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ELECTRICITY

The cheapest rates Spain’s electricity companies don’t want you to know about

Finding a cheaper tariff is one of the best ways to counteract skyrocketing electricity bills, but a leading consumer watchdog has warned Spain’s electricity providers are not always open to telling customers about the best deal they can get.

Published: 23 September 2022 09:57 CEST
Updated: 22 October 2022 09:56 CEST
cheapest rates electricity spain
Finding the more affordable rates can be difficult to do, and often Spanish electricity companies make them deliberately difficult to get hold of. Photo: Colin Behrens/Pixabay

Like in many parts of the world, inflation triggered by the war in Ukraine has made the energy market incredibly volatile and sent household electricity bills soaring in Spain. The average bill reached €158 in August, an eye-watering increase of over 60 percent compared to 2021.

To give you some idea of just how much prices have risen in Spain, in August of 2020 the average electricity bill was €64, in 2021 it was €93, and in August 2022 €158.

According to recent figures from Eurostat, electricity bills in Spain have risen eight times more than in France and four times more than in Germany. Whereas the average Spanish household paid 60 percent more in August compared to 2021, in France it rose by just 7.7 percent and in Germany 16.6 percent.

The Spanish government has tried various methods to ease the burden on households. In June the tax (IVA) on electricity bills was cut from 21 percent to 10 percent, and then it was quickly reduced again from 10 percent to 5. The European Commission agreed to cap gas used for power generation at €40 per megawatt-hour known as the ‘Iberian Exception’, with the price limit projected to average out at €50 over the coming 12 months.

READ MORE: Spain to cut electricity tax by half to ease inflation pain 

The Spanish government predicted the measure — which will be in effect until May 31st 2023 — would lead to a reduction in household energy prices of up to 20 percent, yet it has done little to limit the rise of electricity bills so far.

READ MORE:

Unsurprisingly, many Spaniards are now seeking ways to cut down on their bills, whether it be by using the washing machine at certain times to take advantage of off-peak hours, or limiting their use of air-conditioning.

Another method of saving on electricity costs is finding cheaper tariffs.

Yet finding the more affordable rates can be difficult to do, and often the electricity companies make them deliberately difficult to get hold of. That’s according to Spain’s Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU), which have identified some of the cheapest tariffs on the market today. 

Understanding peak and off-peak

Spanish electricity companies offer different prices depending on the time of day you use your electrical appliances. The tariffs are often broken down into hora punta (peak time), hora llana (flat time), and hora valle (off-peak).

If you live in Spain, this is why you might’ve heard the incessant spinning of washing machines through the night in recent months. Nowadays many people simply wait until the weekend, when the tariffs are always off-peak.

So, if you’re thinking about switching, which are some of the best electricity rates you can find in Spain?

Repsol Tarifa Largo Plazo

According to the OCU, the Repsol Tarifa ‘Largo Plazo’ can only be found via this link, because the offer is actually hidden on the Repsol website. And for good reason, too. The Repsol tariff is among the best offers the  market in terms of price per kWh consumed, although the power for off-peak time is a little more than some of the other offers on the list.

The tariff is non-permanent, with a fixed price rate for 3 years.

kWh Prices

Price per kWh consumed: €0.17/kWh.

Peak hours: €29.90 per kW.
Off-peak hours: €29.90 per kW.

Iberdrola Online Plan

The Iberdrola Online Plan, which you can find here, is only available until September 30th, so be sure to take advantage of it as soon as possible.

Using Iberdrola’s online tool, you can select a kW rate and it will give you price estimates for the different values. If you’re environmentally minded, Iberdrola’s Online Plan claims to use 100 percent green electricity, so you can enjoy renewable energy and reduce your CO2 emissions.

There’s also 14 hours of savings during the night up until mid-morning.

This plan is only for customers who take out the contract online, as the name suggests, and features entirely electronic billing.

kWh Prices

Price per kWh consumed: €0.159353 + metered gas cost (in August €0.161529 /kWh).
Price per kW contracted during peak hours (fixed term): €30.66747.
Price per kW contracted during off-peak hours (fixed term): €4.104338. 

Not the prices will be revised in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) on January 1st. 

Octopus Energy

Octopus Energy tariffs are not permanent and is all done online, which allows you the flexibility to move around again in the future if you come across a better offer. Octopus offer two fixed prices:

Octopus 3: price per kWh consumed during peak hours is 0.254 €/kWh; at flat time 0.209 €/kWh; and at off-peak hours 0.185 €/kWh.

Octopus Relax: price per kWh consumed of 0.212 €/kWh.

kWh Prices (both Octopus tariffs) 

Peak hours (fixed term): €32.85.
Off-peak hours (fixed term): €6.57.

Iberdrola Special Plan

The Iberdrola Special Plan offers a 15 percent discount during the first year, and its kWh prices for both on and off-peak are competitive with other cheaper tariffs.

kWh Prices

Price per kWh consumed: €0.178662 (minus the 15 percent extra discount) but plus a gas metering cost (which in August was €0.161529/kWh.)

