RobRTID

We have just bought a 2 bedroom apartment in the Los Camaleones development and need to contract for energy. They have given us 2 options 4.6kw & 5.75kw, so I need to know if this is sufficient. We are there approx 5-10 days per month, (longer in the summer) mostly 2 people but our 3 kids sometimes join us We have aircon connected and it's a new build, so any advice anyone has would be greatly appreciated? TY!

spainrico

To be honest I would have thought that is like 'How long is a piece of string'

Surely it depends on what electrical appliances you have and plan to use ie water heater, heating, kettles etc...I don't think duration of occupancy is relevant but how/what you use together

If you have a lot of heavy-use items (like the above items) then get the biggest and be sure it won't trip.

snikpoh

I would go for 5.75kW as the cost differential is minimal and (as a Brit) you shouldn't trip the system. I say Brit as we tend to use powerful items like kettle, hoovers which the Spanish tend not to.

That's what we have in our villa which has a/c, water heater, over, hob, microwave, kettle, pool pump, 2 fridge-freezers, chest freezer plus two rented apartments using 'stuff'"

RobRTID

Thanks, yes we have the usual, stuff water heater, aircon, kettle, washing machine, fridge freezer etc There is no pool to heat, so that should keep the usage lower, but like you say, how long is a piece of string.

RobRTID

Great thanks, we have no pool to heat, hence why we seem to be stuck between the 2 options, the aircon company say 4.6kw will be enough, but that's all the advice we have managed to get so far. Appreciate your input here

Barriej

We have 5.something in the flat and it still trips depending on what's on and when.
If we have all three A/C units on and the washing machine and kettle are running, if I switch the stereo stuff on it trips....
You just turn something off wait the 10 or so seconds and back comes the power.... I think the old 1960's tube amp may be the reason for the trip...

Wintertime with the oven, two rings on the cooker, and the A/C on heat and the water heater switching almost anything else trips the power........

Its just a fact of life here and you get used to it....

bobd22

We don't live in an apartment but a small village house. We don't have aircon but have normal electric appliances and electric water heater. We have 5.75 potencia and it works fine. That said I have the water heater on a timer and it comes on once through the night to take advantage of cheaper electric and when only other thing on is the Fridge/Freezer. It is set to heat up again sort of mid afternoon. I found initially if I had the water heater heating around tea time it would trip. Reason was cooking evening meal at same time maybe washing machine would be on etc. Main thing I found that would lead to it tripping at these times was switching on the kettle, it just took it over. As I say sorted by adjusting timing of water heater heating water. Now all is fine no tripping. I would recommend going for the 5. 75 cost saving by going lower to me isn't worth the hassle.

RobRTID

Great thank you that's really helpful

Retired in Euskadi

I'd say go for the higher one, as Snikpoh said.
We have no aircon needed here n the north, but at 4.6kw if we have all 3 hob rings on as well as the oven for a roast dinner, it trips.
If you had the lower kw & then found you wanted to upgrade, that will cost you. They don't do it for free!

Lynn R

I agree with that. I live in a 2 bed apartment and have 5.75 potencia. I have still managed to trip the supply occasionally, and the kettle is usually the culprit (they tend to use at least 3kw these days which doesn't leave much for other appliances).

snikpoh

remember that Spanish appliances are rated lower than UK ones for just this reason

bfg69bug

My parents town house still runs 2.2kw, and has hardly ever tripped.

You get used to not using everything at once, hes got gas water heating, but an electric hob, microwave, kettle, washing machine, as well as the TV, stereo, fridges and lights.

If the washing machine is going, don't boil the kettle or cook lunch.

If there's only a very small difference in the standing charge, go for the higher 5.75 kw right away. If its double the price, stick to the 4.6 kw

VFR

It was standard practice in older property’s to get the electrician to put a much higher fuse in the supply so you could use a good deal more than the contracted supply.

snikpoh

now been stopped by the introduction of an ICP and more recently by smart meters

bobd22

Yes that was our experience. When we bought our house we had the old style electric box withoout ICP the potencia was 4.? It worked fine never tried. However to obtain the supply contract with endesa we had to have new box with ICP fitted. We found after that even with potencia a little higher it could trip. Hence timer switch for heating water heater to ensure it would be on when little else was. Don't forget electric water heaters are basically huge kettles so draw a lot of electric .

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