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Your electricity bill

The anatomy of a Spanish electricity bill

By Linus Palmqvist, Head of Operations Reviewed by Simon Nilsson Last reviewed

Your first Spanish bill has more lines than you expect and half of them are in Spanish. This page walks through a real one, line by line, so you know what you are paying for and what to check before you change anything.

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A home in Spain with an active electricity supply

The bill, line by line

Hover over a number, or tap it on your phone. Every line is explained in the panel.

MUESTRAIllustrative sample. The amounts are made up to show the layout, not what you will pay.

Lumejara EnergíaComercializadora de electricidad

FACTURA DE ELECTRICIDAD

Nº factura: EJEMPLO-2026-001

Fecha de emisión: 01/07/2026

Periodo de facturación:
01/06/2026 - 30/06/2026 · 30 días

Titular y dirección de suministro

Alex Ejemplo

Calle Inventada, 12, 2º A · 28000 Madrid

Datos del contrato

Tarifa de acceso: 2.0TD

Plan: Hogar Tres Periodos

CUPS
ES0000000000000000AA0F

Potencia contratada
P1: 3,45 kWP2: 3,45 kW

Fin de contrato: 30/06/2027

Resumen de la factura

45,30 €

Energía 24,50 € · Potencia 10,35 € · Impuestos y otros 10,45 €

Fecha de cargo: 08/07/2026 IBAN: ES** **** **** **** **** 0000

Detalle de la factura

Concepto / cálculoImporte
Término de potencia10,35 €
P1: 3,45 kW × 0,08 €/kW/día × 30 días8,28 €
P2: 3,45 kW × 0,02 €/kW/día × 30 días2,07 €
Término de energía24,50 €
P1 · punta: 40 kWh × 0,20 €/kWh8,00 €
P2 · llano: 50 kWh × 0,15 €/kWh7,50 €
P3 · valle: 90 kWh × 0,10 €/kWh9,00 €
Peajes y cargos incluidos en estos términos.
Alquiler de equipos de medida0,81 €
Impuesto sobre la electricidad34,85 € × 5,11269632 %1,78 €
Subtotal37,44 €
IVA 21 %Base imponible: 37,44 €7,86 €
TOTAL45,30 €

Información del consumo

Lecturas reales · kWh

Anterior → actual = consumo

P1 · punta1040 → 1080 = 40

P2 · llano2080 → 2130 = 50

P3 · valle3120 → 3210 = 90

Consumo total: 180 kWh

Distribuidora y averías

Red Lumejara

Teléfono de averías
900 ··· ···

Origen de la energía

Mezcla de fuentes de generación

Lumejara Energía · Sociedad de ejemplo · Registro mercantil: datos de muestra

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Amounts are made up to show the layout. Your bill will use your own readings and rates.

1. Invoice number and dates

Two dates matter. The issue date is when the bill was made. The billing period is the days you are paying for. If you moved in mid-month, the first period is often short or oddly long.

2. Holder and supply address

This should be your name and the flat you actually live in, floor and door included. If it still shows the previous occupant, the contract has not been moved to you yet.

3. CUPS

The supply point code. It belongs to the home, not to you or the retailer, and it stays the same when either changes. You will need it for almost any request.

4. Contracted power (potencia)

How much electricity the home can draw at once, in kW. You pay for it every day whether you use any electricity or not. Most flats run fine on a low setting; a house with a pool pump or electric heating needs more.

5. Power and energy charges

Power is the standing part: kW times a daily rate times the days. Energy is what you used: kWh times the rate for each period. Grid tolls and system charges are usually baked into these lines, not added on top.

6. Meter rental

A small monthly charge for the meter, which you rent from the distributor. It is separate from the electricity it measures.

7. Electricity tax

A tax on the power and energy charges, before VAT. The rate is set nationally and printed on the bill. It is not your retailer's fee.

8. VAT and total

VAT is added last, on the subtotal that already includes the electricity tax and the meter rental. That is why VAT on a bill is more than 21% of your energy alone.

9. Meter readings

Previous reading, current reading, and the difference is what you used, per period. 'Real' means someone read the meter. 'Estimada' means the retailer guessed. An estimated first bill is worth querying.

10. Distributor and faults

Your retailer sends the bill. The distributor owns the cables and the meter and is who you call when the power goes off. Its fault number is printed here.

