Originally Posted by Heidi Rebecca (Post 7126247)

I live in Torrevieja. i thought that it must be a national thing as i have friends in Benidorm that have experienced the same thing. i find it very odd that they can just alter the system without notifying their clients!!!

Originally Posted by Heidi Rebecca (Post 7126247)

I live in Torrevieja. i thought that it must be a national thing as i have friends in Benidorm that have experienced the same thing. i find it very odd that they can just alter the system without notifying their clients!!!

Originally Posted by spainboy (Post 7177093)

Yes this has now happened to me.

This is what I cant understand. I wonder if anyone can explain this to me.

Normally my Bi monthly bills are between 115 euros and 140 euros depending on the time of the year but in 5 years in this house my bill has never been over 150euros.
My last Bi monthly bill was on the 12th December and so the next one I should be expecting is 12th Feb 2009 however I have just looked on my online banking and a Bill dated 12th January(one month after my last bill) is for 89euros so how the hell have they worked it out to be 89euros? Ive hardly used any electric this month and taken on when I normally use it should be around about half my bi Monthly statement (**between 115 and 140 euros divided by half) so a bill of say 60-65 euros is what I would use a month.

Does this mean to say because 89 euros came out then I would now be paying in excess of 180euros every 2 months on average????

I dont get where they got the figure of charging me 89 euros for one months electric.!!!!!!

ps I live in Benidorm. I have never had a meter reading infact no one here does a meter reading but my bi monthly bill has never been the same. its always more in winter cos i use heaters but to be fair I havent had the need for a heater yet.

Any ideas?

Originally Posted by Jerezgirl (Post 7127540)

To be fair, it was plastered all over the national news and press. It wasn't exactly kept a secret.!

Originally Posted by snikpoh (Post 7177780)

I asked Ibedrola about this and they said that not everyone was going to monthly billing!

Originally Posted by John & Kath (Post 7177222)

Electricity prices in Spain have gone up even more sharply than UK.

Originally Posted by Fred James (Post 7178908)

No true. In the UK the rises have been over 20% in some areas - its nothing like that in Spain.

The difference is that the Spanish government refuse to allow the electricity companies to have the rises that they want.

Originally Posted by spainboy (Post 7179946)

I have just asked a series of people in the uk how much they pay for electric on average and most of them pay no more than 40 quid a month.Lets remember you tend to use more electric back home too with tumble dryers and perhaps heating. I would be over the moon if I only paid 40 quid a month in Spain and we hardly use any electric.
Its definately dearer here.

Originally Posted by Fred James (Post 7180029)

Usage in the UK and Spain is very different. Heating in the UK is mainly oil or gas, in Spain electricity is a more common form of heating.

It also depends on usage. The meter charges in Spain are high and in the UK most deals do not have a monthly charge.

If you look at the basic cost of electricity in terms of the cost per unit, the UK is more expensive than Spain mainly because of the very high price rises in the UK which did not happen to the same extent in Spain due to government intervention.

The same happened in France. The French energy company, EDF, had their rises controlled by the French government but they were able to increase the cost of the same electricity, supplied to EDF in the UK, by over 20%.

If you want to make an accurate comparison based on your personal situation, go to any of the UK electricity price comparison sites and put in the details of your unit consumption in Spain and then see what it would cost you in the UK.

Originally Posted by spainboy (Post 7180265)

Can i ask a question?

my hot water heater is electric and I have the standard spanish water boiler in the kitchen and I leave it on constantly.Is this the cheapest way to do this rather than turn it off when you dont need the hot water?
I remember as a child in the 70s we used to have immersion heaters to heat the boiler up in the airing cupboard and whenever we had baths we used to switch it on 30 mins before hand but switched it off when you had finished.

Originally Posted by spainboy (Post 7180292)

you see I dont know where my meter is.Its not in the house so Ive no idea how i can check

Originally Posted by spainboy (Post 7180355)

Ive never seen it on the wall outside.Ive been in this house 3 years now and ive never seen it unless its hiding somewhere.Which places are they likely to be?

Originally Posted by spainboy (Post 7180406)

No its a house. Well its a big house split into 4 smaller houses.2 at the front and 2 at the back.typical spnish type house on an estate.
i never get bills either.My landlord 10 doors away must get all our facturas.