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Glossary 

Access tariff
The amount of tolls corresponding to use of the distribution and transmission networks. These tolls are regulated by the government.
ARCO rights
ARCO rights (Access, Rectification, Cancellation, and Disagreement) are the rights which, according to Organic Law 15/1999 (Data Protection Law, or LOPD in its Spanish initials) guarantee people’s right to control their personal information, requiring third parties to meet the obligations set forth in said law.
Basic invoicing
The sum of the power and energy charges.
Basic tariff
Electricity tariff comprising capacity and power invoicing terms.
Bill
Standard printed invoice detailing the amount of electricity consumed.
Billed power
The number of kilowatts billed.
Boiler
Device which transforms fuel into energy by heating up the fluid, water or air circulating inside it.
Channelled gas
Gas which is transported and distributed through pipelines. Natural gas and city gas are channelled gases.
CHP or Cogeneration plant
Combined heat and electricity. CHP stands for ‘Combined Heat and Power’.
Circuit breaker
A device that stops the flow of electric current in a suddenly overloaded circuit, in order to protect the installation.
Circuit breaker panel
mounting enclosure for multiple circuit breakers for the distribution power line. Coincides with the property boundaries of customers’ electrical installation.
Conductor
All material capable of conducting an electrical current. To transport electrical energy copper or aluminium wires are usually used.
Connection
Branch of the electric installation that connects the company’s distribution network to the circuit breaker panel.
Consumption
Number of kilowatt hours used to power an electric device for a certain period of time. Depends on the voltage of the device and the period of time over which it functions.
Consumption (estimation of)
Calculation based on consumption history for the same period the previous year, if available, which is extrapolated to the period in question, when the real consumption levels to be billed for are not known.
Contracted power
Amount of power laid out in the contract.
Contracting rights
These are the amounts charged by the company that distributes electricity in a given zone, for contracting a new supply service or augmenting an already existing one. Access and connection services are included in charges associated with these rights. Emission rights Permission granted an industrial facility or a power plant which operates in a country that has subscribed to the carbon trading scheme. In this system, surplus rights can be sold or bought, as the case may be. An emission right is equivalent to one ton of CO2 emissions.
Control panel
Device which controls power (Power Control Switches, or ICP, for its Spanish initials) or maximum demand meters.
Current intensity
The magnitude of an electric current, i.e. the quantity of electricity flowing per second through an electric line. Measured in amperes.
Definitive supply application
Electricity supply application without specifying the duration of supply.
Derivatives market
System which allows buyers and sellers of electricity to agree to a specific electricity price for a specific period of time. In this manner, electricity prices are protected from large fluctuations.
Differential switch
Circuit breaking device which disconnects the installation when a direct contact occurs.
Discount rate
A discount applied to the Tariff of Last Resort that benefits certain customer segments (customers over 60 years old receiving a minimum pension allowance, large families, households where all members are unemployed, etc.). These consumers must be physical persons who request that this rate be applied in their habitual residence.
Distribution network
Most businesses and households are connected to this grid, comprising medium- and low-voltage networks.
Domotics
Home automation technology that can involve energy, safety, well-being and communication management and may be integrated through interior and exterior networks, wireline or wireless, and which can be controlled from within the home or remotely.
Double tariff
A tariff system entailing two prices depending on time of day. Example: 2.0N tariff
Electric car
Electric vehicles are totally or partially propelled by an electric motor powered by batteries that are recharged through charge points. Their use has numerous advantages, especially in terms of the environment, since this technology helps reduce CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. There are three types: • Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle(PHEV) Combines an internal combustion engine (ICE) with a battery and an electric motor. Can be powered either by the ICE or by the electric motor. Due to this configuration, it can use energy derived from fuels, which drive the thermal engine, and also electricity supplied through the grid, in order to recharge the battery. • Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV): Are powered solely by an electric motor. This type of vehicle uses only energy supplied through the grid, which charges the battery. • Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV): These have the same characteristics as Battery Electric Vehicles, but also have an ICE as a secondary power source which functions as an internal generator to recharge the batteries, which helps increase autonomy.
Electrical installation
Array of devices and related circuits arranged for a certain purpose: the production, conversion, transformation, transmission, distribution or utilization of electricity
Electrical Installation Certificate
A technical document that provides details on the following items: voltage, installed capacity, maximum admissible power. This certificate must be signed by an authorised installer and stamped by the competent body in its Autonomous Region.
Electrical resistance
The opposition of a conductor to passage of an electric current. The unit of measurement is the ohm.
E-management
Functionality of appliances with e-systems to monitor the process they carry out. E-management allow for greater energy efficiency.
Energy label
A sticker affixed to appliances which contains information on the efficiency and energy consumption of the device. There are seven energy efficiency classes from A to G on the label, A being the most energy efficient, G the least efficient.
Estimate
Consumption attributed to customer, for a given period of time, for billing purposes if real consumption levels are not known. Estimates are extrapolated from consumption levels for the same period the previous year, if such information exists.
