I knew the honeymoon phase would end. I just thought it might be a little more… graceful. Maybe some minor inconveniences, a few unexpected quirks of life in Spain. Not an electricity bill that made me momentarily forget how to breathe.
February’s bill? Almost €400. That’s twice January’s. Twice.
Everything ran as normal. The pool pump. The lights. The washing machine, doing its usual thankless work. But was it the AC? Are the kids secretly baking at 2 AM? Running a crypto-mining operation from their bedrooms? I wouldn’t put it past them.
Turns out, it’s not just us. The local Facebook group is in full meltdown mode. People are posting their bills like they’re crime scene evidence. Theories are flying. Some have already made the switch to propane gas for heating. But what happens when summer rolls around? Because let’s be real—I cannot and will not survive without AC. And managing it while constantly arguing over the cost? That sounds like its own special kind of marital bliss.
Spain’s Electricity Rollercoaster
A quick deep dive (or rather, a panicked Google search) revealed the grim truth: electricity prices have shot up. The 21% VAT is back, and a collection of fees and charges have snuck in, making the whole thing even more brutal. And while I’d love to blame the kids’ alleged secret baking, this one’s on the system.
Then, of course, there’s the bigger picture. We’d love an electric car at some point. Do our bit, be responsible, feel smug about it. But if we’re already gasping at the electricity bill now, what happens when we add charging a car to the mix?
Enter Xcel Energía, a solar energy company based further south in Alicante. Villajoyosa, Torrevieja, that whole area. We got a quote. Bryan’s been poring over it, comparing prices, doing that thing where he stares at spreadsheets like they personally offended him.
The thing is, we weren’t planning to drop thousands on solar panels right after moving in. But at this point, it feels less like an upgrade and more like survival.
Meanwhile, in Casa Amada…
Because life doesn’t slow down just because you’re having an existential crisis over utilities, my parents are coming to visit from Valencia. This is both wonderful and mildly terrifying. Our last big family gathering? Christmas in Ashburton. The great cultural experiment of hosting my parents in a small English town.
To sum it up: churros were made (by hand, because store-bought would be a betrayal), Bryan attempted paella (it was… a learning experience), and at one point, my father got roped into a pub quiz and took it far too seriously. I still don’t know how he knew so much about 1970s British sitcoms, but the man is full of surprises.
Now, they’re coming here. To Casa Amada. Where we are actively trying to not use more electricity than strictly necessary. This should go well.
I’m fiercely protective of my parents, but I also know my mother has an allergy to drafts. Which, in this house, means tension. We don’t have central heating, just AC units in different rooms. So either we run the AC constantly to keep her warm, or she’s wrapping herself in three layers and glaring at me like I’ve personally betrayed her. Either way, there will be drama.
The Kids, The School, The Constant Adjustments
Anna and Luke, meanwhile, remain unbothered by our financial and existential concerns. Their international school is its own world, a blur of accents and cultures and surprisingly intense football matches. Anna has a new best friend every other week, and Luke recently informed us he has to build a model of the solar system by next Friday. Apparently, it needs to be “accurate and to scale.” Fantastic.
What Now?
So here we are. Trying to figure out how to keep the house running without selling a kidney, debating solar panels, and bracing for another Spanish family invasion. Summer is looming, and with it, the AC dilemma.
It’s fine. Everything’s fine. But if anyone has a spare propane tank and a solid argument for turning the AC off in August, let me know.