Spanish regulated electricity bill rises 7.2% in October on gas-driven wholesale prices

Price rises for October

The regulated electricity tariff in Spain, known as PVPC, rose 7.2% in October 2026 compared with September, according to calculations by the Organización de Consumidores y Usuarios (OCU). For a household with 4.6 kilowatts of contracted power and 292 kilowatt-hours of monthly consumption, the bill reached 92.44 euros, up from 86.22 euros in September. Since October 2025 the bill for regulated customers has climbed 28%. A second calculation, using a household consumption of 202 kWh, puts the bill at 92 euros against 86 euros in September. The CNMC counts more than 8 million households on the PVPC.

2026-0986.22

2026-1092.44

2026-09

86.22 euros

2026-10

92.44 euros

Data from the article text

Gas prices and wholesale power

The OCU attributes the increase to a higher wholesale market price, which it links to a sharp rise in gas prices and to lower output from solar and wind plants. One set of figures puts the October pool average at 165 euros per megawatt-hour, 15.4% above the previous month. Another, citing data from the Iberian market operator OMIE, gives 166.65 euros, the highest monthly average since October 2022. Gas rose from 74 to 98 euros per megawatt-hour during the month, and combined-cycle plants burn it for many of the month's hours. One report ties the energy price rise to the war in Iran and wider international tensions, while another points to the crisis in the Middle East and restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Tax relief does not apply

The OCU says the price increase will not be offset by lower taxes. Royal Decree 18/2026, approved by the government in September, provides for VAT at 10% instead of the usual 21% and for the electricity tax at 0.5% instead of 5.1%. Both cuts depend on a safeguard linked to the CPI, and the OCU says that condition has not been met. The safeguard is tied to electricity prices rising more than 15% in the CPI in the preceding month, while September's rise was 11.4%, according to INE. The same report says the electricity tax will be charged in full and that the cuts will not apply to November bills for October consumption. The OCU recommends that consumers review their supply contracts, particularly indexed tariffs, which are more exposed to market volatility.

The November outlook

An analysis by the energy comparison site HelloWatt expects the average regulated bill for a typical household in November 2026 to reach 71.60 euros. That is 38% above November 2025, an increase of 19.69 euros. The same analysis expects consumption to fall about 4% because of milder weather, and Aemet forecasts temperatures above the seasonal norm. The energy term of the PVPC is expected to be around 0.215 euros per kilowatt-hour. If consumption matched November 2025 levels, the bill would reach 73.75 euros. The analysis says November would bring the most expensive bill for that month in four years. Mérida, Palma and Sevilla face the largest increases, between 24 and 26 euros, while Cuenca, Ávila and León sit at the other end of the range, with the gap driven by municipal consumption.

Average November 2026 bill71.6

At November 2025 consumption level73.75

Average November 2026 bill

71.6 euros

At November 2025 consumption level

73.75 euros

Data from the article text