The cost of electricity has risen sharply in recent years, an issue that has not left any Spanish household indifferent, especially those families who have had electric heating this winter. To give you an idea, this expenditure on air conditioning can account for 70% of the total amount of the bill.
It is therefore essential that you check all the alternatives to be able to reduce this expense at the end of the month, especially if you have just bought a new property.
In this sense, natural gas is the ideal solution if your area has a distribution network, as the cost of this energy is much lower than that of other heating sources.
Advantages of contracting natural gas in your new home
The main advantage of natural gas is that it provides a comprehensive solution for the home, as it can cover the home's heating, cooking and domestic hot water needs. And, as we have already mentioned, it costs less than sources such as propane, electricity and butane.
Gas does not present high risks for its consumers as it does not require storage space and does not emit hazardous waste, such as CO₂, and is therefore considered an environmentally friendly energy source.
If you do not have a gas installation in your home, your investment may be high, but it will be highly profitable in the long term. On the other hand, if the entire infrastructure is already in place, you will simply have to register with the gas supplier.
Contracting natural gas in your new home
To register for natural gas, you will have to contact the chosen company and sign the supply contract, for which you will need to gather the following documentation:
- The details of the holder (ID card number, name and contact) and the bank account for direct debit of bills.
- The CUPS code of the gas, which will appear on a previous bill, or it will have to be requested from the distribution company.
- Exact address of the dwelling
The supply will be activated within a maximum of 8 days, during which time a technician from the distribution company will install the gas meter if necessary.
The procedure has regulated costs, known as registration and connection fees, which range between €72 and €235, and which are paid to the distributor in the first supply bill.
Which gas tariff to sign up for
Although the kWh of gas is very economical, it is advisable to make a study of the different gas tariffs The cost of the water supply system should be calculated before the discharge and, if possible, every year, so that expenditure does not increase during the coldest months of winter.
For this purpose, different aspects must be taken into account, such as the equipment of the building, the consumption needs of its inhabitants and the different characteristics of the regulated and free gas tariffs.
Tariff of Last Resort (TUR)
In the regulated market a single tariff is marketed called the Gas TURavailable exclusively for supplies with an annual consumption of less than 50,000 kWh.
The price of this contract is established according to the existing supply and demand in the wholesale gas market, and is supervised every 3 months by the government. Therefore, given this changing nature, its customers must monitor the months of January, April, July and October, in order to perceive price increases without prior notice.
This tariff does not have any type of permanence and is aimed at families who wish to take advantage of the cheapest times on the market to make savings.
Free natural gas tariffs
On the other hand, there are more than 250 companies operating in the free market, which independently establish their prices and contracting conditions, being able to apply discounts and offers, such as, for example, dualising gas and electricity supply.
The main advantage of these tariffs is the stability of their prices, in addition, the property does not have to have a consumption limit per year to be contracted, and a boiler maintenance service can be added to cover the costs of servicing and repairs.