flamenca. The standing charge has doubled over the last year due to normal increases ! vat increases and some other tax increase. Our bills now are about 110 euros every 2 months  even with the power switch off at the board.

Regards JD

 There was also a one off charrge end of 2012 for the period October 2011 to March 2012 that the government allowed the electric companies to re-coup cost of electric that was undercharged. - presume this is what they referred to as a tax.

Juan

 I've been experiencing the same problem for the last few months with monthly bills averaging 100 Euros. It would be interesting to have some idea of whether the increases are across the board or whether the electricity companies are targetting specifically the properties of "wealthy"  Norther European expats on the understanding that they will not complain because, among other reasons, would find the process to do so too complicated. If I'm wrong and the locals are also getting these extorsionist increases, how on earth can many of them afort to eat after paying their electricity bills?

Perhaps it is time to start a protest by signing a petition, either to the electricity companies themselves, or by putting pressure on the Spanish goverment to make it possible for other gas an electricity providers from othe EU contries to enter the market and this create more competition.

 The prices for electricity and standing charges are listed on the website for the utility company.  I haven't yet seen one that says "expats and Northern European" rates as opposed to "indigineous Spanish" rates.  Sorry, but fuel charges have gone up everywhere.  It is now more expensive in UK per kwh used but there is only 5% VAT there instead of 21% IVA.  Our bills have gone up from around 80 euros a month to 100 euro a month on average in the last few months.  Mains gas is installed in the main cities and the Costa Blanca is having an extensive mains gas network installed at the moment.  Some towns have already signed up to these contracts..  

Deregulaion for electric started in Spain in 2009 so it would be pointless pressuring the Spanish government as they have already done it.  That the companies haven't taken it up as they have done in UK is not the government's fault.

Apparently the average (if there is an average, of course) cost for electric and gas in a 3 bed semi in UK is now £1,250 a year.  That (using last months exchange rate) is around 1500 euro or 125 euro a month.  Of course, gas is so much cheaper in UK (about 30% of the electricity price) whereas we don't have much choice here and most of us are all electric.  Recent rises in gas in UK have added about £110 per year to the price and electricity another £

But if you only have a holiday home and turn the electric off when you are not here, then check with the supplier if your bill is in excess of 30 euros for 2 months.  You may be on the wrong tariff which can easily be changed.  

Hi..

Im in Rojales , I have a holiday home for which for the past  8 years Im there four to five times a year for a week or so,

When Im not in Spain my house stays empty  the electricity is switched off at the fuse box.. and my standing charge from Iberdrola is between 12 and 14 Euros a month ...(2013).....Over the last 60 months of standing charge..works out 13 euros standing charge per month.

Hope this helps

What I can't understand is that my bill for €93 there was over €50 tax that's sounds crazy, but as the lady down in Pilar said the government are in a bad way and need the money....the Iberdrola tax was quiet small but the government tax was huge. All my friends living near me are really upset over the huge increase in costs, I even checked my reading and it was the same as the bill. Spain are in a bad way and do they expect the English and Irish help them get out of the huge hole they are in......

If you look at an Iberdrola bill there is a pie-chart. It shows the make up of your bill. The average tax/standing costs  amount of a normal bill is between 43-47%. If you are a low user the tax/standing costs amount can be in excess of 50%.

My average bill over the past 10 month is 62 euros a month.

My last two bills (actual readings not estimates) were for 62 euros and 64 euros.