The Spanish electricity bill explained: potencia, consumo and P1/P2/P3
A Spanish electricity bill has two things you actually pay for: a fixed power term (potencia) for the kW you contract, and a variable energy term (consumo) for the kWh you use — priced hour by hour on the regulated PVPC tariff. A small meter rental and two taxes go on top.
The P1 / P2 / P3 on your bill are times of day, not products: P1 punta is the expensive peak, P2 llano the middle, P3 valle the cheap overnight and weekend hours. Every line is decoded below, with a worked example on today's real prices (energy is averaging 0.1909 €/kWh today).
The two halves of the bill: potencia vs consumo
Almost every confusion about the Spanish bill comes from mixing these two up. Potencia contratada is a standing charge for capacity — the most power you can draw at any one moment — and you pay it every single day, even in a month you use nothing. Consumo is the energy you actually use, and on the PVPC tariff its price changes every hour with the wholesale market. One is fixed; the other you can move.
| Power term · potencia | Energy term · consumo | |
|---|---|---|
| What you pay for | The kW you can draw at once | The kWh you actually use |
| How it's billed | Fixed, per day — even at zero use | Variable, per kWh, hourly PVPC price |
| Time periods | P1, P2 (two) | P1, P2, P3 (three) |
| How to lower it | Contract fewer kW — size it here | Shift use to the cheap hours — see now or wait |
P1, P2 and P3: the 2.0TD time periods
Homes with contracted power up to 15 kW are on the 2.0TD access tariff, which splits the day into three energy periods. They follow a fixed Monday-to-Friday clock — the energy price still moves hourly within them, which is why a solar-midday hour in llano can undercut a morning one.
| Period | Name | Monday to Friday | Weekends & holidays |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | Punta peak, dearest | 10:00–14:00, 18:00–22:00 | — |
| P2 | Llano mid | 08:00–10:00, 14:00–18:00, 22:00–00:00 | — |
| P3 | Valle off-peak, cheapest | 00:00–08:00 | All day (24 h) |
Contracted power uses only two periods, P1 (08:00–24:00 on weekdays) and P2 (overnight plus all weekend). Most homes contract the same kW in both, so on the bill you'll see two potencia lines that usually carry the same number of kW. For a deeper walk-through of the bands see the 2.0TD tariff guide.
Your bill, line by line
Here is what each line means, with a worked example for a common 4.6 kW contract and a typical 250 kWh month (about 3,000 kWh a year — presets shown openly, your own bill will differ):
| Line on your bill | What it is | This example |
|---|---|---|
| Término de potencia power term |
Fixed charge for the kW you contract, billed per day whatever you use. | ≈ €10.90/mo (4.6 kW × 28.43 €/kW·yr) |
| Término de energía energy term |
The kWh you actually use × the hourly PVPC price. | ≈ €48/mo (250 kWh × 0.1909 €/kWh today) |
| Alquiler del contador meter rental |
Monthly rental of the smart meter. | ≈ €0.85/mo |
| Impuesto eléctrico electricity tax |
Special electricity tax, applied to the power + energy subtotal. | 5.11% |
| IVA VAT |
Standard VAT, applied on top of everything above. | 21% |
Add it up and a typical home lands around €60–75 a month. The fixed power term, the meter rental and part of the taxes are there every month regardless of use — which is why even a barely-used holiday home still gets a bill, and why right-sizing your contracted power is the one lever that trims the fixed part for good.
Use power now or wait?
Waiting until 16:00 cuts the price about 40% versus using power now.
How we work this out
The energy term uses the official PVPC hourly prices for mainland Spain from Red Eléctrica de España (REE), via the public REData API — the same live feed this whole site tracks. The power term uses the regulated 2.0TD power price for 2026: 27.70 €/kW·year in the peak (punta) period plus 0.73 €/kW·year off-peak (valle) ≈ 28.43 €/kW·year when you contract the same power in both (the usual case), before tax.
On top come the special electricity tax (5.11%) on the power-plus-energy subtotal and then VAT (21%) on everything. Both were temporarily reduced during the 2021–2024 energy crisis and have since returned to these standard rates. The example figures are typical values you can adjust to your own bill — we don't invent precision.
Related tools & guides
Frequently asked questions
What are the two main parts of a Spanish electricity bill?
Two things you pay for. The power term (término de potencia) is a fixed daily charge for the kW you contract — you pay it even in a month you use no electricity at all. The energy term (término de energía) is what you actually consume, in kWh, priced hour by hour on the regulated PVPC tariff. On top come a small meter rental, the special electricity tax and VAT.
What do P1, P2 and P3 mean on my electricity bill?
They are the time periods of the 2.0TD tariff. Energy has three: P1 punta (peak, dearest), P2 llano (mid) and P3 valle (off-peak, cheapest). P1 is 10:00–14:00 and 18:00–22:00 on weekdays, P2 the hours around them, and P3 covers 00:00–08:00 on weekdays plus all day at weekends and on national holidays. Contracted power uses only two periods, P1 and P2.
What is potencia contratada and how much does it cost?
It's the maximum power, in kW, you can draw at once — billed as a fixed daily charge. On the regulated 2.0TD tariff the power term is about €28 per kW per year in 2026 (before tax), so a common 4.6 kW contract costs roughly €10.90 a month whatever you use. Over-contracting is the most common way Spanish homes overpay — the potencia calculator linked above sizes it for you.
Why is my electricity bill high even when I barely use any power?
Because a big part of it is fixed. The power term, the meter rental and part of the taxes are charged every month regardless of consumption, so even an empty holiday home still gets a bill. Lowering your contracted power to what you actually need is the one lever that trims that fixed part for good.
What taxes are on a Spanish electricity bill?
Two. The special electricity tax (impuesto especial sobre la electricidad) of 5.11% is applied first, on the power-plus-energy subtotal; then VAT (IVA) of 21% is charged on top of everything. Both were temporarily reduced during the 2021–2024 energy crisis and have since returned to these standard rates.