The consumer group Facua-Consumidores en Acción has called for a nationwide switch-off tonight at 6pm Canarian time (7pm on the mainland) to show the electricity companies what can be done with mass protest – and how their profits can be affected if we act together. Facua has asked everyone to come together and turn all electrical appliances off for one hour to send a clear message that electricity price rises cannot continue.
Already, electricity prices have risen 78% over the last ten years, and from March, there seem set to be monthly rises. We already know that the electricity companies had their eyes on an 11% rise for the new year, even though the government refused that, recognizing it was politically suicidal. The rises might yet even out at 11% though, if they are allowed to go up on a monthly basis. Let's show them we're not that stupid ...
I'll be turning everything off for an hour at 6pm tonight. Will you? JA (http://www.janetanscombe.com/news/mass-electricity-switch-off-at-6pm-tonight-will-you-take-part-to-send-a-message-about-price-rises-to-the-electricity-companies.html)
edit: Anyone who's sharing the mass switch-off protest on social media should use #apagón30D to help focus the dissemination.
A mass switch off may get a reaction, although I doubt it. But what would worry me is the related Mass switch on. Unless the generating stations are ready for it, the knock on effect could be like shooting yourself in the foot.
I make no comment, but simply reproduce the following from FACUA : the link below is to a document detailing all electricity price rises since 1993 - 20 years' worth. They also say -
Elena Salgado, former economy minister, was taken on by Endesa months after leaving office.
José María Aznar, former Prime Minister, who started "electricity liberalisation". Today he is in Endesa's pay.
Pedro Solbes, former economy minister, today works for Enel, one of the largest power companies in Europe with connections to Endesa.
Ángel Acebes, former minister, today a member of the executive commission of Iberdrola, a Spanish private multinational electric company.
Luis de Guindos, current economy minister, worked for Endesa in 2011 at a salary of €368,000 ...
here's the link to the doc:
:link: (http://facua.org/es/documentos/evoluciontarifaselectricas1993-2013.pdf)
That's fairly disgusting but not suprising! to be honest is it any diffrent in the UK?
Same in Belgium ex. ministers all over in the bigg companys after their therms . . . . .
Are people switching off their fridge/freezers as well? :undecided:
And will the switch-off contribution count of some residents in an apartment block if the neighbours don't join in?
I don't think an hour will harm a FF ... and I think the consumption will go down even if only one person in a block switches off ...
Ok, I'm switched off - I've just pulled the master trip switch in the hall :tiphat:
The protest was only brought to my attention by Perikles about 10 minutes ago as I've been out all day. He phoned to see if we had power, as they don't. The power mysteriously went off just before 18.00, although as we spoke the street lights in their area came on. He suspects the power company cut the power in anticipation of the protest to guard against the effects of a sudden drop in consumption as well as the sudden surge when people switch back on. When he called, by the way, I had just switched on the outside Xmas lights so if anyone on my street is taking the protest seriously they'll think I'm a real wally.
Please report in if you have power or have observed the protest, either yourself or on your street. Of course we know Nova's in the dark, voluntarily, and J&P involuntarily, and I'm violating a protest.
Surely there will be more anon once power returns to affected areas.
No power cut round here, the street lights are on as are the Christmas lights in the street, the neighbours, shops and restaurants all have power. I think Endesa has targeted the area where Janet lives :whistle:
By the way I'm connected through my iPhone tethered to my laptop which is running on battery :great:
Quote from: Nova on Mon 30 Dec 2013, 17:56
Ok, I'm switched off - I've just pulled the master trip switch in the hall :tiphat:
If I was over on the rock Nova, I would look after you in the dark .....Oops am I doing it again :hug:
:-[ :whistle:
:kissing2:
we could have run on battery ... but the router doesn't work if the electricity is off. We're back on now and all normal ...
Now all you people that are protesting about an increase. How many of you know, without running to look at your bill, what price you pay for 1 unit of electricity. I suspect not many. :whistle:
I had no idea but asked Perikles who said he thought it was 14 cents. He's just been to check a bill, and it's 14.6 cents :clap:
OH keeps track. That's how we know how much the resistor in the solar heater costs to run. Yes, that one.
