Your Spanish electricity bill explained, line by line

Updated on 13/10/2026 · Voltaris, independent energy advisers in Spain

Spanish electricity bills are confusing even for Spaniards. If you've moved here from abroad, the layout, the vocabulary and the way prices work are all different from what you're used to. This guide walks through the bill in the order you'll find it.

The two halves of every bill

A Spanish electricity bill has a fixed part and a variable part, and you pay both:

• Potencia (power term): a daily charge for the capacity you have contracted, in kilowatts (kW). You pay it whether you use any electricity or not, which matters a lot for holiday homes.
• Energía (energy term): what you actually consumed, in kilowatt-hours (kWh).

Many people only look at the kWh price. In a home that is empty for part of the year, the potencia is often the bigger cost.

Potencia contratada: the limit on your supply

Your potencia contratada is the maximum you can draw at the same moment. Go over it and the power trips. Typical homes sit between 3.45 and 5.75 kW.

If you never trip the supply, even with the oven, air conditioning and washing machine on together, you may be paying for more capacity than you need. Lowering it is a paperwork change and reduces the fixed part of every bill.

Time bands: punta, llano and valle

Homes are on an access tariff called 2.0TD, which splits the day into three bands on the mainland:

Weekends and national holidays are off-peak all day. Your bill shows how many kWh you used in each band, usually labelled P1, P2 and P3. Whether those bands affect your energy price depends on your tariff: some charge a single price all day.

The other lines

• Impuesto sobre la electricidad: the electricity tax, a little over 5% of the energy and power charges.
• Alquiler de equipos de medida: meter rental, under one euro a month for a home.
• IVA: VAT at 21%, applied to everything above.
• Servicios / otros conceptos: optional extras such as maintenance or assistance plans. Check these carefully: they are not part of your supply and many customers don't realise they are paying for them.

CUPS: the number that identifies your supply

The CUPS is a 20 or 22-character code starting with ES. It identifies the supply point, not you and not the company. It stays the same when you change supplier and when a property changes hands. You will be asked for it for any change to the contract.

Supplier and distributor are not the same company

• The distribuidora owns the cables and the meter in your area. You cannot choose it.
• The comercializadora is the company that bills you. You can change it whenever you like.

That is why switching supplier never involves an engineer visit or a power cut: the physical supply does not change, only who sends the bill.

Regulated tariff or free market

There are two ways to buy electricity for a home:

• PVPC, the government-regulated tariff. The price changes every hour following the wholesale market. It is only available up to 10 kW of potencia.
• Mercado libre, the free market. Each supplier sets its own prices: fixed, fixed by time band, or indexed. This is where discounts, lock-in periods and add-on services appear.

Neither is always cheaper. It depends on how much you use, when you use it, and whether you prefer a predictable bill.

Things that catch newcomers out

• Estimated readings. If the bill says lectura estimada, it is not based on your real consumption and will be corrected later.
• Bills in a previous owner's name. After buying a property, change the contract holder (cambio de titular). It is free and avoids problems later.
• Permanencia. Some free-market contracts have a minimum term with a penalty for leaving early. It must be stated in the contract.
• Empty-home costs. A property used a few weeks a year still pays the full power term every day.

How switching supplier works

You sign with the new supplier and they handle the switch with the old one. You need the bill, your NIE or passport details as contract holder, and a bank account for the direct debit. There is no interruption to your supply and nothing is installed.

Frequently asked questions

What is potencia contratada on a Spanish electricity bill?

It is the maximum power, in kW, that your home can draw at one time. You pay a fixed daily charge for it regardless of how much electricity you use.

What are the off-peak hours for electricity in Spain?

On the standard 2.0TD home tariff on the mainland, off-peak (valle) runs from midnight to 8:00 on weekdays and all day on weekends and national holidays.

Will my power be cut off if I switch electricity supplier in Spain?

No. Switching supplier is an administrative change. The cables and the meter belong to the distributor and stay the same, so the supply is not interrupted.