Working from home through Spanish summers and winters

Terms used

• PVPC — The PVPC is the regulated electricity price, tied to the hourly wholesale market and offered by reference suppliers.
• 2.0TD — The 2.0TD is the access tariff for homes up to 15 kW, with a power term and an energy term in time bands.
• Punta — Punta is the most expensive electricity band, on weekdays 10:00-14:00 and 18:00-22:00.
• Llano — Llano is the middle-priced electricity band on weekdays.
• Valle — Valle is the cheapest electricity band: nights, weekends and national holidays.
• ICP — The ICP is the power-limiting switch that trips when you use more than your contracted power.
• Boletín — The boletín is the electrical installation certificate, which bigger power increases may require.

Key rules

• Price bands: Weekday daytime is mostly punta or llano, while weekends and national holidays are all valle.
• Tariff: PVPC prices change hourly, and free-market offers vary by supplier, so compare before you commit.
• Contracted power: You can change it up to 15 kW by asking your supplier, but a higher power raises your monthly bill.
• Heating: A heat-pump split is the cheapest electric way to heat and also cools.

Your daytime hours are the expensive ones

Working from home means you use power in the hours when electricity costs most. Plan around the price bands, your tariff and your contracted power. The checklist below covers the steps to take.

Which tariff you are on

Most households (up to 15 kW) choose one of two kinds of contract:

• PVPC: the regulated price. It follows the wholesale market hour by hour, plus regulated charges. Only reference suppliers (comercializadoras de referencia) offer it.
• Free market: each supplier sets its own price. It may be fixed, indexed, or different by time band.

Both use the same access tariff, the 2.0TD. It has two parts:

• A power term: a fixed charge per kW of contracted power, per year, in two periods (punta-llano and valle).
• An energy term: what you pay per kWh used, in three periods (punta, llano, valle).

On top of that come electricity tax, meter rental and VAT.

There is no single fixed price per kWh. PVPC prices change hourly, and free-market offers differ by supplier. Fixed offers usually charge more in punta and less in valle, and some use one flat price. Check current prices before you choose.

The price bands

On weekdays:

All of Saturday and Sunday, and national holidays (not regional ones), are valle. For the power term, punta-llano runs 08:00-24:00 on weekdays and valle covers the rest.

Your working day sits mostly in punta and llano. Run the washing machine, dishwasher and oven outside the punta hours when you can. At weekends everything is cheap, so that is the time for heavy loads.

Cooling and heating while you are home

A typical inverter split air-conditioner for one room (2.5-3.5 kW of cooling) draws roughly 0.6-1.2 kW when running at full load. That is about 0.5-1.2 kWh per hour, and less once the room is at temperature. In heating mode it draws a similar or slightly lower amount and gives 3-4 times that in heat.

Your real use depends on the temperature you set, how well the flat is insulated, the outdoor temperature and the unit's energy label (SEER for cooling, SCOP for heating). To estimate a cost, multiply the kWh by the price in your band.

Common ways to heat a flat:

• Heat-pump split: the cheapest to run on electricity, and it also cools. It suits home working best.
• Gas boiler with radiators: gas is cheap per kWh, but you need the boiler.
• Electric radiators or oil-filled heaters: cheap to buy, costly to run.
• Butane stove: portable, but it needs ventilation because of condensation and carbon monoxide risk.

Some blocks have communal heating. Many older flats have no central heating and poor insulation, so ask about this before you rent.

Contracted power

Typical household contracted power is 3.45-5.75 kW, and 4.6 kW is common. A split unit (about 1 kW) running with an oven, induction hob, kettle and washing machine can pass that limit. When it does, the power-limiting switch (ICP) trips, and you reset it at your meter box.

To change your power, ask your supplier. It passes the request to the distributor. Within the power already installed, no technician is needed. You can go up or down, to a maximum of 15 kW. Fees are small: a distributor charge, and possible extension rights if you go above the installed capacity. Bigger rises may need a new boletín or an inspection.

Higher power raises your monthly bill, because you pay the power term per kW. Raise it only if the switch trips often, and lower it if you never come near the limit.

Checklist

• Check which tariff you are on: the regulated PVPC, with hourly prices, or a free-market offer with a fixed or indexed price.

• Compare current free-market offers on the CNMC comparator against the hourly PVPC prices on the Red Eléctrica site.

• Look at your bill for the contracted power in kW and compare it with the appliances you run at once.

• Ask your supplier to change your contracted power if the switch at your meter box trips or if you pay for power you never use.

• Add up the bill's extra costs: the power term, electricity tax, meter rental and VAT, not only the price per kWh.

Prices change, so check the current figures with the CNMC or Red Eléctrica before choosing a tariff.

Frequently asked questions

Does working from home at weekends cost less for electricity?

Yes, on a 2.0TD tariff all Saturday and Sunday hours and national holidays are charged at the cheap valle rate. Regional holidays do not count, so they are charged like a normal weekday.

How much electricity does a split air-conditioner use per hour?

A typical inverter split uses about 0.5 to 1.2 kWh per hour at full load, and less when it runs at partial load. In winter, the same unit in heating mode draws a similar or slightly lower amount but gives 3 to 4 times that in heat. That makes it the cheapest electric way to heat a room.

What happens if I run the air-conditioner and other appliances together?

The power-limiting switch (ICP) at your meter box trips if you go over your contracted power. A split of about 1 kW plus an oven, induction hob, kettle or washing machine can be enough to do it. Flip the switch back at the meter box, then spread out heavy appliances or ask your supplier about raising your power.

Can I raise my contracted power without a technician?

Yes, on a 2.0TD tariff you can usually raise it without a technician if the new power is within what your installation already allows. Ask your supplier, who passes the request to the distributor, and expect a small fee. Going above the installed capacity can add extra charges or need an inspection, and a higher power also raises your monthly bill.