Have you ever thought about checking your contracted power level?
FACUA, the consumer union, is advising households to check the potencia eléctrica contratada in their homes. Many household will have a potencia which is higher than they need, meaning they’re paying for something they never use.
You see, in short:
When you sign up for a power supply, you choose a contract power level (potencia eléctrica contratada) which appears on your bill. The default level is 2.2. This is the maximum amount of power your home can draw from the national grid. Each level is charged for at a different amount, meaning that if you are on a level you never reach, you’re paying extra for something you don’t need.
FACUA says that each step up is about 52,14 €/ year for people on the TUR (tariff of last recourse), and can be higher if on a negotiated contract.
If you have one of the new electric meters (with a flashy red light) you can change your potencia for free. If you’re still on an analogue meter, you’ll be charged 10,94 euros per change. That’s the law, but some power companies won’t change you more than once a year, so get it right the first time.
Facua recommends that you add up the power consumption of all electrical units on your home that you use at the same time, and add an extra 1Kwh for lights. This is the rough approximation of your homes power needs.
They have a rough table available here.
If you were connected before 2006, you’ll probably be on one of the following tariffs:
3.3 kW, 4.4 kW, 5.5 kW, 6.6 kW, 7.7 kW, 8.8 kW o 9.9 kW
When you change, you’ll have to choose from one of the following:
1.15Kw 2.3Kw 3.45Kw 4.6Kw 5.75Kw 6.9Kw 8.05Kw 9.2Kw 10.35Kw 11.50Kw 14.49Kw
Once you’ve decided what you want, just contact your electricity supplier and change. It’s that easy!
More information:
#bájatelapotencia
Very useful – however to change up your potencia may not be free – for an older property Sevillaña argue that the cable to your house and/or the wiring in your house will need to be upgraded. So you could be in for a large bill.
Or? am I being conned?
For going up, I think you have to prove your installation will accept the added power, by presenting something called a boletin. On older houses you probably don’t have a boletin and so am electrical survey had to be carried out.
Yes, I would need a ‘boletín’, which means an inspection, which means re-wiring. Caught in a cleft-stick.
You will need a boletin and you can only upgrade to the amount that the boletin is issued for. This depends on cable size from your meter into your house and whats available in your area.
I dont know any body who HASNT been charged with a new digital meter installed in the last 6 months. TAKE NOTE