These are the cheapest times to put the washing machine on

He price of electricity today is down. The more than two million customers linked to the regulated tariff from the light they will have a respite in the electricity pricedespite this drop, there will not be zero-euro hours. During this Wednesday, May 22, users should avoid the most expensive hours that will exceed the 70-euro barrier to use the appliances that consume the most, such as the washing machine or dishwasher, and thus, as recommended by experts, save on their electricity bills.

Regulated rate customers linked to the wholesale market will pay 32.72 euros per megawatt hour (MWh) in the mid-morning, 40.86% more with respect to this Sunday. Putting the washing machine, for example, at the cheapest times, as well as the oven or the appliances that consume the most, is a formula that experts always advise to save on your electricity bill.

The most expensive and cheapest hours of electricity this Wednesday

He Maximum priceof 72.87 euros/MWh, will be recorded between 8:00 and 9:00 am, while the minimal price, will be 7.44 euros and will be given in the time slot between 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., according to data from the Iberian Energy Market Operator (OMIE).

The price of electricity tomorrow by hour

If the price of electricity is negative, do I get discounts on my bill?

It should be noted that the fact that hours are recorded in the ‘pool’ at zero euros does not mean that the light be free for a consumer covered by the regulated tariff (PVPC), since they have to assume a series of regulated costs, such as those of the transport and distribution networks, among others. Will we then have discounts on the bill? This is not the case for several reasons, but the first thing to understand is that the Light can never be freeTo be clear, the first thing is to know which concepts appear on the electricity bill. According to the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU), only 11% of customers do so.

According to experts, first of all you have to know that the price per hour The fact that the wholesale electricity market, the so-called ‘pool’, publishes every day only affects consumers who have the regulated price (PVPC) or an indexed price. On the other hand, it must also be taken into account that for it to have an impact on consumer savings, these prices would have to be more continuous over time, “but we can see that the PVPC price has not registered large average variations in recent days.”

Three appliances that increase your electricity bill

When we buy new ones home appliancesit is important to take into account three fundamental aspects: their energy efficiency, using them correctly (some even have saving modes) and making sure that their consumption is adapted to our electricity bill. However, there are some appliances that, in general, consume more electricity than others.

He dishwasheralthough it is not an appliance present in all homes, it is one of those that requires the greatest consumption of electricity. According to OCU calculations, it can consume up to 246 kWh per year, which represents approximately 7% of total energy consumption and translates into up to 74 additional euros on the annual electricity bill. The same occurs with the washing machinewhich can consume up to 255 kWh per year, i.e. an extra 77 euros on the annual bill. Lastly, and logically, the refrigerator, which has an average consumption of 662 kWh per year, which means an increase of approximately 199 euros on the annual rate in the case of PVPC.

March, one of the months with the cheapest electricity

Last March already stood out for presenting one of the lowest average pool prices in historywith an average of €20/MWh. This figure represents half the average price recorded in February and a decrease of 77.5% compared to March 2022, when the price stood at €89.6/MWh.

Changes in VAT on electricity

After registering an average of less than €45/MWh in February, below the limit set in the Royal Decree of urgent measures, electricity temporarily restored its Value Added Tax (VAT) of 21% since Marcha measure that will continue during the month of April.

The last Council of Ministers of 2022 approved that the VAT on electricity would go from 5% to 10% and that this rate would be maintained until the end of 2024, as long as the MWh prices in the wholesale market remained above €45/MWh. If the calendar month prior to the last billing day the wholesale price was below this threshold, the VAT would be 21%. Only households with a social bonus are exempt from this increase, maintaining their VAT at 10% throughout 2024.

New PVPC calculation method

It is important to note that the ‘pool’ does not accurately represent the final amount in the price of electricity for a consumer covered by the regulated tariff. With the entry into force of the new year, a new method of calculating the Voluntary Price for Small Consumers (PVPC) was adopted, which incorporates a price basket in the medium and long term to avoid strong fluctuations, without losing the short-term price references that encourage savings and efficient consumption. Through this new system, the proportion of linkage with the ‘pool’ price will be progressively reduced, incorporating references from the futures markets. Thus, these will represent 25% in 2024, 40% in 2025 and 55% from 2026.