The cost of electricity is rising all around Europe and Gran Canaria is no exception so we have researched the best ways to reduce power consumption and bills
The source of power in Gran Canaria
While Gran Canaria does generate some electricity from wind and solar energy, and plans a huge water battery to store wind energy and recycle water, most of the island’s electricity is still generated by burning fossil fuels. The Canary Islands have no energy links with mainland Spain.
There is also limited private power generation in Gran Canaria (via solar or wind power systems) although this is now starting to change thanks to recent changes in Spanish law.
Changing electrical supplier or energy plan in Gran Canaria
While you can make savings by changing suppliers, the savings are often minor compared to the savings made by reducing energy use.
Virtual suppliers buy power in bulk from the main Endesa power generator and then resell it to consumers. Some are slightly cheaper than Endesa offers but others simply offer a short period of discounted rates before raising prices; on average you may make any savings so it is worth checking offers carefully.
Endesa itself offers a range of different energy plans that can save you money if you plan your peak energy consumption around them. For example, Endesa offers a plan with cheap prices late at night. If you run all your power-hungry devices at night (washing machine, dryer, water heater, etc) you can save money.
Another option gives you two hours of free power every day which you could use, for example, to run an air conditioner and cool down your property.
Check the Potencia of your electricity supply
Endesa bills its customers for both power consumption and the maximum power it provides (known as potencia). If your potencia is too low you will notice your main fuse tripping when you run several devices at once. However, if your potencia is too high you won’t notice but you will pay higher bills for no reason.
A small holiday property with few power-hungry devices needs a potencia of 3kW while a larger home with aircon and a dryer may need over 7kW. You can raise your potencia at any time but only drop it once per year.
Reducing power consumption to cut electricity bills
The best way to cut electrical bills in Gran Canaria is to reduce the amount of power you consume. If you register as an online customer, most power companies now let you check your hourly power use and identify ways to cut consumption.
This can be achieved in many ways, some of which require investment and some which are free.
For example, switching off all devices on standby, lights in rooms not in use, and turning down the temperature on the water heater can all reduce consumption immediately and without cost.
Recharging electrical devices at night when power is cheaper also cuts bills; this is especially true if you have an electrical car or scooter.
Installing sunlight filters on windows and quality seals on doors also reduces air con use during hot periods.
Over a longer period, installing a solar water heater can significantly cut bills. Replacing older electrical devices with modern, more efficient ones can also make a big difference over time. There are sometimes subsidies available for installing solar heaters on older properties.
Reducing Communidad power bills
Installing a solar swimming pool heater is an excellent way for a communidad to cut its power consumption and modern systems are effective, unobtrusive and can be installed on a roof or even a south facing wall.
Motion sensors on outdoor lights also reduce power consumption and bills.
With power bills increasing in Gran Canaria, we hope these ideas are helpful and that advances in renewable power generation help reduce bills in the future.
