Si nos marcamos el objetivo de recortar gastos en nuestra vida diaria, uno de los mejores puntos de partida puede ser la factura de la luz doméstica. Actualmente, la electricidad es un suministro básico para todo domicilio que se precie, por lo que supone un gasto fijo en la inmensa mayoría de las familias españolas. De ahí que el quid de la cuestión sea aplicar una serie de medidas de ahorro para reducirlo sin sacrificar nuestro bienestar.

According to data from the Consumer Organization (OCU), the average annual electricity bill for a household in Spain on the PVPC rate plan was 723 euros in 2023. This cost was considerably lower than in 2022 (1,266 euros per year) or even 2021 (949 euros per year), thanks to tax measures designed to mitigate rising energy prices and inflation.

It seems, therefore, that the worst of this crisis is already behind us. But that doesn’t mean we should settle for that, because with a few simple tips, we can achieve tangible results when it comes to saving on our electricity bill. Keep reading to find out more!

Tips on How to Save on Your Electric Bill

Check your bill regularly to choose the most suitable rate

To save on your electricity bill, it’s essential to know where we stand. So we need to find out what rate plan we’re currently on and how much we’ve been paying in recent months. What’s more, when you do this, you might be tempted to compare your bill with that of a family member, neighbor, or acquaintance, but keep in mind that every home is different, with its own habits and energy consumption patterns.

Here, keep in mind that there are two types of electricity markets:

• On the one hand, there is the regulated market, or PVPC rate, an option with prices that change hourly and daily depending on the supply and demand at that moment. This means that consumers pay more if they use electricity during the most expensive time periods and save money if their main electricity usage occurs during the cheapest hours. This option is available for contracted power levels below 10 kW and is offered only by the reference suppliers.
• On the other hand, there is the free market. Its suppliers set the price of electricity and specify it in the contract, so the customer knows at all times how much each kWh they consume will cost. These costs are reviewed periodically.

With this in mind, you should consider which option is best for you. If you have enough flexibility to concentrate your energy use during off-peak hours (which are cheaper), such as at night or in the early morning, the regulated market is likely the best choice for you. On the other hand, if you’d rather keep things simple and can take the time to analyze the different prices offered by the competitive energy market, you might prefer to opt for a free-market contract.

Reduction in Contracted Power

Regardless of how much energy we use, our electricity bill also includes a fixed charge. This refers to the contracted power capacity, which sets the maximum amount of energy we can use in our home at any given time without “tripping the circuit breakers.”

Consequently, if we don’t pay attention to this aspect and don’t really know how much energy we’re using, we may be paying more than we needto (up to 60 euros per year per kW). We can avoid this by calculating the total power consumption of our main appliances if we plug them in all at once and then comparing that figure with the power listed on our bill.

Naturally, it’s a good idea to always leave a reasonable margin so we don’t run out of power too often. From there, ask your electricity provider to lower your power rating to what you need, keeping in mind that this process costs about 11 euros and can only be done once a year, regardless of how many kW you reduce. On the other hand, if we want to increase our power rating, the cost will be four times as much: about 45 euros.

Keep Your Home’s Electrical System in Good Condition

If your home is new or has an electrical system that’s less than ten years old, you don’t need to worry about this (yet). Otherwise, we recommend that you speak with an electrician to have your electrical system thoroughly inspected, because the passage of time is a factor that—even if it doesn’t seem like it—can increase the cost of your electricity bill.

Factors such as dust, corrosion, or simple wear and tear on materials often affect their performance, making them less efficient and, therefore, less profitable.

Review your habits and routines to optimize your energy use

Changing our daily habits can be an effective way to save on our electricity bill. To do this, we can start by making a list of all the things we do at home on a daily basis that involve using electricity: watching TV, working on the computer, turning on the lights when night falls, using the stovetop to cook or the microwave to heat food, etc.

Next, we should consider whether our habits are truly the most sustainable and energy-efficient. For example, we might realize that we tend to leave the lights on in rooms even when we’re not there, that instead of turning off appliances, we leave them on standby for many hours, or that when we use the washing machine and dishwasher, we run them on standard cycles instead of “ECO” mode.

There really are countless little things that can unnecessarily increase our energy consumption throughout the day, and one way to save energy that yields tangible results is to become aware of these situations so we can avoid them.

Buy energy-efficient appliances

Whenever you need to add an appliance to your home or replace an old one, make a thoughtful purchase. In other words, take your time to carefully review the energy consumption and efficiency labels for each product, since it’s usually worth spending a few extra euros upfront on an energy-efficient model to save money day by day and week by week throughout the appliance’s entire lifespan.

If you purchase televisions, stoves, washing machines, dishwashers, dryers, computers, or space heaters with an energy efficiency rating of A or B, you can achieve energy savings of between 65% and 25% for each one. So, filling your home with energy-efficient products will undoubtedly have a positive impact on your electricity bill.

During the day, take advantage of natural light; at night, use LED lighting

If you want to know how to save on your electricity bill, you can’t overlook the importance of lighting. Under normal conditions, lighting accounts for between 20% and 25% of your total monthly electricity costs. This leads us to implement measures in two different areas.

First, to make the most of natural light. A good layout of the rooms and furniture will help us make the most of the sun, as will our decor choices and decisions made with this in mind. For example, raising the blinds during the late afternoon or using sheer curtains that let light in without sacrificing our privacy.

And second, by installing energy-efficient or LED light bulbs. LED bulbs last longer and are slightly more efficient, so they’ll also be more cost-effective in the long run. But in any case, it’s important to know that both are great options for saving money compared to traditional light bulbs.

Let home automation help you

Finally, wherever you can’t reach, let technology take care of it. If you upgrade your home to make it “smart,” you’ll be able to optimize your energy consumption much more effectively.

In fact, this is confirmed by a study conducted by the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE), which indicates that energy savings in a home equipped with home automation can reach 80% for lighting, 25% for air conditioning, 20% for small appliances, and 11% for hot water.

With these apps, you can set lights and appliances to turn on and off automatically lights or appliances, remotely control LED bulbs or blinds, always maintain an optimal temperature in your HVAC system, or use smart plugs to prevent “vampire” power consumption from devices that remain plugged in even when not in use.

CULMIA helps you reduce your energy costs

What did you think of these tips on how to save on your electricity bill? We hope you find them useful, but if you’d like more information on this topic, don’t forget that you can download our free “Guide to Saving Money at Home”for free. It contains these and many other tips to help make your home a sustainable, efficient, and cost-effective space!

We recommend:

• How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint at Home
• 10 Ideas for an Energy-Efficient Home