When electricity costs more

On the standard household tariff the day is split into three periods. Peak is the expensive one. Off-peak is the whole night and all weekend. Your contract decides whether the price actually changes between them, so check that before you start running the dishwasher at midnight.

P1 · Punta

10:00-14:00 and 18:00-22:00

Peak energy period.

P2 · Llano

08:00-10:00, 14:00-18:00 and 22:00-24:00

Shoulder energy period.

P3 · Valle

00:00-08:00

Off-peak energy period.

Weekdays, excluding qualifying holidays

P3
P2
P1
P2
P1
P2
00:0024:00

Weekends and qualifying holidays

P3 · Valle · 00:00-24:00

All Saturday and Sunday hours are valle, as are 6 January and qualifying national holidays. The rule excludes substitutable holidays and holidays without a fixed date; local holidays do not automatically qualify.

Ceuta and Melilla run one hour later on weekdays.

Figures as of . Source: CNMC.

Worth running off-peak

  • dishwasher
  • washing machine
  • water heater
  • EV charging
  • pool pump

Just moved in? Read this before you panic

First bills are odd. The usual reasons:

  • The billing period does not match a normal month.
  • The power setting was chosen by the previous occupant, not you.
  • The readings are estimated, not read.
  • The tariff was never picked; you inherited whatever was there.
  • A maintenance or insurance add-on is riding along on the bill.

Putting the contract in your name is the first step. The power setting and the tariff stay as they were until you change them, so review both once the holder change is confirmed. Here is how a holder change works.

Is my bill expensive?

The Spanish household average, taxes included:

0.2669 €/kWh

Figures as of . Source: Eurostat.

Household band DC (2,500-4,999 kWh/year), all taxes and levies included, second half of 2025. Dataset updated 12 Aug 2026.

Compare your own bill in three steps

  1. Take the total for the period, taxes included. Leave out any add-on services.
  2. Divide by the kWh on the bill for the same period.
  3. Compare that number with the average above. Low use makes the standing charges weigh more, so a small flat often lands above the average without anything being wrong.

If yours is well above and you use a normal amount, the power setting or the tariff is usually the reason.

Sorting the electricity, with Settlewell

If the bill in your hand is not yours yet, or the setup looks wrong, we can take it from here in English.

An electricity meter and consumer unit in a Spanish home

What Settlewell handles

We compare the supported providers for your address and set up a suitable one.

  • Compare supported providers for the address
  • Set up the contract in your name
  • Explain the first bill when it arrives
Start in English
Leo and our team help you compare and set up in English

Spanish words on the bill

Potencia contratada
The power you have available, in kW. Charged daily.
Término de energía
What you used, in kWh, times the rate.
Peajes y cargos
Grid tolls and system charges. Usually inside the lines above.
CUPS
The code for the supply point. Stays with the home.
Comercializadora
The retailer. Sends the bill.
Distribuidora
The grid company. Fixes outages.
Punta / llano / valle
Peak, shoulder and off-peak hours.
Lectura real / estimada
A real reading, or a guess.
Impuesto sobre la electricidad
Electricity tax, before VAT.
Alquiler del contador
Meter rental.
PVPC
The regulated tariff. Only from reference retailers.
Compensación de excedentes
A credit for solar electricity you export.
Settlewell helping an international resident arrange electricity in Spain in English

Settlewell can handle the setup in English

Tell us about the property, documents and language needs. We help compare supported providers, prepare the setup and keep the process understandable. We can help with the rest of your move too: gas, water, internet, home insurance and alarms.

Start with Settlewell
Leo and our team help you compare and set up in English

Electricity bill: common questions

Still have questions?

About this content

Written by

Linus Palmqvist

Head of Operations at Settlewell

Linus moved from Sweden to Málaga in 2021 and set his own home up here, so most of this he has already done the hard way once. Before Settlewell he spent years at Workwide, the cross-border recruiter that has helped over 10,000 people into jobs abroad, latterly as its Head of Recruitment and Operations. He speaks Spanish, lives in Málaga with his partner, and spends his days on the phone to Spanish providers.

Reviewed by Simon Nilsson, Founder & CEOLast reviewed

Billing explanations use the regulator's guidance and official retailer bill guides. Your contract and the period on your invoice determine the applicable treatment.

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