How to make Energy Saving Easier

If you use, or could use, most of your electricity at night and in the morning, then perhaps the best €10 you will ever spend could be to get onto the Nocturnal Tarriff.

The ‘Nueva Tarifa con Discriminacion Horaria’ or ‘DH’ gives more discounted hours than the old Tarfifa Nocturna that it replaces – 14 hours per day, from 10pm at night to midday in winter and 11pm to 1pm in Summer.

This new tariff brings huge benefits for your home especially if you have electric heating in winter or air conditioning in Summer, but it’s not limited to this. Your washing machines, dishwashers, tumble dryers, pool pumps all use lots of electric and so are much more economical to use at night. And here’s a tip…plug them in with cheap timer sockets to ensure you get the most from the tariff. That way you can still load and prepare your machines as you normally would and then leave them to come on automatically at the right time to save you money!

The new DH tariff has a higher charge for the peak hours at around 14cents per KWH (Kilo Watt Hours) but the discounted hours are around 5cents per KWH nearly 50% less than a normal tariff so a massive saving if you can try and use your high demand appliances in those discounted hours!
You can still opt for a normal tariff without the nocturnal hours.
Standard tariffs with a potencia of up to 15KW are charged around 10c per KWH
Look at more information on the Endesa website www.endesaonline.com

If your contract is for more than 15KW then you have 4 different options on the DH tariff and will need to calculate which is the best option for your requirements.

And  amazing that Endesa will come out to change you over for just €10! It’s as simple as a phone call to Endesa! No need to modify your system, or pay any after charges to your electrician, as long as your system is up to date and your meter is located outside your house.
So a quick phone call, €10 and you could be making savings in no time!

If you need help keeping track of how much power you are using at the different times, the power monitors I talked about in the last issue have a facility where you can enter the times of the discounted hours and it will calculate what you use when.

For further information on how to upgrade your system and meet the new regulations…call Martin – The English Electrician on 627 08 08 51

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Nuisance Tripping

If you’ve ever had a problem with your electricity tripping out, you may have experienced the nightmare of returning home to spoiled food in your freezer, your pool gone green, fish tanks off or other disasters caused by the appliances you rely on being off when they should be on.

The culprit is probably your main protective fuse in your fuse box (RCD or Differencial in Spain) which is there to protect you and your household from electric shock. It will disconnect the electricity supply within 40 milliseconds when your current varies by more than 30 milliamps.

It has long been a legal requirement around the world and is an essential safety device in your home. Some older Spanish homes don’t have these installed at all meaning you have no protection and you could receive a large and potentially lethal shock. If this is the case, you should get professional advice immediately to have one installed. When you do have one, don’t forget to check it’s working regularly. They all have a test button and it’s recommended this is tested every month. If it does not trip you’ll need to consult an electrician to inspect and replace it to ensure you’re protected.

In 99% of cases when they do trip off, usually at irregular intervals, it is because of bad wiring, exposed connections or exposed light fittings, or appliances that have connections inside that can short out with damp or when wet. Usually these problems occur with heavy rain, storms or flooding.

These standard RCDs protect you by switching everything off to keep you safe but can cause serious inconvenience if you are not at home to reconnect the power – until now. Like many of life’s inconveniences, eventually someone comes up with a great solution and here it is.

New to the market there is now available an automatically resetting version of this protective device – Reconnecting RCD’s (Diferencial con reenganche) to give you all the protection and peace of mind without the potentially disastrous downside of the power staying off until you reset it.

If your system tripped off due to a temporary fault, something getting wet, or a power surge, then it can just be switched back on. The power will stay on and be perfectly safe. These automatic RCD’s will pause, and then automatically try to reconnect the electricity supply. They will usually try this process 10 times and if the fault was short lived or insignificant, your appliances will come back on automatically. Only if there is a permanent or serious fault will the power stay off to keep your home safe. This is particularly imperative for people who are away a lot, or for holiday homes.
So the system will have done its job, and you won’t come home to any smelly disasters.

