Last week, many Spanish communities suffered the coldest winter spell of the last century. A big snow storm followed by a significant drop in temperatures have left many communities, unaccustomed to this type of climate, frozen and, in the middle of all this, a hike in the price of electricity occurs.
In our country, the price of electricity eventually rises but, in this case, one of the biggest consequences of the hike in the price of electricity in the midst of cold weather is that this increase, together with the amount of time spent at home and the quantity of hours the heating is on, will have a significant impact on citizens’ bills. According to the National Commission on Markets and Competition, this increase will mean an average cost of more than €80.
Why does the price of electricity rise?
There are different factors that directly affect the rise in electricity bills:
- Increase in demand: The smaller number of hours of sunlight that the country receives and the drop in winter temperatures produce an increase in the use of the energy consumed, so that the power companies, to cope with this demand, must produce more energy.
- International markets: The price and generation of energy in international markets directly affects the price of electricity in our country. The price increase in foreign countries makes prices tend to rise on the wholesale market.
- Environmental factors: Environmental factors also affect energy production. Today, more and more energy is being produced based on renewable energy and, when climate changes occur, such as lack of sun or wind or, in this case, the effects of snow, this can result in a lack of energy production.
How to avoid the rise in electricity bills
We, as citizens, cannot influence or prevent increases in the price of electricity, but what we can do is moderate our consumption or make decisions that directly affect the reduction of our bill.
By moderating our consumption we will get a noticeable decrease in our monthly electricity bill. By clicking here you can read our tips on how to make your home more sustainable. But if you want to enjoy more than 50% reduction in your electricity bill, the best option is to install a Solar Self-Consumption System.
