The light of the light has risen because of it

May 2025 was on its way to becoming the cheapest month in the recent history of the Spanish electrical system. The combination of abundant renewables – hydraulics, wind and photovoltaic in full spring boom – pushed wholesale prices to minimal. According to the countryin one in three hours of the month, the price was even negative. Against all forecast, consumers have ended up paying more.

A higher invoice. To avoid a collapse, a series of emergency mechanisms were activated: The so -called adjustment services. These are energy reserves that allow the network to balance at times of extreme mismatch between supply and demand. However, May’s bill is now reflecting that extra cost. It does not matter that the average market price was among the lowest of the year: these adjustment services fired the regulated part of the receipt, more expensive consumers paid, especially those welcomed by The regulated rate (PVPC).

The data confirms it. According to data collected by The avant -gardethe Light receipt rose on 11% in May. A increase that anticipates that May’s bill will be even higher than June, although in June market prices are rebounding. This situation has put the marketers regulated against the strings. Some are supporting losses and alert that they cannot assume this type of mismatch without structural changes in the model.

A realistic example. To understand it better we have made a simulation with the Official comparator of the CNMC For average domestic consumption (221 kWh per month) it shows that in May, the PVPC bill was 46.42 euros. However, in the free market, the cheapest rates began at 48.79 euros, and many exceeded 55 or even 70 euros.

Most of the analyzed offers were fixed price rates, reviewable annually, suggesting that some marketers are already impacting additional costs due to the reinforcement of the electrical system after the April blackout. At the highest end, some invoices exceeded 80 euros: more than 70% more than PVPC, for exactly the same consumption profile.

A problem that will follow. Red Electrica continues to operate with an extra safety margin after the blackout of April 28. This implies keeping backup centrals, even when they are not being used, which makes the system more expensive. But beyond the conjunctural moment, the incident has once again put on the table the structural deficiencies of the Spanish electrical system, such as the absence of distributed storage, the lack of micro -redes capable of temporarily disconnecting from the main system and a little capacity for local response to disturbances.

Although the official report is still pending, everything points to a structural problem rather than punctual: a centralized system unable to contain waterfall failures. The April blackout was not just a scare. He has increased the invoice and has exposed the fragility of a system that needs more decentralization, more storage and a greater capacity for local response. Meanwhile, consumers are already paying the bill.

Image | Pixabay

Xataka | Saving the network after the blackout has had a side effect: more expensive light and marketers to the limit