If you have any questions or would like some free advice…call Martin – The English Electrician on 627 08 08 51

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Smart Solar Power

Did you know that Solar Power doesn’t have to mean low voltage lighting and gas fridges?

If your system is calculated properly and you have a moderate budget, modern intelligent solar systems are so efficient and automated that it can be just like living connected to the mains!

So if you are thinking about installing this, or any other type of solar power, what do you need to know?

Before considering a solar system, firstly get a professional electrician to assess connecting you to the mains. You may be surprised at how viable this may be for you wherever you are. You can then compare accurately whether mains or solar is a better financial investment for you.

Then, consider your daily or weekly usage of your electrical items. Multiply the wattage of all your items by the time you use them. (Be realistic – it will become annoying later if you haven’t got enough power) Then you can calculate how many solar panels and or what Wind Turbine you’ll need. Remember, allow 3-4 days reserve for when there’s no sun or wind.
Consider installing a Tracker for your panels which can give you 35-40% more charge than static panels, and may reduce the number of panels you need, though you will need to calculate for your specific system whether the cost of the tracker is justified by the saving on panels.

A 3000watt inverter / charger usually provides enough power for an average house, but what’s really crucial to ensure your system will meet your circumstances is the size and type of batteries you use.

Or you could consider installing a fully automated system with Generator backup…
This will ensure you’re NEVER left without power and may be more economical by reducing the amount of battery capacity you need. Working in conjunction with your Charger / Inverter it will not only charge the batteries but automatically switch your house to run from the generator whilst charging, maximizing it’s running costs. You can even program it to switch the generator on automatically when you use heavy usage appliances like washing machines so they don’t drain your precious battery bank!

You can see from these few brief points that it’s important your system is designed specifically for your usage, situation, position and budget to ensure not only that it will meet your power needs, but will also be the most economical solution for you. It is usually better to avoid off the shelf package deals for just this reason.
If you make sure you install an expandable system, you also have security of knowing that you can adapt your system to meet any changing needs in the future.

For all of these reasons as well as outstanding reliability we’re currently installing the exceptional Outback Power Systems.
Visit www.outbackpower.com and if you have any questions or if you would like some free advice on calculating your system…call Martin – The English Electrician on 627 08 08 51

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Does you electricity keep tripping out?

If your Electric is always tripping out it could be because you don’t have a large enough supply, especially if you are still using an existing supply from when you bought your home as some Spanish homes have as little as 345w (which is only enough to run a few light bulbs!)

Try to notice if it tends to happen when you use large electrical items like heaters – if so you probably need “Mas Potencia” from your electricity supplier.

Check the ‘Potencia’ on your contract and compare that to the power ratings on your appliances to see if you need more power. For example if your contract power is 2.2KW but your washing machine is 1.4KW and you kettle is1.8KW, then you won’t be able to have them both or anything else on at the same time.

The standing charge for your Spanish electrical supply varies according to the amount of ‘Potencia’ you want to pay for, which is why if you are still using a previous owners supply you may find it is set at the cheapest minimum level. It’s controlled by a restricting device called an ICP (Interuptor de Control de Potencia) which is sealed into your fuse box by the electricity board with a lead seal. The only way to change your supply is for the Electricity board to come and change your ICP.

If your existing system meets current safety regulations, it may be possible to upgrade to have more power simply by going to the Endesa Punto De Servicio office.

If this is not possible, you’ll need a Boletine (Certificate on compliance with the new regulations) from an authorised Electrician. For your home to be issued with one it will need to meet regulations such as: a new style Double Module Meter Box, outside your house, with metal door and lock; correct Short Circuit Protection (MCB or Automaticos); Direct and Indirect Contact Protection (RCD or Differencial); a Surge Protector (Sobretensione) that protects your whole house; and to be connected to the new infrastructure.

You’ll also need your Boletine if you want a new connection, to be reconnected or to change an electricity contract into your name.

You can then celebrate by making a cup of tea at the same time as the washing is on, without the lights going off!

Prices can start from €235 for complete upgrades.

For further information on how to protect your home and meet the new regulations.

