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Portugal and Spain had proposed setting the price for gas in electricity production at 30 euros per MWh, but the European Commission has determined that the ceiling is 40 euros.
Brussels has given the green light to the Iberian proposal to limit the price of natural gas used to produce electricity. However, the initial price set by the European Commission is 40 euros per MWh, whereas the two countries had proposed 30 euros per MWh.
The announcement was made on Tuesday by the Minister for the Environment, Duarte Cordeiro, and the Spanish Minister for the Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera, at a press conference in Brussels. The measure should take effect in May.
‘Today Portugal and Spain reached a political agreement with the European Commission after very intense weeks of work, which required very difficult technical work, but which has allowed us to make very significant progress today and reach a very satisfactory result,’ said Duarte Cordeiro.
The agreement, he explained, consists of the creation of a temporary mechanism that allows the price of electricity in the Iberian Peninsula to be decoupled from the price of gas. The mechanism ‘makes it possible to defend consumers who were exposed to the market,’ added the minister.
The mechanism will last 12 months, during which an average gas price of 50 MWh will be set, but it will start at 40 euros. Over the course of the 12 months, it will rise to 50 euros. The price is currently around 90 euros per MWh.
According to published but unofficial information, the initial Iberian proposal was for a lower ceiling of 30 euros per MWhour, which would result in a wholesale market price of 110 to 120 euros per MWhour. But European negotiations resulted in a higher limit, which will still guarantee savings on electricity purchases on the spot market - market prices with CO2 will be around 140 euros per MW hour compared to average market prices of 200 euros per MW hour.
It remains to be seen specifically how the revenues will be shared between sellers and buyers in order to avoid creating a tariff deficit, whether there will be compensation for gas-fired power stations that will be paid at the expense of the gains from renewables, and what savings the new model will make for consumers on both sides of the border. At the beginning of April, the presidents of several companies in the sector sent a letter to Brussels in which they warned that the proposal is more favourable for Spanish consumers than for Portuguese ones, and that they may even end up paying more.
‘All consumers will benefit and none will be harmed and the consumers who are exposed and will benefit from this mechanism will also be the ones who will bear the cost of the mechanism,’ said Duarte Cordeiro, explaining that, ’once the mechanism comes into force, all consumers who are exposed will benefit from a reduction in the price of their bill.’
According to the minister, ‘the average gain during this period, if the price of gas remains high, will be very significant’. In recent days it hasn't been gas that has marked the price on the Iberian market, said Duarte Cordeiro.
When questioned by journalists, the Environment Minister also said that Portugal and Spain have alerted the European Commission to the need to ‘rethink’ the price formation, because this mechanism is temporary. ‘It's clear that there is a gap here, or a flaw, which either needs to be corrected in the formation of the price or corrected in the interconnections. There are several aspects that need to be interconnected for the future of price formation in the Iberian market,’ he concluded.
The Spanish minister corroborated that the issue of the ‘very low interconnections’ between the Iberian Peninsula and the rest of Europe ‘is the main restriction on consumers being able to enjoy the advantages of the internal electricity market’, which is why, along with the high level of renewables, the two countries benefit from this temporary exception in the operation of the market.
Teresa Ribera added that the two countries hope that ‘in the next few days’, once the whole procedure has been completed, it will be possible to have the Commission's support so that the mechanism can be implemented ‘immediately’. The formal communication with the European authorities should be finalised by the end of the week. In the case of Spain, the measure could be taken to the Council of Ministers next week and will be materialised in consumer bills in May, said Teresa Ribera. Duarte Cordeiro added that the national timings will be identical, depending on Brussels' ability to respond to the information sent by the two countries.
The Spanish minister also emphasised that the mechanism is designed to ‘strengthen the protection of consumers who have a higher level of exposure to the wholesale electricity market’, both domestic and industrial.
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Having a good lighting system at home is essential for conveying the right sensations in each room, providing comfort and clarity to ensure the health of your eyes, as well as being a way of enhancing the property and making it more welcoming, for example. However, the type of lighting will vary depending on the room in the house. Find out which lights should be in each type of space, as well as their layout.
Kitchen
In this room, the most important thing is to opt for general lighting in the center of the room, capable of illuminating every corner of the kitchen. In this sense, you could also add small beams of light above the stove, the dishwasher or a specific area where you work regularly.
Living room
The living room calls for soft lighting, don't you agree? However, this should cover the whole room. It's important to position accent lights at certain key points, not only to create more light, but also to make their use more efficient.
Please note that you should not place light points above sofas, armchairs, pouffes or any other resting places.