Quote from: Myrtle Hogan-Lance on Mon 30 Dec 2013, 20:02
OH keeps track. That's how we know how much the resistor in the solar heater costs to run. Yes, that one.
But you were going to protest, and you didn't even know how much you were paying. :03:
No, I wasn't. I did not even hear about the protest until nearly 40 minutes into it when Perikles phoned to find out if we had power. OH keeps track so we know exactly how much we are spending. We need to to figure out the savings - less spent on gas but how much more spent on electricity - of the solar water heater.
I didn't know either, not to the unit, but I know our bills are high for what we use, and that they've doubled in the last few years ... and that the electricity company wanted to hike them 11% in one go ... and that although the government said no, their 2.3% is only for the first quarter, and then we're thrown to the wolves with monthly rises ... probably ...
edit: ... and because they're cheating bastards ... just come across THIS (https://www.facua.org/es/noticia.php?Id=8161) in the last minute! "Special offers" that push your bill up 16% .... FFS ... :gonnagetit:
Your unit price is not that much different to what I pay, which is 13.1p. but presumably you guys would use a lot less than us.
I guess... :undecided:
This is the point, though. There was a time when electricity was "cheap" here. Now it's virtually the same as the UK ... and on Canarian wages that's a hell of a hike.
Quote from: Delderek on Mon 30 Dec 2013, 21:41
Your unit price is not that much different to what I pay, which is 13.1p. but presumably you guys would use a lot less than us.
That's an interesting question. As Janet points out, wages are far lower here, so electricity is relatively expensive. Now assuming that people are not insane enough to use electricity directly for central heating, why would we use a lot less than in the UK?
By the way, privately I do think that even at this price, electricity is a really cheap commodity considering how spectacular its contribution to living standards is.
.
I forgot . . . . . . . but it's OK, I'll do it tonight.
Quote from: Perikles on Tue 31 Dec 2013, 07:56
That's an interesting question. As Janet points out, wages are far lower here, so electricity is relatively expensive. Now assuming that people are not insane enough to use electricity directly for central heating, why would we use a lot less than in the UK?
By the way, privately I do think that even at this price, electricity is a really cheap commodity considering how spectacular its contribution to living standards is.
Thinking about it, probably not much less, if any. You do have longer daylight hours so that would be a small saving, but would be more than offset by Electric water heating.
We had 3 short power cuts yesterday between 6pm and 7pm. I wonder if there was some connection (geddit?) with the boycott?
yes, ditto, this was why we turned it off around 6.45 ourselves. We too thought there would be a connection ... :D
Well we turned off apart from the fridge which the wife wouldn't turn off! The consequence was I couldn't get back on the bloody internet for most of the evening!!
Anyway just for fun, why don't we have a competition on who can reduce their bill in the next two months. I've just paid ours for the last two months and it was €101.87 (our last house where we had a swimming pool and we wern't careful was about €50 every two months. That was just over 7 years ago)
I assume we get bills at more or less the same time? So post your most recent bill here and we'll come back in two months and see who is green and who is not :great:
Guanche are you trying to get me wound up? :giggle: :giggle:
I can post the amount in euros by checking the bank account but have to go around to Adeje to get that nice woman to print me my latest bill since Endesa won't let me see them online.
Euros will do Myrtle :) most of the time I only know what the bill is by the amount they take out of the bank! as half the time I don't get a bill through the post, haven't got one this month. I just couldn't face trying to get it on line :banghead:
This year its generally been around, after they changed it back to bimonthly, €90 a bill.
On 24/12 they charged us 216.63€.
On 18/10 they charged us 135.28€.
The solar water heater was installed 28/10.
Quote from: Myrtle Hogan-Lance on Tue 31 Dec 2013, 13:37
On 24/12 they charged us 216.63€.
On 18/10 they charged us 135.28€.
The solar water heater was installed 28/10.
So if I read this right Myrtle your elec has gone up since you had the solar heater installed?
