electricity

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We paid 132 euros connection fee for 5.75KW electricity.

We are billed every 2 months. There is a standing charge but I can't access the pdf files to tell you what it is. I also think they do read our meters which are in the communal areas of the development.

We didn't have a choice of supplier as the connection was all arranged by our developer prior to completion.

Regards

Noreen

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Hi Derek

I'm sure Iberdrola are the only electricity supplier available in Spain. At Las Kalendas you will have to pay an installation fee of about 130euros for a 5.75kW supply. We are billed every two months and the last standing charge was 18,89 + IVA plus 1,14 + IVA for meter rental. The meters are read every two months. 
I'm fairly sure you have a meter fitted at your villa on Las Kalendas.
Any reason why you did not post on the LK threads?
Dennis

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Our supplier is Portillo

Noreen

This message was last edited by nfm2862 on 8/1/2008.

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Thanks Noreen.

Hi Dennis.
I post on the general forum because i know that I'll get a reply. Meter rental? that's a good one . when you say that a meter is fitted does that mean we are connected and have a supply

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Endesa is our supplier (just down the road from Noreen!!). No choice in the matter it is who the builder decides to do a deal with for the infrastructure. We were lucky and only paid €50 for connection as our meter was already installed .

Mark

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Our supplier is HCEnergia & our builder got us onto mains electricity with them two yrs prior to us getting our LFO, how's about THAT ? We paid 216.80€ connection & we pay by DD every 2 months.

Ours is substantially more than 5.75KW, though my better half   OH says he cannot recall exactly what KW but we had a long conversation with friends on builders electricity as theirs kept cutting off when they used too many things. Our electric has never cut off.




This message was last edited by morerosado on 8/1/2008.

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Derek
I've just double checked your box and there is no meter in it for your villa - sorry for misinforming you. It is a double box and the second slot is being used for a meter supplying the phone and tv aerial sub station. You will have to check with the site office to see if you are connected to builders supply. They did all the paperwork to get us signed up with Iberdrola so I'm not sure if Spain has an organisation like USWITCH.COM where you can change supplier.

The 5.75KW is what we are contracted for, I understand there is a variety of different rates and standing charges. When we had our meter fitted we also had a 25amp mains circuit breaker fitted in the house this has caused some problems in some properties - but I'm not a sparkie and do not understand all the ins and outs of it - if the light goes on and stays on I'm happy (untill I switch it off that is!).
Dennis

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Dennis.
I did not realise you where in spain.
Circuit breakers are a good thing, people who are having issues with them should check their wiring or they may be over loading, we are over on September 6th so see you then.
Cheers Derek

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Electricity in Spain is provided by a variety of companies depending on your area.  For example Iberdrola has the monopoly over Alicante, Murcia etc.  Endesa Sevillana "owns" Andalucía.

There are a few minor exceptions, for example a village near me has a private supplier who is much easier to deal with than the big boys.  This is purely a historical arrangement - I imagine his grandfather brought the mains cable to the town and subbed out from Sevillana.  (Probably bellwire in those days!).

To be connected is not as easy as you may think, and a lot of urbanizations in Spain are still on "builder's supply" as the urbanization owners can't legalize the paperwork.

If you have a new build without electrical contract, then you will need an escritura (deeds to the property in your name), a "certificación de primer ocupación", possibly a "certificacion de empadronamiento", a "boletín" from an authorized electrician to say that he is resposible for the installation.  He will also do a lot of the legwork such as getting a company inspector down to your property.

All this doesn't come cheap, depending on how far you are from the mains.  (You also need to check that the line passing in front of your house is actually owned by the electricity company.  In rural areas, sometimes property owners pay for, say, 3km of line which is technically theirs for (if I remember correctly) 5 years.

Supply quality (once you DO get connected) is variable to say the least, and I would recommend surge protection on the distribution board.  The best and most economical way of doing this is the Cirprotec V-Check 2MB which will disconnect the supply safely when voltages exceed 268v.  This is not uncommon due to the cavalier use of three phase transformers and the loss continuity of neutral.  To explain briefly, high tension comes into a transformer (you see them at the bottom of pylons in the street or on waste ground) in the form of three phase.  i.e. three cables each carrying say 32,000v.  These are transformed down to 220v give or take.  To get a neutral, the three phases are connected together (hard to conceptualize, but true).  This works fine as long as all three phases are balanced (i.e. they have the same load).  When this does not happen, the voltages between the three phases and neutral, and the voltage of neutral change.  Further reading: wikipedia - Three-phase

This is where surge protection comes in - to protect your T.V., washing machine, etc. from burnout.

However, it is more complex than that.  Many properties in Spain have suspect earth systems (there is no company supplied earthing in Spain).  

So, you may have an earth lead on your mains socket, but where is it going to?  It could be lying in the back yard (I know of cases like this) or, at best connected to a 2m earth spike.  I'm sorry but I dont believe that solid, dry rock is a good enough conductor to give good earthing characterisics.

What I am leading on to is that many of the other makes of surge protector use the earth to function.  V Check is the only make that I have encoutered that works without the need for good earth continuity.

Is everyone asleep yet?

You can learn more from the maximeters web site.

I hope this has been of help.