EU ‘20-20-20’ goal
In the energy sector, the EU has established a series of targets collectively known as the ’20-20-20’ goal for 2020: a 20% reduction in EU greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels; 20% of EU energy consumption to come from renewable resources; and a 20% reduction of primary energy use through increased energy efficiency.
Extension works
Works on an already existing installation to create a new electricity supply point or to augment an existing one.
Final power unit price
Amount billed per unit of power (kW) for a specific period of time.
Flicker
Rapid visible change of light level emitted by a lamp, due to fluctuations in the voltage of the power grid. It depends mainly on the wavelength and the duration of the voltage fluctuations that cause it.
Fuse
A device used to protect installations from sudden power surges caused by short circuits.
Generator
Any device able to maintain a difference in electrical potential between two points in an electric circuit.
Greenhouse gases
Gas present in the atmosphere that cause warming of both the earth and its atmosphere. The most harmful are carbon dioxide, methane, and chlorinated hydrocarbons.
Grid connection
Connection of an installation to the grid through a connection.
Grid connection charge
The amount company (electricity supplier) has the right to charge for connecting its installations with those of the customer, as well as for the connection or disconnection of metering equipment.
Halocarbons
Compounds in which one or more carbon atoms are linked by covalent bonds with one or more halogen atoms (fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine).
Halogens
A type of lamp in which the bulb is filled with halogen gas, usually bromine or iodine. The bulb is usually made of quartz, and not glass, since it must be able to withstand high temperatures.
Heat accumulator
Type of electrical heating that stores heat, produced from electrical resistance, in insulated ceramic blocks.
Heat pump
A device that transfers heat from one reservoir to another, when a thermal gradient exists between the two. It is used to warm or cool a building by transferring heat from a relatively low-temperature reservoir to one at a higher temperature.
Heliostat
Device used to track the sun’s trajectory. Indispensable in solar power plants.
Hydrocarbon
Chemical compound whose basic elements are hydrogen and carbon.
I.C.P.
Initials for Power Control Switch, a device which sets the maximum limit for a given supply.
I.G.A.
Initials for General Circuit Breaker. Electronic device that acts as a general circuit breaker for all the circuits in a supply installation.
Initiating service
Actions required to put a supply contract into effect.
Installation (start up)
Start up of a connection to the grid.
Installed power
The sum of the nominal powers of all a customer’s power consuming devices.
Intelligent network
A new electricity network system that affords better control and communication among the players and equipment, optimising power output, distribution and consumption. Also known as “smart grids”, these grids are key to achieving sustainable development.
Invoicing
Operations through which the utility company calculates and specifies the quantities owed by customers for their energy consumption for a set period of time, and for other items related to energy supply.
Joule (J):
The unit of energy expended in applying a force of one Newton (N) through a distance of one metre (m). The basic unit of energy in the International System of Units.
Kerosene
A transparent (or slightly yellow) liquid obtained from the distillation of petroleum. Kerosene is for (restricted) use as a heating fuel or for lighting, and a fuel for certain types of internal combustion engines.
Kyoto Protocol
Adopted in 1997, but in force since 2005 and endorsed by 176 countries. The Protocol sets binding targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions over specified periods for parties to the Protocol.
Limiter
See ICP
Low Voltage
Electricity supply with a voltage of less than 1,000 volts.
Low voltage supply
Supply whose nominal input voltage is equal to or less than 1,000 V.
Low-voltage connection
Branch of the electric installation that connects the company’s distribution network to the circuit breaker panel for low-voltage power supply.
Low-voltage Installation Certificate
Formerly Electrical Installation Certificate A technical document that provides details on the following items: voltage, installed capacity, maximum admissible power. This certificate must be signed by an authorised installer and stamped by the competent body in its Autonomous Region.
Main electrical control and circuit breaker panel
Array of devices placed at individual installations, which contain: Differential switches and automatic switches and all the safety, circuit breaker, and distribution devices of the interior installation. Coulomb Basic unit of electric charge. It is named after the physicist, Charles-Augustin de Coulomb (1736-1806).
Maximum power
The highest amount of power demanded in a period at the point of supply. Also known as peak power.
MCB
Miniature Circuit Breaker. An automatic device designed to protect facilities from potential overloads or short circuits. These devices are installed in the main switchboard (one for each circuit). They are also known as automatic switches.
Megawatt (MW)
One million watts (W)
Meter
Instrument for measuring and recording the amount of energy consumed. It may be owned by the customer or by the company supplying energy. It measures consumption in KWh.
Meter centralisation unit
Premises in a building adapted to the regulations in force to house the meters for that same building.
Meter point
Place on a property where one or more metering devices are located.
Metering device
Instrument which measures magnitudes related to electricity.
Methane
A flammable gas common in nature. The main component of biogas produced from the breakdown of biogenic material. Methanol is a good fuel.
Microclimate
A local atmospheric zone where the climate differs from the surrounding area.
Microwave, or microwave oven
Microwaves, or microwave ovens function by transforming electrical energy into high frequency waves: microwaves. These waves penetrate the interior of foods, exciting the water molecules and making them vibrate, which produces heat. In this manner, food cooks from the inside outwards, and cooking times are reduced, which results in energy conservation.
