1,700 kWh Monthly Bill for Two People in Spain

1,700 kWh Monthly Usage for Two People in a 340 m² Apartment

Is it normal to pay nearly €400 for electricity in an apartment where only two people live? The case involves a 340-square-meter home, two adults working remotely, and a declared consumption of between 1,400 and 1,700 kWh per month. The contracted rate is not unusual: €0.17/kWh. The contracted power is high at 6,900 W, although it adds only €18 to the bill and does not explain the rest. Central heating and zero gas use: all energy in the house is electric.

The expense started around €250 per month two years ago and has spiraled out of control. Added to the rate is the so-called gas cap (tope del gas), which in some months adds up to €100. The affected person insists that no one is connected to their meter. Washing machine, dryer, freezer, fridge, dishwasher, induction hob, oven, and two TVs: everything new. And no reasonable explanation.

How Many kWh Per Month Are Normal for a Two-Person Household?

According to a calculation circulating in the thread, average consumption is around 1,500 kWh per person per year. Two people should therefore be using about 3,000 kWh annually, or roughly 250 per month. Those who use this benchmark consider reaching 8,000 kWh per year excessive: it is still half of what this apartment declares.

The figures shared as comparisons all point in the same direction:

• A bill of 115 kWh for €28.37, with 3.3 kW of contracted power.
• Consumption of 90 kWh on another cited monthly bill.
• 250-300 kWh per month in an apartment with hot water and a gas stove.
• 450 kWh maximum in a five-person house with a pool, three of whom work remotely.
• 1,000 kWh per month in a detached house with air-source heat pump and pool heating.

The energy consumed by this house in one month would suffice, according to a calculation mentioned, to drive 10,000 kilometers in a Tesla. The magnitude is hard to exaggerate.

Electric Water Heater, First Suspect for the Bill

Some argue that an apartment of this size can accommodate a 200-liter electric water heater with a 2 to 2.5 kW resistance element. Heating the tank from cold takes three to four hours; with several daily showers and running water in the kitchen and bathrooms, the appliance may run for much of the day, especially at night and in winter. It is the first component pointed out and the one gathering most consensus.

There is also a reported case worth knowing: a water heater connected to the community's solar panels that, when the panels failed, began heating and recirculating water throughout the entire building 24 hours a day. Result: 700 kWh and €200 per month until someone closed the main valve. It may seem exotic, but it fits the pattern.

Why Does Consumption Spike in Winter and Off-Peak Hours?

The data that took longest to appear was seasonality: consumption spikes in winter and drops in summer. Those who noted this argued that it partly rules out hot water, unless summer showers are cold or the heater is outdoors, and points directly to hidden electric heating. An electric radiator was used the previous winter, yet the trinc year, without that radiator, costs were higher. The contradiction remains unresolved.

The other clue is the hourly distribution. High consumption during off-peak hours implies something running overnight and on weekends, when no one is using the house. The hypothesis of nighttime storage heaters fits: these devices require high power and charge at night to release heat during the day. This also explains, better than any appliance, part of the winter peak.

Measure Plug by Plug Before Calling Anyone

The most repeated and cheapest recommendation is to measure. Power monitoring plugs cost around €10, and one is enough to move it through each device for 24 hours until finding the outlier. Two details intuition gets wrong: a computer left on 24 hours contributes a minimal fraction—almost nothing when idle—and a hairdryer doesn't withstand serious calculation, because 15 minutes daily equals about 12 kWh per month.

If the sum of appliances doesn't match the meter reading, the uncomfortable path remains: inspect the line from the meter room to the apartment entrance and check the storage units. In an old building with a large dwelling, there are more corners where a diversion can go unnoticed for years. Inspection has been proposed as the next step.

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The affected person said they would look into the matter upon returning to Madrid and share the problem. Pages have passed, and no one has heard anything since. With 340 meters, two people, and 1,700 kWh, the mystery remains intact: either there is a device consuming relentlessly, or the apartment is larger than it seems when paying bills.