Hola Fred,

I have followed your posts on economising on electricity costs for several years and also the various methods you use.

So to follow in your footsteps I decided to install a dual tariff meter from the start informing first my Architect then the builder (who was arranging the connection) and then yesterday the Endessa authorised contractor who came with the meter to do the installation. All point blank turned their face against the proposal and I have ended up with a single tariff meter which will no doubt cost me extra to change.

I am sure you have posted that if you run your pool pump, dishwasher, washing machine etc. overnight 12pm to 12 noon you will make savings with a dual fuel meter.

The man from Endessa said I would have to have two separate meters and that would cost more than the saving.

Is the White Meter system in Spain the same as UK ie one meter with 2 electronic readouts that alternate and does the night time rate extend from 10pm to 10am?

Are the daytime rates on the dual meter so high that you need to use a huge amount overnight to make a saving?

Or is just that it is a new concept to the Spanish and we have always done it that way (one meter one tariff) that to suggest something new/different is just a step too far?

Thanks in anticipation John.

Hi John

I think they are giving you the run around for reasons best known to themselves - they probably didn't have the correct meter at the time!

The power companies are pushing the new Tarifa Ahora - aka the old night tariff.

You pay 20% more during the peak period and nearly 50% less off peak. The off peak period is now 14 hours from 10pm to 12 noon (one hour later in summer).

It is almost impossible to not save money especially as the penalty charge of an additional 25% on all units over 500/month does not apply to this tariff.

Unless they have changed the system, it uses a single meter with two readouts which are switched by a separate clock unit housed in the meter box.

We are heavy users - about 13000 units/year and we save about €700 by using this tariff.

There is detailed info at http://www.endesaonline.es/ES/Hogare...urna/index.asp

Thanks for that link Fred have followed it up and have found that I can change my new meter to dual tariff for just 10€ for the installation of the time clock alongside the meter.

Next question is how do I register to monitor and inform Endessa of what my meter is doing, I don't want to get caught as so many have by these "estimated" readings every other month. Where did you get your energy use monitor? You can buy them in UK for about £40 but I guess they will be programmed wrong for the Spanish market.

John.

You can register on the Endesa site and enter your meter readings if you are concerned about the estimated readings. You can also phone the reading to their help line. Apart from the well documented problems at the end of last year, the chances of a seriously wrong estimated reading is very small and as you will not be subject to the "penalty" tariff I would not worry about it.

I'm not sure what you mean by an "energy use monitor". I know how much i have used on each rate from the meter readings.

Your post 12 on this thread you describe it as an "Energy use Meter".

Ah yes - now I remember. It's a small plug in unit that measures the consumption of anything that is plugged into it.

I bought it in Lidl in Spain but you can get them in the UK - try Maplins. It was €10. A UK one will work OK in Spain.