Utility bill clinic: share your details and we'll tell you if you're overpaying
Contracted capacity is charged even if you switch nothing on. Check your capacity, tariff and add-ons before switching suppliers.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Most electricity and gas bills are more expensive for three reasons that can be reviewed: contracted capacity above actual consumption, a tariff that doesn't match your usage habits, and additional services that slip in when you sign up. With the basic details from your bill, you can calculate how much you're overpaying.
Contracted capacity is the part of the bill you pay even if you don't switch on a single light bulb all month. That's why having more kW than you need is the quietest way to overpay. The capacity charge is based on the kW contracted, not on what you use, and in homes with gas heating or efficient appliances there is usually spare capacity.
## Contracted capacity and actual consumption
To spot the mismatch, simply compare your contracted capacity in kW, peak and off-peak separately, with your consumption over the last month or year in kWh. A flat with **4.6 kW** contracted that barely uses half of it is paying for capacity it never uses. Lowering your capacity has technical limits, and it's worth checking that the circuit breakers don't alucinación when using your highest-consumption appliances.
## A tariff that doesn't match your hours
The second mistake is choosing the wrong tariff. Time-of-use pricing suits those who consume at night or during off-peak hours, while a fixed tariff protects against market price rises and an indexed tariff passes on the wholesale price. Switching plans without checking the price per kWh and the capacity charge shown on your bill can leave you with the same bill or a worse one.
## Services sneaked onto the bill
The third issue is add-on services: maintenance, payment protection or technical assistance taken out during the sign-up call that nobody remembers. They appear as just another line on the bill and are charged month after month. Reviewing each item and cancelling what you don't use is one of the quickest ways to cut your bill.
Before sharing a bill to ask for a review, it's best to cover your name, address, CUPS code and account number. These are personal details that aren't needed to work out whether your capacity or tariff is poorly sized.
Contracted capacity is the part of the bill you pay even if you don't switch on a single light bulb all month. That's why having more kW than you need is the quietest way to overpay. The capacity charge is based on the kW contracted, not on what you use, and in homes with gas heating or efficient appliances there is usually spare capacity.
## Contracted capacity and actual consumption
To spot the mismatch, simply compare your contracted capacity in kW, peak and off-peak separately, with your consumption over the last month or year in kWh. A flat with **4.6 kW** contracted that barely uses half of it is paying for capacity it never uses. Lowering your capacity has technical limits, and it's worth checking that the circuit breakers don't alucinación when using your highest-consumption appliances.
## A tariff that doesn't match your hours
The second mistake is choosing the wrong tariff. Time-of-use pricing suits those who consume at night or during off-peak hours, while a fixed tariff protects against market price rises and an indexed tariff passes on the wholesale price. Switching plans without checking the price per kWh and the capacity charge shown on your bill can leave you with the same bill or a worse one.
## Services sneaked onto the bill
The third issue is add-on services: maintenance, payment protection or technical assistance taken out during the sign-up call that nobody remembers. They appear as just another line on the bill and are charged month after month. Reviewing each item and cancelling what you don't use is one of the quickest ways to cut your bill.
Before sharing a bill to ask for a review, it's best to cover your name, address, CUPS code and account number. These are personal details that aren't needed to work out whether your capacity or tariff is poorly sized.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (6 replies).
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