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Electricity bill for a second home: what you’re paying for, even when you’re away
There’s a scene that plays out every summer. You arrive at your beach house or countryside home after it’s been closed up for weeks. You open the windows, switch on the air conditioning… and a few days later, the electricity bill arrives. Then comes the inevitable question: ‘How can it be this high when nobody has been staying here?’
The answer lies in something we often overlook: in a second home, you’re not just paying for the electricity you use, but also to have it available when you need it. That means that even when the property is empty, there are fixed costs that continue to add up month after month.
That’s why, when it comes to reducing the electricity bill for a second home, real savings do not always come from using less electricity, but from understanding your bill and tailoring it to how the property is actually used.
After all, a house you only visit in August does not have the same needs as your primary residence. Nor does it make sense to keep the same contracted power, tariff, or consumption habits throughout the year if the property remains unoccupied most of the time.
Why you’re paying for electricity even when the house has been empty for weeks
An electricity bill consists of a variable component (which depends on how much electricity you consume) and a fixed component that remains even if you do not switch on a single light bulb.
This fixed cost mainly corresponds to the contracted power capacity charge for the property. In other words, you are paying for the electrical capacity that is available to your home, whether you use it or not.
That's why, even in a property that has been closed up for months, you will still see charges for contracted power, meter rental, and certain regulated costs.
If you've ever wondered about the different items that appear on your bill, this guide on how to understand your electricity bill will help you pinpoint exactly what you're paying for and why.
In addition, there's another silent expense that often goes unnoticed: phantom consumption. Your router, TV, microwave, and certain chargers keep drawing electricity even when they appear to be turned off. In fact, these minor standby loads can account for anywhere between 7% and 11% of a household's annual energy costs.
You can learn more about this type of energy drain in our article on phantom consumption and devices left on standby.
The breakdown: what you’re paying for, what you can reduce, and how
The good news is that some of these costs can be optimised quite easily.
|
What you’re paying for |
What it means |
What you can do |
|---|---|---|
|
Power capacity charge |
The fixed cost of having electricity available |
Adjust your contracted power capacity to the property's actual usage |
|
Energy consumed |
The electricity you use when you are staying at the property |
Choose a tariff that matches your usage schedule |
|
Devices left on standby |
Constant, hidden electricity consumption |
Unplug devices or use switched extension leads |
|
Immersion heater |
One of the largest sources of a home's energy consumption |
Always switch it off before leaving |
|
Fridge |
Constant electricity consumption, 24 hours a day |
Unplug it if the property will be vacant for several days |
In many second homes, the greatest savings come from reviewing small everyday habits. Leaving the immersion heater switched on all month or keeping the refrigerator running unnecessarily can increase your bill far more than you might expect.
That is why, before leaving for a holiday or closing up the property for several weeks, it's worth checking which appliances should be disconnected. In this article on how to shut down your home before going on holiday, you will find useful tips for avoiding unnecessary energy consumption.
And if you want to review the overall condition of the property before summer, this guide to keeping the electricity and gas supplies for a second home in good working order may also be helpful.
The biggest potential saving: choosing the best electricity tariff for a second home
The best electricity tariff for a second home is not necessarily the cheapest one, but the one that best matches how you actually use the property.
A summer house occupied for only two months a year doesn't consume electricity the same way as an apartment used every weekend. Nor does a property that remains empty for long periods require the same approach.
That's why choosing the right tariff can make a significant difference to your overall savings.
If you're comparing options, this guide to the best electricity tariff for a second home explains which type of tariff is your best option depending on how you use the property.
In addition, Endesa offers specific solutions such as the Tu Otra Casa 50 Light Tariff, designed specifically for properties that are only used occasionally.
Because when a home is only occupied during certain periods of the year, having a tariff designed around that pattern of consumption can help you avoid paying more than necessary during the months when there is virtually no activity.
If you only visit on weekends: why a time-of-use tariff pays off
Those who use their second home mainly at weekends have a significant advantage: a large portion of their electricity consumption can be concentrated during off-peak hours.
Time-of-use tariffs allow you to take advantage of lower prices during certain time slots. And on Saturdays and Sundays, off-peak rates apply throughout the entire day.
This means that everyday activities such as cooking, doing laundry, running the air conditioning, or switching on the electric water heater can end up being much cheaper.
That's why, for occasional or holiday use, this type of tariff is often one of the most effective ways to save on electricity in a second home during the summer of 2026.
Is it worth reducing your contracted power in a second home?
In many cases, yes.
Your contracted power is one of the most significant components of the fixed portion of your electricity bill. And when a property remains empty for much of the year, maintaining a higher-than-needed power can become an unnecessary expense.
In fact, one of the most effective ways to reduce the fixed portion of the bill for a second home is to review whether your current contracted power actually matches the property's usage.
The key is to find the right balance: enough power to comfortably use your usual appliances, without paying for extra capacity that you never use.
If you are unsure how much power you need, you can check out this guide on how to determine the electrical power you need at home.
And if you are considering making the switch, here you can see how much it costs to lower your contracted power and when it truly pays off.
Because, in many cases, it is absolutely worth lowering the contracted power in a summer house, especially if it's only used a few weeks out of the year.
Can I qualify for the social bonus in a second home?
No. The social bonus can only apply to the contract holder's primary residence.
This means that a second home is not eligible for this benefit, even if electricity consumption is very low or the property remains empty for months at a time.
As a result, saving money in this type of property largely comes down to optimising your electricity bill: choosing a tariff that reflects the property's actual usage, adjusting your contracted power, and avoiding unnecessary consumption when the house is unoccupied.
Because at the end of the day, the real issue is usually not how much electricity you use when you are there, but how much you continue to pay when you are not.
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You don't need to adapt to Endesa's tariffs because they adapt to you. If you go to our catalogue you can compare the different tariffs for yourself. Or if you prefer, you can answer a few questions and we will take care of comparing all the different electricity and gas tariffs and then make a customised recommendation.
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You don't need to adapt to Endesa's tariffs because they adapt to you. If you go to our catalogue you can compare the different tariffs for yourself. Or if you prefer, you can answer a few questions and we will take care of comparing all the different electricity and gas tariffs and then make a customised recommendation.
Comparison of Electricity and Gas Tariffs
You don't need to adapt to Endesa's tariffs because they adapt to you. If you go to our catalogue you can compare the different tariffs for yourself. Or if you prefer, you can answer a few questions and we will take care of comparing all the different electricity and gas tariffs and then make a customised recommendation.
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