For the year up to end Nov this year my electricity bill in the UK was pds 646.00, (equating to pds 53 per month) with a consumption of 5573 kwh. next year projected to be pds 744.00. I can only assume that the "standing charge" in Tenerife is a lot higher than here. Or you all have some very furred up water heaters. :undecided:
Quote from: Guanche on Tue 31 Dec 2013, 10:25
Well we turned off apart from the fridge which the wife wouldn't turn off! The consequence was I couldn't get back on the bloody internet for most of the evening!!
Anyway just for fun, why don't we have a competition on who can reduce their bill in the next two months. I've just paid ours for the last two months and it was €101.87 (our last house where we had a swimming pool and we wern't careful was about €50 every two months. That was just over 7 years ago)
I assume we get bills at more or less the same time? So post your most recent bill here and we'll come back in two months and see who is green and who is not :great:
Now perhaps that proves it's a Router/Modem problem with your communications, as a loss of mains power would not interfere with the 50v DC supply for your phone line. And the Router Modem should have reconnected immediately mains power was restored :undecided:
Quote from: Guanche on Tue 31 Dec 2013, 13:53
So if I read this right Myrtle your elec has gone up since you had the solar heater installed?
Yes, it has, and we have been using the electrical element as we have had a lot of cloud. I can't though claim it is all due to the solar heater; since we have the conduit running up to the top roof where OH's ham antennas are, he's been running a lot of radio and other equipment. Plus our electrical bill seem to jump around all over the place, although the most recent is the highest this year. I'm asking OH to look into it.
Quote from: Myrtle Hogan-Lance on Tue 31 Dec 2013, 15:55Plus our electrical bill seem to jump around all over the place,
Two reasons - one used to be that every other month was an estimate, and since nobody in Endesa has the brains to program a computer properly, they could never get the algorithm right. This meant alternate months being billed at the wrong amount and corrected the next, giving a kind of saw-tooth graph to the bill. This was still happening earlier this year, I think.
The other reason is that they are incapable of reading the meter at exactly two month intervals, at least in rural areas. I see that my bill varies because the time of meter reading varies by up to a week. This doesn't sound much, but if a meter reading is, say, a week late, you get billed for 9 weeks then 7 weeks. You still get a bill going up and down like - um - dunno - something that goes up and down a lot - ah - it goes up and down like an electricity bill.
Quote from: Perikles on Tue 31 Dec 2013, 16:07
going up and down like - um - dunno - something that goes up and down a lot - ah - it goes up and down like an electricity bill.
Fiddler's elbow?
Tarts drawers?
:getmecoat:
Quote from: Michael on Tue 31 Dec 2013, 17:22
Fiddler's elbow?
Tarts drawers?
:getmecoat:
Bride's nightie? :closet:
Tomorrow, perhaps, I'll try to bring this back to topic, but clearly it's not worth it tonight....
Regarding our bill, when I mentioned the amount of increase to OH he immediately pointed out all the extra equipment he has been running since the solar water heater was installed.
He sent me this article, The shocking price of Spanish electricity (http://elpais.com/elpais/2014/01/01/inenglish/1388590410_230748.html), from El País in English. It mentions the part about the politicians being on the boards of energy companies. It talks about people being unable to afford to pay their electricity bills. It gives the most complicated description of the production of electricity, pricing, and markets which I don't even pretend to understand. Bottom line, we are being ripped off.
Quote from: Myrtle Hogan-Lance on Thu 2 Jan 2014, 16:01
Regarding our bill, when I mentioned the amount of increase to OH he immediately pointed out all the extra equipment he has been running since the solar water heater was installed.
He sent me this article, The shocking price of Spanish electricity (http://elpais.com/elpais/2014/01/01/inenglish/1388590410_230748.html), from El País in English. It mentions the part about the politicians being on the boards of energy companies. It talks about people being unable to afford to pay their electricity bills. It gives the most complicated description of the production of electricity, pricing, and markets which I don't even pretend to understand. Bottom line, we are being ripped off.