Best regards
    

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I have a feeling that I have posted something like this before (but can't be bothered to look for it):

Volts x Amps = Watts or Volts x Amps / 1000 = kilo Watts  therefore 230volts (EU Std) a 25 Amps (Spanish Std) / 1000 = 5.75 kilowatts.  This is not very much, but seems to be sufficient for most Spanish.  However, since most cooking is by electric, throw in a couple of airconditioners and maybe a Fridge & TV and your main trip will take out all your electricity.  Inconvenient if its dark and you need lights!

The "standing charge" is based upon the number of amps you are allowed to draw, so if you upgrade, you will pay the extra standing charge every quarter whether you use any electricity or not.  I believe the next step up is 40amps ( 230 x 40 / 1000 = 9.2kW), which is still less than the normal 60amp UK supply, but generally sufficient for most of us.  I am told the Spanish top tariff for dwellings is based upon a 75amp breaker which would equate with 17.25 kilowatts.

I am also told that to avaoid paying the higher tarrif the Spanish change the incoming breaker unofficially (i.e. LIVE) please don't try it!

Is this any help, or just not worth thinking about when the sun's shining?

Mike

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Hi Xetog,

Yes, you are right - they charge extra per kWh for greater "potencia" as well as a greater standing charge (cheeky!).

I live in Andalucía (Sevillana Endesa country) and normally they put a 25A ICP on the board.  This equates to 5.5kW.  The steps go 2.2, 3.3, 4.4, 5.5, 6.6 equating to 10A, 15A, 20A, 25A, 30A.  

I do not know of anyone who has LEGALLY obtained more than 6.6kW on single phase, although in Murcia I gather that you can, knowing the right people, get 12.1kW.

The easy answer is:  Heat house / water with oil / gas / solar.

Cook with gas.

If you have the washing machine on, dont use the tumbler, kettle, microwave and oven at the same time.

We (family of 4) live in a very large town house with 5 bedrooms etc. etc. and we have a 10A ICP.

The best advice I can give if you have a problem of overloading your ICP is to cover things like computers with decent UPSs (Called SAIs in Spain).  These are very reasonably priced nowadays and will protect your data and hardware from spikes, brownouts, thrown breakers etc.  I have seen them in MediaMarkt for around 65€ but don't know if these are any good.  Your local P.C. shop will be able to advise.

If you have a P.C. in Spain and don't have it protected DO IT TODAY!  Go-on - go out and buy a "SAI" but check that it is up to the job for your P.C. (and printer, monitor etc.).

 

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Hi all,
At the moment our community is on builders supply for electricity, we were built
in 3 phases(even though it is one building) at the moment phase 1 and 2 are
having their electric meters fitted but loads of electrical items are blowing since
 "the so called electricians" have started to connect each meter.We are in phase 3 
so still have to be connected as yet. no one seems to know when.!!! Some of the
people here have been told that it is the builders electricians who are connecting 
everyone to the mains and fitting the meters.My questions are as follows,

1. I thought only Iberdrola could connect the electricity and meters is this correct?

2. Have Iberdrola by law got to give you so many days notice when they are going
     to connect your electric, or can they just turn up without informing people.
    
Any replies would be appreciated.

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Hi

Lots of problems with urbanizations are due to power surges.  These are due to electricians trying to connect 3 phase power supplies via transformers, and not balancing the phases, or losing neutral somewhere.

You need to protect your equipment with surge protectors or UPSs.

The electricity companies will only connect you once you have a "licencia de primer ocupación" which is issued by the town hall.  This is why so many urbanizations are on builder's supply (often a generator).

Answer 1)  If the electricity bill is not from Iberdrola (in your case), then the urbanization are re-selling electricity to you.  This is not illegal, but you should check the rate (approx 12cents/kWh excluding taxes).

Answer 2)  If Iberdrola turn up, just thank the Lord and be happy as God will be in His heaven.

 

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Hi Max,
Thanks for your anwers BUT the reason I asked  on question 2 if they just turn up
or give you notice is because we are shortly going back to england for  3 weeks
and needed to know if I have to leave my key with someone.

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Don't know about your situation in Formentera, but normally they will turn up with the electrician who signed the "boletín" - i.e. he who's orchestras are on the block if your house burns down due to an electrical fire.  In the case of an urbanization, I imagine they would go round the whole estate on the same day.

If there is someone you trust, I would leave the key as they need to get access to your incomer (ICP) which is on your distribution board.  They do not need access to the rest of your property (i.e. bedrooms etc.) if a boletín has been signed and approved.

 

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Can anyone tell me if 89 euros for two months is dear, it was for the last two months and the apartment was only occupied for 11 days out of the two months, it is two beds and two baths, we turn the electric off as we leave.

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Yes, far too high!

I have a similar property and my average bill is between 25 - 40 Euros

We don't rent it out and are there every 6 weeks or so.

Maybe this is an estimated bill?

But if it is, then is should only be estimated on previous usage.

What were your previous bills like?

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Assuming all the calculations on the bill are correct, the more significant figure would be the consumption (consumo) over the two months. My last bill was for 612 kwh and came to just under €100. We (2) live here permanently. Are you able to check your meter to verify the readings on the bills?

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We have only had our apartment since April and it's hardley used.

 

First bill July was 38 euros

next Sept 200 euros

Dec 89

 

Think we must be getting charged for the block.  I am only going by what has been taken out of our account, will check the bills when we next go out.

 

 

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