Electricity Bills & Parliament

The sky-rocketing price of electricity is hitting homes hard, but it's high-energy-consumption businesses that are really feeling the pinch.

SPN Congress Electricity BillWhether it is a bakery, pizza restaurant, paint-spraying unit (drying oven), laundrette or a factory, their electricity bill has increased six fold in some cases.

Naturally, it’s a succulent subject for the Government and chief opposition party to bash each other with, so it should be no surprise that the subject was brought up by the parliamentary spokeswoman for the conservatives, Cuca Gamarra, in yesterday’s session. What was surprising was the electricity bill brandished by the said politician, because it belonged to a business in Granada.

The business in question was Restaurante Kudamm Edel situated in the city of Granada. Being a restaurant, the electricity bills are always large, but to go from paying 1,392 euros to 2,097 in only one month is a business killer.

The scathing question was aimed at the Vice-PM, Nadia Calviño, “Can you tell this hostelry business in Granada, which has seen a 50% increase in its bills, that next month they will pay less?”

The PP representatives pointed out that 55% of electricity bills are composed of taxes and other charges such as the moratorium on nuclear energy generation, emission rights, grants for renewable energy (something that the PP detests).

She considers that the statements made by the Government to the big utility companies like Iberdrola and Endesa saying that they are going to put a top on prices to be “socialist intervention” and “threats.”

Editorial comment: It was the PSOE socialists that established a surcharge on electricity bills to finance green-energy development. When the PP conservatives regained power, they reversed this, slapping in the face homeowners that had invested in solar panels – the PP law was known as the ‘tax on sunlight.” It is no surprise, therefore, that the PP are dead against these grants.

Ex conservative Prime Minister, José María Aznar, was later employed as an ‘advisor’ for Endesa, for example, whilst ex socialist PM, Felipe González was employed by Gas Natural. Two ministers under the conservative PM, Mariano Rajoy, Isabel García Tejerina and Fátima Báñez, landed jobs with Iberdrola Mexico and Neoenergia, which are both subsidiaries of the Spanish parent company of Iberdrola .

This is not a problem (revolving doors) that is restricted to Spain.

(News: Spain)

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