Not really it's still slightly cheaper per unit than the UK (maybe not overall depending on your standing charge, but no one has stated that yet).
Well after two months of running round the house turning lights off, Turning off one of the two fridges we were using and generally trying to be careful, we got the bill today. I have to say I was disappointed. Before we, or I should say I, tried to reduce the bill we were paying about €98 every two months. This bill is €82 a reduction of about €16! Was it worth it? No, will I be carring on with the experiment? No. Very disappointing.
well I dunno, G, that's around a 15% saving ...
But for what I didn't do and what I did do I expected more. We had two fridges on the go. One a large fridge freezer was in the up stairs kitchen. It had two compressors so we only had the freezer half working. We also had a larder fridge with a separate small freezer box in the down stairs kitchen. So we brought the large newer fridge freezer down stairs and took the old one up stairs and turned it off.
We have two large flat screen TV's one in the living room and the wife's in the bedroom. For the experiment I decided I would not use mine in the living room but go to bed a bit earlyer and watch the wife's TV.
I didn't do any work in the garage with my machines. Just turning the light on in the garage illuminates 8 110cm fluorescent light bulbs not to mention the 1.5 horse power electric motors on my circular saw 2hp compressor and other electrical machines that I would normally use on a daily basis. I even turned down the fountains in the garden.
I would find it difficult to reduce our consumption any more. So as I say disappointing on the bright side I can now go back to watching what I want on my TV! :great:
well on that basis I would say you'd done as well as you could to minimise your expenditure, and that a 15% saving was really not worth the inconvenience. At least you've found out you weren't wasting it awfully.
From before,
QuoteOn 24/12 they charged us 216.63€.
On 18/10 they charged us 135.28€.
The 21/2 bill was 194.29€. That is a reduction of 22.34 or 10%.
I think it is still too early to draw any conclusions here. And our bill will be high in April as I have simply had to turn on the space heater from time to time as at 16 degrees you can see your breath.
Don't think you guys should get to paranoid about Electricity prices, many of the things that have been mentioned are very low consumption, so you may find my figures below help you make the right decisions.
A flat sceen LED TV will will only cost about 3.0c per hour (Plasma almost 75% higher)
A Fridge about 2.0c per hour
A freezer about 2.1c per hour
Ceiling Fan about 1.1c per hour
The items below consume a little more but still not a big worry.
An Iron about 22c per hour
An electric kettle about 30c per hour
An 100w tungsten bulb 15c per hour
A 6ft fluorescent tube about 12c per hour
Now the culprits that run away with the money.
Washing machine about 45c per hour
Dish washer about 45c per hour
Water heater about 35c per hour
Heating or Aircon around 45c per hour
All are maximum consumption, and many appliances are thermosat controlled and so are not consuming all the time.
I have calculated the price at around 15c per KWH which I think is about right for Tenerife.
Tenerife gets nearly the most sunshine of the whole of europe.
If you want cheap electricity put a solarpanel on youre roof and dont tell the gouvernment as they can tax you prehaps later as they did in Belgium.
Quote from: poker on Tue 25 Feb 2014, 21:45
Tenerife gets nearly the most sunshine of the whole of europe.
If you want cheap electricity put a solarpanel on youre roof and dont tell the gouvernment as they can tax you prehaps later as they did in Belgium.
If only it was that simple. Solar panels on their own are pretty useless. They generate DC current and then have to have very expensive inverters to convert to AC.
These expensive units have a relatively short life. And make the whole equation questionable.
and really, considering the fines they are talking about if they catch people doing it without reporting it, taking a flyer on them not catching you isn't worth a candle ... as they say ... :D
As I already mensioned on another thread , yust put all youre lighting on it its very eazy and stay on 12 v .
No complications or heavy uses on 220 neccery , leave youre fridge , wascher and kettle on the mains .
A simple light systhem doesent cost to mutch and is earnt back in a couple of year .
The peaple getting cought are these putting 220v back in the systhem and letting their meter run backwoulds .
They can never fine you with an even big 12 v systhem as you are doing nothing wrong .