El Average electricity price this Saturday, April 11 Electricity prices are falling sharply in Spain, offering a good opportunity to adjust household electricity consumption. According to data from the Iberian Energy Market Operator (OMIE), the wholesale market price is currently at 28,91 euros per megawatt hour (€/MWh), a figure clearly lower than that recorded the previous day.
This drop represents a Price reduction of over 50% compared to Friday According to various sources, prices have fallen by around 35%-54% depending on the reference, translating to approximately €15 less per megawatt-hour. While this may sound like a bargain, it's important to remember that this value corresponds to... SPOT or wholesale market price, to which are subsequently added tolls, charges, system adjustments, and taxesTherefore, the final amount of the bill will be higher.
Average electricity price this Saturday and market context
According to OMIE data, the The average price of electricity for this Saturday, April 11th, is set at €28,91/MWh. This is the third consecutive day of relegations Following the rebound recorded last Wednesday, this consolidated a small period of relief for consumers with indexed or PVPC tariffs.
Compared to Friday, when the megawatt hour cost around 44,48-44,49 €/MWhThe cost reduction is around 35% to 54% according to the calculation methodology used. In practical terms, families that adjust their consumption to off-peak hours will notice a a break on your electricity billespecially if they can shift the use of large appliances to lower price brackets.
It is worth emphasizing that the values published by OMIE only reflect the wholesale market priceThe final cost shown on the bill (PVPC or other indexed rates) is calculated from this base price, but also incorporates access tolls, regulated charges, adjustment costs, VAT and other taxesIn other words, neither very high prices are passed on as is, nor are the negative or zero euro prices They assume that the electricity will be free for the end consumer.
The SPOT price published by OMIE is one of the pillars for calculating the regulated PVPC tariff in SpainRed Eléctrica de España publishes its annual report every afternoon, around 20: 15-20: 30 hoursThe final values of the regulated tariff that will be applied the following day, incorporating all additional components, are shown in advance. Even so, having the wholesale tariff curve in advance allows for a fairly accurate idea of which time slots will be most cost-effective for using high-consumption appliances.
Cheapest electricity hours this Saturday: midday and afternoon with negative prices
Saturday's events were marked by unusual behavior: The middle hours of the day are clearly the cheapest., to the point of registering rates close to zero and negative values for five consecutive hoursFrom 09:00 AM onwards, the price begins to drop rapidly, opening the door to a wide range of very economical consumption.
Among the 11: 00 and 13: 00 hoursThe cost of a megawatt hour remains at almost symbolic levels, with €0,86/MWh between 11:00 PM and 12:00 PM and exactly €0/MWh from 12:00 p.m. to 13:00 p.m.This time slot is already very useful for getting ahead on electricity-intensive household tasks.
The situation becomes even more striking from the 13:00h...when the market enters negative territory. 13 to 00 pmThe price remains below zero, with records ranging between -0,16 and -1,44 €/MWhThe daily minimum is reached between 15: 00 16 and: 00 hours, when the cost drops to -1,44 €/MWh, Considered the cheapest time of day according to various sources.
Specifically, the time slots with negative price this Saturday
- 13:00 – 14:00: -0,16 €/MWh
- 14:00 – 15:00: -0,76 €/MWh
- 15:00 – 16:00: -1,44 €/MWh (minimum of the day)
- 16:00 – 17:00: -1,25 €/MWh
- 17:00 – 18:00: -0,20 €/MWh
For households with the ability to adapt schedules, this central block of the day is the Ideal for concentrating the use of a washing machine, dryer, dishwasher, or oven.Although the receipt does not reflect a negative payment, it does allow Take advantage of the moment when energy is cheaper and minimize the impact on monthly costs, especially if these consumptions are avoided in the higher price brackets.
Most expensive hours for electricity: the early morning hours bear the brunt of the cost.
Unlike what has been the norm for many months, in which the The highest prices were concentrated in the late afternoon and evening hours.This Saturday the pattern reverses. most expensive stretch of the day It appears right at the start of the day: from 00 to 00 pmthe price skyrockets to € 81,94 / MWh, according to official OMIE data.
