energy costs in Spain - residential...ouch Energy prices were rising in Spain even before the war in Ukraine, but Russia limiting its gas supply to Europe has kickstarted a substantial cost of living increase for residents.
For six years leading up to 2020, the average Spanish household paid $786 (€780) a year for electricity. Now the average annual bill is $1,382 (€1,371), the Spanish consumer organization OCU told Euronews. In August alone, energy prices soared by 65.8%, according to organization's data.
The government is also trying to preserve energy supplies.
The Spanish government announced at the start of August that air conditioning must be limited to 27 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit) in public buildings, administrative buildings, and shops. The government also restricted heating in these places to a maximum of 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit).
Another citizen, Anabel, told Euronews that even her regulated tariff was increasing at an unprecedented rate.
"The cost of gas and electricity is crazy even though I'm meant to have this social discount rate," she said.
"It's because I'm forced to be on the regulated tariff which keeps going up! Everything is going up! The weekly shop is now a third more expensive and then there's petrol."
Food prices are also on the rise in Spain. The OCU estimates that the average food shop is now 15.2% more than it was in August 2021, per Euronews.