Bathroom
In the bathroom, you can use two types of lighting: a general light and a task light located on the mirror. You can also use a diffused or indirect light near the mirror, so that your face is illuminated evenly and without excess light.
Bedroom
In the bedroom, invest in a system that allows you to turn off both the main light and the bedside table lights from the bed. But don't forget that the light should be soft and should not be projected directly onto the headboard.
Dining room
Finally, in the dining room, it's best to opt for hanging lamps, so that you can create a task lighting system over your dining area.
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Easter is approaching and, for many, this is the time to gather the family around the table. More people at home can also mean a 'heavier' energy bill.
With this in mind, Selectra presents seven tips that can help you reduce your expenses this Easter. Take note:
1. Control the temperature in your home
“Providing a comfortable environment doesn't mean having to turn on the heating to values similar to those of a summer's day! In other words, an average temperature of 20ºC should be more than enough to guarantee pleasant air, especially if there are no air leaks in the area you want to heat.”
2. Limit the consumption of electronic devices
“Easter is characterized by moments of family togetherness, right? Then continue this tradition and put your electronic devices away for the day. As well as being an opportunity to socialize with your loved ones, it's also an excellent way to save energy!”
3. Favor natural lighting
“If the day allows it, open the curtains in your home and let the sun illuminate your interior. It's not uncommon for us to turn on the lights before dark without even considering it, but in fact, for activities that don't require a lot of eye strain, natural lighting is perfectly capable of fulfilling this function. And now that we've recently entered daylight saving time, the opportunities to save energy are even greater!”
4. Make toilet flushing more efficient
“If you're expecting visitors these days, it's likely that the number of flushes from your toilet will skyrocket. But did you know that the simple act of filling a bottle with water and placing it in the tank can considerably increase its energy efficiency? What's more, it also has the advantage of reducing the amount of water that is released with each flush.”
5. Pay attention to the pans you use
“Every pot has its place on the stove! Or, to put it another way, small pans go on the smallest burners and larger ones on the top. This is because if you use a pan that doesn't fit the size of the stove, a lot of energy is wasted, and it doesn't even help the food to cook faster.”
6. Turning the stove on full blast doesn't help it cook faster
“When you're late cooking lunch, is your first instinct to turn the stove on full blast? Well, that doesn't automatically speed up the process! The best way to ensure you have lunch ready on time for your family is to cut the food into smaller pieces and cover the pot while you're cooking. This saves not only time but also energy!”
7. Leave the washing up to the dishwasher!
“After lunch, it's natural for someone to offer to do the dishes, but it's best to kindly decline this offer, as using the machine is considerably cheaper and uses far fewer resources. However, for this appliance to be fully efficient, it must be used at its maximum capacity and preferably on an 'eco' program that can reduce electricity consumption by up to 45%.”
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An efficient home is also a home that saves money, as it allows for more efficient energy consumption. Measuring a home's energy efficiency level is essential to understanding how you can improve it and save - both the environment and your wallet.
“In this sense, there are energy certificates, which classify the energy performance of a house or building on a scale from F (very inefficient) to A+ (very efficient), and present measures that can reduce energy consumption and improve thermal comfort. In addition, they also allow you to access financing at better rates, enjoy tax benefits in terms of IMI or IMT, or reduce fees for property rehabilitation,” explains the Casavo platform.
The digital platform for the residential market shares five tips for obtaining an energy certificate. Take note:
- Contact a qualified expert: “Only architects or engineers with at least five years' experience and recognized by the Energy Agency (ADENE), the entity that manages the Energy Certification System for Buildings, are qualified to assess and determine the efficiency of the house and subsequently issue the document, so it is important to ensure that the right expert is consulted.”
- Ask for a quote: “The cost of registering and issuing an energy certificate varies according to the size of the house and the use of the space (housing or commerce and services), and the expert's fees are added to this amount. As long as they remain valid, within ten years for housing, energy certificates can be updated without having to make a new payment, but the expert can charge a fee.”
- Schedule the expert's visit: “Once you've decided which expert is right for you, they will have to visit the house to analyze and assess it. During this visit, he will try to gather as much information as possible to assess the energy efficiency of the house and draw up the certificate.”
- Gather the necessary information: “Before the visit, you should gather all the documentation relating to the property, namely a copy of the plan of the property, the urban land registry, the certificate of registration at the registry office and the technical sheet, which should include technical specifications of the materials and systems of the house.”
- See the first version of the report: “It's important to ask to see the previous version of the report and check the data in the document. Before the report is officially issued, the expert can send a copy, which has no legal validity, so that the owner can confirm that everything is in accordance with the visit.”
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