Spaniards' electricity bills rise 70 percent in six years!

'El País in English' reports that between 2006 and 2011, the price of electricity for Spanish consumers rose 69.9 percent, according to Eurostat figures. Meanwhile, in the 27 European Union countries, the average rise over the same period was 19.9 percent. In the euro area, the rise was just 13.1 percent.

Read more:Spaniards' electricity bills rise 70 percent in six years | In English | EL PAÍS

World record in current intensity achieved with distribution cables

Science Daily reports that researchers in Spain have developed the most advanced and powerful conductivity cable in the world. This prototype measures 30 metres and was made using superconducting material. The new cable surpasses the record in current intensity (3200 Ampers RMS) and can transport an electrical charge five times greater than a conventional copper cable of the same dimensions, thus reducing energy loss by half.

It is estimated that some 60% of the electricity produced is lost by the current cables used for transmission. The use of the superconductive cables would enable less energy to be used to produce the electricity needed, without a reduction in the amount available to the end user. There would be benefits to the environment because there would be a reduction in the levels of CO2 emissions.

Read the full article here

Switching Electrical Suppliers only saves 23 € per year

Nine months after the liberalization of the electricity tariff came into force (1st July 2009), the savings that consumers can make is virtually negligible.

According to a study by the National Energy Commission (Comisión Nacional de la Energía), the most competitive deals offer savings of only between 8€ and 23€ per year for the Tarifa de Último Recurso (TUR) (Rate of Last Resort), the maximum rate set by the government.

Savings of 67€ per year can be found in the case of special deals offered by companies supplying gas and electricity together.

The conclusions of this survey also shows that an average consumer on a domestic rate of 5.5 kilowatts (kW) pays 1287€ per year.

For this study, the energy regulator has taken up the offers available in the market between 1 and 7 February. In November, when the NEC conducted the previous comparison, the average saving was 22€ per year.

The biggest savings for domestic customers of 5.5 kW is obtained with HC Energía formerly known as Energy HidroCantábrico, with an average annual price of 1264€. This offer is more competitive than those of Iberdrola and Endesa, exceeding 1,350 euros per year, but they offer 100% renewable warranty or free services to home care and emergency repairs.

Moreover, the best deals on the market for domestic consumers of gas means saving between 8 and 17 euros per year.