Fixed, indexed or PVPC: which electricity tariff suits your home in Spain?
Understand the differences, what to check and how to choose based on your electricity use.
By Otria · Updated:
First, understand the two different questions
Electricity offers describe both the market you buy from and how your price is calculated.
- Regulated market: PVPC, available through designated suppliers called Comercializadoras de Referencia.
- Free market: suppliers offer their own contracts, including fixed-price and indexed plans.
Another distinction is whether you pay one energy rate throughout the day or different rates at different times. A fixed-price plan can have either structure.
What is a fixed-price electricity plan?
A fixed-price plan sets agreed energy rates for a specified period. It can make the energy-price part of your bill more predictable.
Check:
- Whether there is one rate all day or different rates by time period.
- How long the agreed prices last.
- What happens when the contract renews.
- Whether discounts end before the contract does.
- Any additional services or early-exit conditions.
Fixed-price contracts have protections against price changes during their term. Changes to regulated components require separate consideration; “fixed” should not be interpreted as freezing every part of your bill.
What is an indexed electricity plan?
An indexed plan uses a formula linked to electricity market prices. Your energy price can rise or fall as those references change.
Check the formula, the supplier’s fees and how the price applies to your consumption. Do not assume that “indexed” automatically means cheaper.
Before a dynamic-price contract is signed, the supplier must explain its opportunities, costs and risks, provide an estimate of monthly billing and obtain the consumer’s consent.
What is PVPC?
PVPC is Spain’s regulated electricity tariff. Its prices change using a regulated calculation that combines short-term electricity market prices with forward-market references. It is not a fixed-price plan.
PVPC is available to eligible individuals and microenterprises with low-voltage supplies and contracted power no greater than 10 kW in each applicable period. You contract it through a Comercializadora de Referencia.
Which option should you investigate?
| What matters to you? | What to compare |
|---|---|
| More predictable energy rates | Fixed-price offers, including their duration and renewal terms. |
| Prices that follow the market | Indexed offers and PVPC, including their formulas and charges. |
| Using appliances at cheaper times | Prices by time period and how they match your routine. |
| The lowest estimated bill | Eligible offers calculated using the same consumption, period and included charges. |
Your habits help identify a suitable structure. The full calculation shows whether a particular offer is competitive.
A simple household example
You work from home and prefer to use appliances whenever you need them.
A plan with one energy rate throughout the day may suit that routine because you do not need to schedule electricity use around cheaper periods.
But it is not automatically the cheapest choice. Compare its estimated total cost with other eligible offers, including power charges, additional services and any temporary discounts.
How to compare offers fairly
Use the same electricity consumption and billing period for each offer. Check:
- Energy charges: what you pay for the electricity you use.
- Contracted power: charges linked to your contracted capacity.
- Other costs: taxes, meter rental and any paid services.
- Promotions: what the discount covers and when it ends.
- Contract conditions: duration, renewal and any early-exit charges.
If an estimate includes a temporary promotion, look separately at what you would pay after it ends. If that price is unavailable, treat it as an unanswered question.
Common questions
Does a fixed-price tariff mean I pay the same every month?
No. It fixes the agreed energy-price structure for a period, not your electricity consumption or necessarily every bill component.
Is PVPC always cheaper?
No. The outcome depends on prices over the period, your consumption pattern and the alternative offer’s full costs.
Can a fixed-price plan have different prices during the day?
Yes. Fixed pricing and time-of-use pricing describe different things. A contract can set agreed rates for several time periods.
Find a plan that fits your home
Otria uses your electricity bill and household preferences to compare eligible offers, explain why they fit and estimate what you could pay.
Results depend on available tariff data. An estimate is not a guaranteed saving, and you decide whether to switch.
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