Mini-hydro power plant
Hydro power plant with a maximum installed capacity of ten megawatts.
MW
Symbol for megawatts. Unit of electrical power equivalent to a million watts.
Natural gas
Fuel gas, rich in methane, which occurs in natural gas fields.
No Frost
System used in certain refrigerators and freezers to avoid the generation of frost on the inner walls. This system requires slightly higher electricity usage to remove the moisture from the air that enters the device, by condensation. Eventually, frost can form a thick layer which acts as insulation and reduces energy efficiency.
Nominal power
Maximum power demanded by a receiver under normal usage conditions. Shown on the device’s rating plate.
Overload
An overload occurs when the sum of the power of appliances connected to a circuit is greater than the power for which the circuit was designed.
Payer
Person or business liable for paying the electricity bill. May or may not be the contract holder.
Photovoltaic
Device or material capable of producing a voltage when exposed to radiant energy, especially light.
PHW
Potable Hot Water
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle
See definition of Electric Car.
Power
Ability of electrical equipment to perform work (amount of work performed during a unit of time). The unit of measure is the watt (W) or the kilowatt (kW).
Power term
The result of multiplying billable power by the power unit price and number of months billed.
Power unit
The product of multiplying energy consumed during a billing period by the power unit price.
Proceeds from metering equipment leasing
Monthly fee paid to electricity company in cases where it owns meters. This fee is determined annually through a Ministerial Order.
Protection system
A device that protects against potential overcurrent and overvoltage damage for different causes in networks.
Qualified Client
Customer who may choose the company from which to buy electricity, or who may even buy it on the open market. Since 1 January 2003, all customers fall under this category.
Reactive power
Power absorbed by a receiver that does not produce useful work.
Rebate or discount which is applied to the electricity supply tariff, a specific contracted rate, in function of the time of the day the electricity consumption occurred.
Rebate or discount related to the type of tariff chosen by clients and the characteristics of their metering devices.
Receiver
Any appliance or mechanism capable of consuming electricity and converting the energy into useful work.
Renewable energies
Energy sources considered to be infinite (from a human standpoint), clean and continual. Solar, wind, hydro, geothermal are among renewable energy sources, considered to be environmentally friendly. However, kilowatts of renewable energy are more expensive, a key consideration for a country’s economy.
Service connection charges
The economic compensation received by utilities companies for their connection works expanding the grid and bringing supply to new customers or increasing supply to existing customers, in accordance with the established regulatory guidelines.
Short circuit
A low resistance connection established by accident between two points in an electric circuit.
Smart Grids
See definition of Intelligent Networks
Smart-meters
Meters which completely transform the role of electricity consumers. With these new meters, users can monitor their consumption levels, adapting it to their needs, save, contribute to energy efficiency, and become actual electricity suppliers. Key component of smart grids.
Supplied power
Power supplied over a specified period of time.
Supply application
New customer application or modification of existing application for supply of power from the utility.
Tariff
Standard amount that a customer must pay for electricity usage.
Tariff contract
Electricity supply contract with tariffs set by government.
Tariff of last resort (TLR)
A tariff set by the government entailing a single price available to all low-voltage consumers with contracted capacity equal to or less than 10KW.
Terminating service
Termination of contract for a specific electricity supply level, between the company and the customer.
Thermostat
A device that measures and regulates temperatures at a specified level and automatically activates or deactivates the heating or cooling appliance.
Time profile estimate
Percentage of actual peak consumption at the night-time rate that will occur during the off-peak period under the Hourly Discrimination (HD) rate.
Time restriction discount
Rebate or discount which is applied to the electricity supply tariff, a specific contracted rate, in function of the time of the day the electricity consumption occurred.
TLR for gas
The maximum and minimum price that suppliers of last resort (SLRs) can charge consumers eligible to receive this price. This is a single tariff for Spain established via Ministerial Order. Consumers connected to gas pipelines whose pressure is equal to or less than 4 bar who consume less than 50,000 kW/h are eligible for this tariff. This group includes all domestic consumers.
Total electric load of a building
Total load resulting from adding all the electric loads corresponding to houses, general services of the building and commercial premises.
Total electric load of general services
Total load resulting from adding all the electric loads corresponding to houses, general services of the building and commercial premises.
Transformer centre
Site where transformers are located to transform medium-voltage electricity to low-voltage electricity.
Verification rights
Amount which the company has the right to charge for the verification of the private installation of a client. Classification through specially adapted meters of energy consumption in previously established time periods or slots (peak hours, shoulder hours, off-peak hours, peak days of the year, high consumption days of year, etc.).
Volt
Unit of electric power. Volt is defined as the difference in potential required across a resistance of 1 ohm for a current of 1 ampere to flow through.
Voltage
The electrical potential difference that must exist between connection terminals or two active parts of an installation for the electrical current to flow through the installation.
Wind turbine
A turbine powered by the wind used to generate electricity. This technology has its origins in the windmills used to grind grains and produce flour.