What is the CUPS code on my Spanish electricity bill?

The CUPS (Código Universal de Punto de Suministro) is a 20–22 character code starting with 'ES' that uniquely identifies your supply point. It's required to switch energy providers in Spain and stays the same even when you change comercializadora.

What does potencia contratada mean on my bill?

Potencia contratada is the maximum power capacity (in kW) you've reserved from the grid. It's billed as a fixed monthly charge regardless of consumption — typically the second-largest line item after energy itself.

What are P1, P2 and P3 on my electricity bill?

P1, P2 and P3 are time-of-use periods on the regulated 2.0TD tariff. P1 (peak) is the most expensive, P3 (valley, nights and weekends) is the cheapest. Your bill shows kWh consumed in each period separately.

Why is there VAT plus an electricity tax on my Spanish bill?

Spanish electricity bills include both an electricity tax (impuesto sobre la electricidad, around 5%) applied before VAT, and then 21% IVA on top of the subtotal. Both are standard and apply to every comercializadora.

savings

How to read your Spanish electricity bill (without losing your mind)

Spanish bills look like a tax form designed to confuse you. Here is the 6-minute guide that turns four pages of jargon into three numbers that actually matter.

By Ana · Wed Apr 15 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) · 6 min read

Open any Spanish electricity bill and you'll find four pages of fine print, three different rates per kilowatt-hour, and a vocabulary that even native speakers find painful. The good news: you only need to understand three numbers to know whether you're overpaying. Let's strip it down.

The three numbers that actually matter

Every bill, regardless of provider, breaks down into the same three buckets. Find them on your bill and you've already won half the battle.

Potencia contratada — what you pay just for being connected to the grid, every single day, even if you go on holiday for a month.
Consumo de energía — what you pay for the electricity you actually use, measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh).
Impuestos y otros — the electricity tax (5.11%), the meter rental (around €0.81/month), and VAT (21%) layered on top.

1. Potencia: the silent monthly tax

Contract power (potencia contratada) is the maximum kilowatts you can draw at the same time. Run the dishwasher, the oven and the air-con together and you might trip the breaker. Most homes were sold with 5.75 or 6.9 kW contracted because that's what the previous owner needed in 2008. You almost certainly need less.

A typical 2-bedroom apartment runs comfortably on 3.45-4.6 kW. A house with electric appliances usually needs 5.75 kW. Anything above 6.9 kW is for homes with electric heating, a pool pump and a charging station combined. If you're paying for 8 kW and you only have a kettle, an oven and an aircon — you're literally paying rent for power you'll never use.

2. Consumo: the part you can actually control

Consumption is measured in kWh and — since 2021 — split into three time bands. The Spanish grid charges different prices depending on when you use power, to spread demand across the day.

Punta (peak): Mon-Fri 10:00-14:00 and 18:00-22:00. The most expensive hours.
Llano (mid): Mon-Fri 08:00-10:00, 14:00-18:00 and 22:00-00:00. Roughly half the peak price.
Valle (off-peak): Mon-Fri 00:00-08:00 and all weekends and holidays. The cheapest, often a third of peak.

3. Impuestos: the unavoidable bit

The taxes section is where things get genuinely depressing. Spain charges a 5.11% electricity tax, then adds a €0.81/month meter rental, then layers 21% VAT on top of everything — including the tax. Yes, you pay tax on the tax. There's nothing you can do about this directly, but a lower base bill means a smaller multiplier, so every euro saved on potencia and consumo also saves you 26.11% in stacked taxes.

Spotting if you're overpaying

Now you can do the homeowner's 30-second audit. Pull out your most recent bill and check these three things:

Is your contracted power above 5.75 kW for a normal home? It probably shouldn't be.
Is more than 60% of your consumption falling in the punta band? You can shift habits to save 20-30%.
Are you on PVPC (regulated tariff) or free market? PVPC follows the wholesale price hour by hour — great in low-demand months, painful in winter peaks.

What to do next

Reading your bill is step one. Step two is comparing what you're paying per kWh and per kW of contracted power against providers across the Spanish market. Prices range from €0.09 to €0.18 per kWh for essentially the same electrons — the difference is purely commercial. We do the comparison for free, switch you to a strong offer from our partner network, and your new provider handles all the paperwork. You stay where you are, the wires don't move, only the bill changes.

FAQ

What is the CUPS code on my Spanish electricity bill?: The CUPS (Código Universal de Punto de Suministro) is a 20–22 character code starting with 'ES' that uniquely identifies your supply point. It's required to switch energy providers in Spain and stays the same even when you change comercializadora.
What does potencia contratada mean on my bill?: Potencia contratada is the maximum power capacity (in kW) you've reserved from the grid. It's billed as a fixed monthly charge regardless of consumption — typically the second-largest line item after energy itself.
What are P1, P2 and P3 on my electricity bill?: P1, P2 and P3 are time-of-use periods on the regulated 2.0TD tariff. P1 (peak) is the most expensive, P3 (valley, nights and weekends) is the cheapest. Your bill shows kWh consumed in each period separately.
Why is there VAT plus an electricity tax on my Spanish bill?: Spanish electricity bills include both an electricity tax (impuesto sobre la electricidad, around 5%) applied before VAT, and then 21% IVA on top of the subtotal. Both are standard and apply to every comercializadora.