Sometimes, when trying to explain something, there's a risk of getting tangled up in a long introduction that misses the point. For example, when explaining the electricity bill. First question: Does anyone really understand it?  Yes. And you are going to be one of them after reading this.

When will I receive my first bill?

Your first bill may look different from the ones you receive afterwards. This is because the first billing period may be shorter or longer than usual depending on when your supply was activated within the billing cycle.

For example, if you activated your electricity or gas supply halfway through the month, your first bill may cover only two weeks, or alternatively one and a half months. This is completely normal and does not mean there is an error. It is simply an initial billing adjustment.

From the second bill onwards, your billing cycle will follow its regular pattern. And to avoid any surprises, you can check your billing status at any time in your Customer Area.

Sections of your electricity bill explained step-by-step

Understanding the different sections of your electricity bill helps you see what you're paying for, which period each charge relates to, and where to find key information if you need to manage your account.

Your bill details

The ‘Your bill details’ section contains the basic information about your bill, including the billing period, the issue date and the payment date.

You'll also find two important reference numbers: the bill number, which identifies that specific bill, and the contract reference, which identifies your electricity contract. If you need to make an enquiry or manage your account, it's a good idea to have these details to hand.

Bill summary

The bill summary brings together the main charges that make up your bill, along with any discounts or benefits that apply to your account.

Here you'll find the cost of power, the cost of the electricity you've used, any other charges such as additional services or fees, taxes, and sections such as ‘Para Ti’, where redeemed vouchers or loyalty programme discounts may appear.

Contract and account holder information

At the top of your electricity bill, you'll find the main details of your contract: the contract holder, the supply point address, your current product, your contracted power, the bill number and the contract reference.

These details are important because you'll need them whenever you make an enquiry, manage your account or submit a complaint. You can also view them at any time in your Customer Area.

In addition, in this section you’ll find the CUPS, an alphanumeric code starting with ‘ES’ that uniquely identifies your supply point. Think of it as the ID number for your electricity supply: it stays the same even if you switch energy supplier. Knowing where to find it will be useful whenever you need to manage your account, such as requesting an activation, cancellation, or tariff change.

Bill breakdown

This section of your electricity bill provides a detailed breakdown of all the charges. Let's take a look at the most important items.

Contracted power

Your contracted power is the fixed part of your bill and is measured in kW. It represents the capacity of your installation to run several household appliances at the same time.

This charge is usually the same every month, regardless of how much electricity you use, unless you decide to increase or reduce your contracted power.

The higher your contracted power, the more appliances you can power simultaneously, but the more you’ll pay for this part of your bill. If your contracted power is too low, your circuit breaker may trip when you use several high-consumption appliances at the same time, such as the washing machine and the oven.

Before making any changes, we recommend checking how much electrical power your home actually needs.

You can choose between two different power levels:

• Peak power: this is your contracted power during the hours of 08:00 to 00:00, Monday to Friday.
• Off-peak power: this is the contracted power during the cheaper hours, from 00:00 to 08:00, Monday to Friday, as well as 24 hours a day on weekends and public holidays.

Most households have a contracted power of between 3.3 kW and 4.6 kW. The calculation is simple:

Contracted power × standing charge × number of days in the billing period

Therefore, adjusting your contracted power to your actual needs is key to avoiding overpaying on your electricity bill.

Tip: Don't reduce your contracted power without first making sure it will be enough for your home.

Energy

Energy consumption is the variable part of your electricity bill. The more electricity you use, the more you will pay for this item.

If you don’t use any electricity (for example, because you are not at home) you won’t pay anything for the unit rate. Even so, an empty home can still use electricity through appliances such as the fridge, devices on standby, or equipment that remains plugged in.

Electricity consumption is measured in kWh. You can check your consumption details in the ‘Electricity consumption information’ section of your bill. You can also view how many kWh you use each hour and each day in your Customer Area.

If you have a time-of-use tariff, the price per kWh varies depending on the time band in which you consume electricity: peak, shoulder, and off-peak hours. In these cases, when you consume electricity is almost as important as how much you consume.

A tip to help you save: track your consumption with InfoEnergía

Now that you know where energy consumption appears on your bill, the next step is to understand how you use electricity in your daily life.

With InfoEnergía, you can track the evolution of your electricity consumption, identify your highest usage times, and receive recommendations to help you adjust your habits. This makes it easier to see whether you could save money by shifting usage times, adjusting your contracted power, or avoiding unnecessary consumption.

Discounts

If you have any active discounts, these will not appear under the Power or Energy sections, but in a dedicated discounts section. They are usually shown as a negative amount, as they reduce the total bill.

You will also see the discount reflected in the ‘Bill summary’ section, alongside the other main items.

The visual structure is as follows:

Why does the discount appear separately instead of being directly applied to the price per kWh? Because the bill first calculates the base cost of energy and then applies the corresponding discount.

This is standard practice in the energy sector, although visually it can sometimes cause confusion. Customers will see the gross energy price first and, if they don't know where to look, they may think the discount has not been applied.

To check that your electricity bill discount is being applied correctly, go to Customer Area → Contracts and review the terms of your current product. There you can check your active discount, its percentage, and its validity period.

Other ways to save on your bills

In addition to reviewing your electricity bill, you can also check whether you could benefit from additional advantages by taking out other services.

If you need broadband, mobile or television services, take a look at the offers available for Endesa customers. In some cases, combining your services may help you access additional discounts or benefits linked to your bills.

Miscellaneous

In the ‘Miscellaneous’ section of your electricity bill, you may find other regulated or supply-related charges.

Social Bonus financing: this is the cost borne by all consumers to fund the subsidised tariff for customers covered by the Social Bonus scheme. It is a fixed daily cost, regardless of the energy supplier you have contracted your supply with.

Meter rental: the electricity meter is usually owned by the distribution company, which rents it to the customer. This cost is typically between €0.50 and €1.15 per month, depending on the characteristics of the equipment and the supply.

Taxes

Your electricity bill also includes various regulated taxes.

• Special Tax on Electricity: this tax is applied to both your contracted power and electricity consumption. The current standard rate is 5.11%.
• VAT: this tax is applied to the total bill, including the cost of energy, power, other items, and the Special Tax on Electricity. Although it may seem unusual, regulations allow VAT to be applied to a base rate that already includes this special tax.
• IGIC in the Canary Islands: if your supply is located in the Canary Islands, IGIC applies instead of VAT. This is the local indirect tax in the Canary Islands.
• For Companies or Businesses (non-domestic use), a reduced rate of 3% applies. Can IGIC be applied on top of an amount that already includes another tax? Yes, IGIC law permits this in cases like the special tax on electricity.

Maintenance services

If you have an electricity or gas maintenance service, it will appear in the ‘Service bill breakdown’ section.

In this section, you will see the price of the maintenance service along with any active discounts, if applicable.

Additionally, the bill will display the final total amount, combining both your energy costs and your contracted services.

If you have an electric car, review your tariff

If you own an electric car or are thinking about buying one, it is important to check how charging will affect your electricity bill.

In these cases, you may benefit from a tariff designed for charging your electric car at home, especially if you concentrate your energy consumption during cheaper time periods. This can help you better control charging costs and make the most of your electricity contract.