At what time of the day is electricity cheapest in Spain?
With bills still surging in Spain, knowing the most cost-effective time of day to use electrical appliances can help you make savings.
As everyone knows, electricity bills have soared in recent months. The energy market crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sent prices to record levels, with electricity costs peaking at an eye-watering €246/MWh on October 11th.
The MWh per hour price has been north of the €200 threshold for some time now, and according to Fauca, the Spanish consumer group, the average electricity bill in Spain in August increased by 70.3 percent year-on-year.
READ ALSO: 11 ways to cut costs as Spain’s electricity rates beat all-time price records
With the colder and darker months closing in and the price of everything seemingly rising, saving on electricity bills can be a big help - even if it’s just a few Euros here and there.
So, when is the best - and cheapest - time of day to use the electricity?
Timetable
Much of the answer to making savings on your electricity bill comes down to understanding Spain’s energy tariffs and taking advantage of the cheapest times of day.
The volatility of energy markets in recent months means that there are huge differences in the price of electricity depending on the time of day that you use it. The price of electricity on the market can surge or drop by as much as 30 percent in a single day, so knowing the most cost-effective time to use it can help you make big savings.
According to data from Red Eléctrica, the partly state-owned corporation which operates Spain’s national grid, the differences in the price of kilowatt hour (kWh) can be up to 20 cents depending on when exactly you use it.
The graphic below visualises the hora punta (peak time) in red, the hora llana (flat time) in yellow, and hora valle (off-peak) in green, to help you better understand when the cheapest and most expensive times of the day are.
Photo: RTVE.es
The three energy periods are:
Horas punta – peak hours (most expensive): 10-14:00h and 18-22:00h on weekdays.
Horas valle – off-peak hours (cheapest): 00-08:00h on weekdays; 24h on weekends and national holidays.
Horas llana - flat rate (intermediate tariff): From 8-10h, 14-18h and 22-24h on weekdays.
From Monday to Friday, the cheapest time to use your electrical appliances is during the flat and off-peak slots. It may not be ideal, but using your energy-intensive appliances, such as the washing machine, through the night from 00:00 to 8:00 (off-peak), or in the morning, from 8:00 to 10:00 (flat), the kWh price can be significantly lower than during peak hour.
Fortunately, weekends and holidays correspond with the off-peak time slot and there is, as a result, very little variation in prices depending on the time.
Using your energy-intensive electrical appliances over the weekend, therefore, is a good way to save on bills.
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As everyone knows, electricity bills have soared in recent months. The energy market crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sent prices to record levels, with electricity costs peaking at an eye-watering €246/MWh on October 11th.
The MWh per hour price has been north of the €200 threshold for some time now, and according to Fauca, the Spanish consumer group, the average electricity bill in Spain in August increased by 70.3 percent year-on-year.
READ ALSO: 11 ways to cut costs as Spain’s electricity rates beat all-time price records
With the colder and darker months closing in and the price of everything seemingly rising, saving on electricity bills can be a big help - even if it’s just a few Euros here and there.
So, when is the best - and cheapest - time of day to use the electricity?
Timetable
Much of the answer to making savings on your electricity bill comes down to understanding Spain’s energy tariffs and taking advantage of the cheapest times of day.
The volatility of energy markets in recent months means that there are huge differences in the price of electricity depending on the time of day that you use it. The price of electricity on the market can surge or drop by as much as 30 percent in a single day, so knowing the most cost-effective time to use it can help you make big savings.
According to data from Red Eléctrica, the partly state-owned corporation which operates Spain’s national grid, the differences in the price of kilowatt hour (kWh) can be up to 20 cents depending on when exactly you use it.
The graphic below visualises the hora punta (peak time) in red, the hora llana (flat time) in yellow, and hora valle (off-peak) in green, to help you better understand when the cheapest and most expensive times of the day are.
Photo: RTVE.es
The three energy periods are:
Horas punta – peak hours (most expensive): 10-14:00h and 18-22:00h on weekdays.
Horas valle – off-peak hours (cheapest): 00-08:00h on weekdays; 24h on weekends and national holidays.
Horas llana - flat rate (intermediate tariff): From 8-10h, 14-18h and 22-24h on weekdays.
From Monday to Friday, the cheapest time to use your electrical appliances is during the flat and off-peak slots. It may not be ideal, but using your energy-intensive appliances, such as the washing machine, through the night from 00:00 to 8:00 (off-peak), or in the morning, from 8:00 to 10:00 (flat), the kWh price can be significantly lower than during peak hour.
Fortunately, weekends and holidays correspond with the off-peak time slot and there is, as a result, very little variation in prices depending on the time.
Using your energy-intensive electrical appliances over the weekend, therefore, is a good way to save on bills.
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