Which electricity tariff to use for charging an electric car at home in Spain
An electric car can use as much electricity at home as the rest of the house. Set up well, charging is very cheap; set up badly, the switch trips and the bill soars.
Charge in off-peak hours
On the domestic 2.0TD tariff, the off-peak period (valle) runs from 00:00 to 08:00 on weekdays and all day on Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays (mainland time). That is when energy is cheapest. Schedule charging in the car or the charger to start at midnight.
Two power levels: the trick almost nobody uses
You can contract one power level for the day and a higher one for the night. That way you raise only the off-peak power to charge the car and don't pay for extra kilowatts in expensive hours.
| Charger | Power | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Reinforced socket | about 2.3 kW | Slow charging if you drive little |
| Wallbox (16 A) | 3.7 kW | Comfortable daily overnight charging |
| Wallbox (32 A) | 7.4 kW | Large batteries or high mileage |
A charger with dynamic load management lowers the charging rate when something else switches on at home, so the switch doesn't trip and you need less contracted power.
Fixed or indexed price?
If you always charge at night, a tariff with a cheap off-peak price or an indexed one (which follows the market price, usually low in the early hours) tends to beat a single flat price. It depends on how much you charge and the rest of your usage: we calculate it from your bill.
Charger paperwork
- It must be fitted by an authorised installer, who issues a certificate.
- In a shared garage you only need to notify the community of owners beforehand; it doesn't need a vote.
- If more power is needed, we request it from your supplier with the installer's certificate.
Frequently asked questions
When is it cheapest to charge an electric car in Spain?
On the 2.0TD tariff, from 00:00 to 08:00 on weekdays and all day at weekends and on national holidays.
Do I need to raise all my power to charge the car?
No. You can contract higher power only for the off-peak period, when you charge.
Do I need the community's permission to install a charger?
It doesn't need to be approved: notifying the community of owners before installation is enough.
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