Peak hours (fixed term): €30.52381
Off-peak hours (fixed term): €3.512901

Endesa ‘One Luz’ Tariff 

Endesa is currently offering the ‘One Luz’ tariff, which offers a 10 percent discount on consumption and an additional 10 percent reduction throughout the first year.

kWh Prices

Price per kWh consumed: €0.189 (plus the 10 percent +10 percent discount) + the metered gas cost (which in August was €0.161529/KWh).

Peak hours (fixed term): €33.86.

Off-peak hours (fixed term): €7.9973

Total Energies

Another interesting option is Total Energies, who offer entirely personalised pricing plans. Basically, Total Energies want to attract your business by outdoing your current rate. In order to receive a quote and see how it stacks up against your current provider, you simply upload a copy of your current bill to the website and Total Energies make an offer, often bettering your current rate.

If they make an offer, Total Energies promise a discount lasting for 4 years, although the price on which the discount is fixed is only valid for 12 months.

READ MORE: 11 ways to cut costs as Spain’s electricity rates beat all-time price records

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TAXES

How foreigners in Spain’s capital can pay less tax with the new Mbappé Law

The regional government of Madrid is finalising the approval of the so-called Mbappé Law, a very favourable new personal income tax regime for foreigners who settle and invest in the Spanish capital.

Published: 23 April 2024 16:44 CEST
How foreigners in Spain's capital can pay less tax with the new Mbappé Law

Similar to Spain’s Beckham Law, introduced in 2005, this piece of legislation is named after a famous footballer who will be the first to benefit from lower tax rates, as will other foreigners in Madrid.

Kylian Mbappé is a French footballer who currently plays for Paris Saint-Germain, but looks set to sign for Real Madrid this summer.

The objective of the right-wing Madrid government of Isabel Díaz Ayuso is to attract more foreign investment to the region with beneficial fiscal rates.

READ ALSO – Beckham Law: What foreigners need to know about Spain’s special tax regime

Unlike the Beckham though, the Mbappé Law is only designed to benefit foreigners who move to the region of Madrid, it’s not open to those who want to move elsewhere in Spain.

Also unlike the Beckham law, foreigners will only be able to reap the rewards of the Mbappé Law if they invest money into the region. This could be in the form of investments in companies or in vehicles, but it cannot include investments in property.

Specifically, applicants will be able to deduct 20 percent of all the money they invest in the Madrid region.

The law applies to regional personal income tax, which accounts for approximately half of entire tax payments in Spain, since the other part corresponds to the State’s collection.

Normally, a foreigner like Mbappé will be taxed in the highest income bracket, as they will earn well over €300,000 gross per year.

When the law is finally approved however, Mbappé could avoid paying the regional income tax entirely, in the event that 20 percent of his Madrid investments represent the same amount that he would have had to pay in taxes on his salary.

READ ALSO: Why you should move to this region in Spain if you want to pay less tax

How will the Mbappé Law work?

For example, if Mbappé earned €40 million gross (not his actual salary), he would normally be charged €18 million in personal income tax.

Of this, 24.5 percent would correspond to the state tax, and this would have to be paid as normal. This means the state would collect €9.8 million from him in tax.

The change happens with the rest of the tax – the regional tranche. If he doesn’t make any investments, which now seems unlikely, he would have to pay €8.2 million in tax to Madrid.

If on the other hand the French superstar invested €40 million in Spanish companies or state bonds – he could deduct €8 million, which represents 20 percent of that amount.

This would mean that Mbappé’s tax rate would remain at 24.5 percent, a marginal rate that is slightly higher than the personal income tax for a worker who earns €20,000 and receives around €1,300 net per month.

As a percentage, of course, the amounts in Mbappé’s case are going to be huge. So, instead of paying €18 million in total, he would only pay €9.8 million.

Overall, this legislation signals that Madrid will become even more attractive to foreign investors.

By contrast, those who move to Catalonia will have to pay 25.50 percent in regional income tax, which added to the 24.5 percent of the state tax would increase personal income tax by half. So as a Real Madrid player Mbappé would earn €30.2 million, but if he signed for Barça he would pocket €20 million.

What’s the catch?

There are a few caveats to the new law, which primarily depend on how long you stay in Madrid. The new regulations establish that you have to stay and live in Madrid for a total of six years. If you leave before those six years are up, then you will be forced to return part of the tax savings you made.

What does this mean for Madrid?

The regional government of Madrid estimates that 30,000 foreign investors could choose to move to the region specifically in order to benefit from the new law and that it will cost the public coffers €60 million per year.

The idea is that Madrid will continue to attract foreign investment. Madrid’s leader Isabel Díaz Ayuso recently claimed that: “Two out of every three euros that arrive in Spain as an investment from abroad do so in projects that are developed within the Community of Madrid. In the last decade, the flow of investments has doubled”.

Madrid already has some of the best tax incentives in Spain. Residents pay less tax on their income, assets, inheritance and property transactions and conditions are beneficial to high-income earners in particular.

Financial experts agree that Madrid is among, if not the top region, with the most lenient tax system in the country, and when the Mbappé law comes into force, the region will benefit from even more incentives.

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