Contact Martin on 627 080851 – martin@englishelectrician.com

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Get Connected

If you are thinking about connecting your home to mains electricity, or just wishing you could, there are a few things that could surprise you.

If you live in the campo, you may be wondering if your property is too remote or difficult for it to be a possibility. Perhaps you think your only option is solar power. The fact is that if you want mains electricity you can, in theory, get connected anywhere. The only prohibitive factor is cost, which in difficult or remote areas can make it uneconomical. But you may be surprised and have a supply you can connect to much closer than you think!

On the other hand, you may assume if you live in a village that connecting to mains electricity should be no problem – and generally it’s not! But if your property has neighbours between you and the supply, they can make life very difficult or expensive if they won’t allow cables to be put across their house.

A good starting point is to speak to your neighbours to see if you can get an idea where your nearest mains cable is. If your property has had electricity connected in the past this means getting a new connection is much easier, look to see if there’s any indication of the new infrastructure in your area as this also makes it easier to get your home connected to mains power and all the creature comforts it brings.

If this is the first time your property will have electricity you’ll need to obtain your Licence of First Occupation “Licencia de Primero Ocupacion” from your local town hall to determine the classification of the property.

Remember, it is a registered Electrician not the Electricity board that will carry out the works to get you connected. An electrician can cheaply carry out an inspection to establish your situation, identify your easiest connection options and give you an initial estimate according to your needs and location.

Then, you or your Electrician need to make a Petition de Acomitida  with Sevillana Endesa to request the electricity you would like according to your needs. Endesa will then arrange a site visit with your Electrician to assess and confirm the necessary requirements. They will give your electrician a specification of what works they require in order to physically connect your property, and then your Electrician will be able to give you a definite price to complete the work.

If your new cable connection to your property has to go along or over someone else’s property, you’ll need them to sign a Permiso de Paso to Endesa giving the Electricity Board authorisation to maintain or inspect the cabling without prior permission. Without these you won’t be able to get the electricity turned on, so it’s worth getting these done before you carry out any works.

You’ll need to have the latest standard of meter box and fuse box installed in the property and ensure ALL the wiring and fittings meet the new regulations in order for your registered Electrician to give you a ‘Boletine’ safety compliance certificate.

Once all this is complete, you or your Electrician present your Boletine to Endesa to request your new contract and get your power turned on!

If you have any questions or would like some free advice…  Contact Martin on 627 080851 or email martin@englishelectrician.com

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Problem power surges

Protect Your Whole House and All Your Electrical Items with a Surge Protector Built Into Your Fusebox

Under New Spanish Regulations, Surge Protectors Are Now OBLIGATORY In All New and Upgraded Installations.

You may have heard of using individual Surge Protectors for your computer – they’re advisable in the UK but essential in Spain if you don’t want to lose such valuable and sensitive equipment. Now instead of putting surge protectors on each item you want to protect, one device in your fuse box protects everything!

The power supply in Spain can be very ‘dirty’ ie lots of spikes and fluctuations in the power level. When the power level drops you may have noticed your lights dim momentarily, but when there is a surge generally the only symptom is some piece of your electrical equipment just stops working. That can be an expensive problem to ignore and you may loose a few items before you realise you have a problem.

Now Spanish regulations have recognised the problem and have made it obligatory to build Surge protection (Sobretensiones) into your fuse box to protect your electrical system and all of your electrical equipment with one device.

Simply installed in your existing fuse box (Subject to there being enough space) and connected after the primary protective device in your home the RCD (Residual Circuit Device or here in Spain Differencial) your surge protector will then operate your RCD when they detect an Over Voltage or Surge on the Mains Supply and switch off the electricity from your equipment to protect and stop any electrical damage to your appliances.

They’re available in Single or 3 Phase units to cover ALL types of installation.

It’s straight forward to do and will more than pay for itself by saving just one appliance, so why not follow the latest safety directive for your home now?

Prices starting from €135 fully installed

For further information on how to protect your home and meet the new regulations.

Contact Martin on 627 080851