After that first hour, the cost remains at high levels throughout the early morning. Between 01:00 and 09:00The wholesale market consistently registers values above those € 43 / MWh, with several stripes above € 60 / MWhIn terms of savings, it is the least recommended block to start up the appliances that consume the most energy.
The price sequence during the early morning hours is as follows:
- 00:00 – 01:00: € 81,94 / MWh
- 01:00 – 02:00: €61,53/MWh
- 02:00 – 03:00: €51,40/MWh
- 03:00 – 04:00: €48,80/MWh
- 04:00 – 05:00: €43,42/MWh
- 05:00 – 06:00: €50,05/MWh
- 06:00 – 07:00: €63,39/MWh
- 07:00 – 08:00: €63,90/MWh
- 08:00 – 09:00: €58,58/MWh
The hours before midnightAlthough they don't reach the early morning peaks, they aren't the most attractive from a financial perspective either. Among the 20:00 and 23:00The price moves within a range of 26,79 to 34,64 €/MWhTherefore, it is still advisable to moderate the use of energy-intensive appliances if you want to reduce the final amount of your bill.
The general recommendation for this Saturday, therefore, is Avoid, as much as possible, consuming higher power between 00:00 and 09:00as well as reducing it towards the end of the evening, and moving most electrical tasks to the middle of the day, where electricity is clearly more affordable.
Breakdown of electricity prices by the hour this Saturday, April 11
To organize the day more precisely, it is helpful to have the following on hand: hourly breakdown of electricity pricesas published in the wholesale market. Based on this list, each user can plan when it is most convenient to schedule washing machines, dishwashers, or other movable appliances.
This is the Hourly electricity price for today, Saturday, April 11 in the Spanish wholesale market:
- 00:00 – 01:00: €81,94/MWh
- 01:00 – 02:00: €61,53/MWh
- 02:00 – 03:00: €51,40/MWh
- 03:00 – 04:00: €48,80/MWh
- 04:00 – 05:00: €43,42/MWh
- 05:00 – 06:00: €50,05/MWh
- 06:00 – 07:00: €63,39/MWh
- 07:00 – 08:00: €63,90/MWh
- 08:00 – 09:00: €58,58/MWh
- 09:00 – 10:00: €32,04/MWh (in some tables, €32,03/MWh)
- 10:00 – 11:00: €8,66/MWh (also published as €8,65/MWh)
- 11:00 – 12:00: €0,86/MWh
- 12:00 – 13:00: €0,00/MWh
- 13:00 – 14:00: -0,16 €/MWh
- 14:00 – 15:00: -0,76 €/MWh
- 15:00 – 16:00: -1,44 €/MWh
- 16:00 – 17:00: -1,25 €/MWh
- 17:00 – 18:00: -0,20 €/MWh
- 18:00 – 19:00: €2,09/MWh
- 19:00 – 20:00: €13,35/MWh
- 20:00 – 21:00: €26,79/MWh
- 21:00 – 22:00: €34,64/MWh
- 22:00 – 23:00: €31,82/MWh
- 23:00 – 24:00: €24,39/MWh
As can be seen in the list, Prices fall sharply from mid-morning onwards. and remain at very low levels until well into the afternoon. Conversely, the nighttime period sees the highest prices, something to bear in mind if you have a tariff indexed to the hourly market price.
What do negative tariffs mean and how do they affect your bill?
The presence of negative prices in the wholesale market This often raises questions among consumers. Simply put, a rate below zero indicates that, during those hours, Energy supply clearly exceeds demandIt usually coincides with periods of high renewable energy production (wind, solar) and lower economic activity, which leads to a surplus in the system.
In these situations, producers participating in the market must pay to be able to pour their energybecause the system prioritizes maintaining a balance between generation and consumption. From the wholesale market perspective, this translates into a negative hourly priceHowever, for the average household user with a standard contract, this does not mean that the company will pay them for consuming electricity.
The reason is that the The electricity bill includes numerous fixed and regulated items which do not disappear even if the market price falls below zero. The monthly bill includes, in addition to the cost of energy, the transport and distribution tolls, system charges, adjustment costs, the supplier's margin and taxes such as VAT or the Special Tax on Electricity.
In practice, the hours with negative or close to zero price translate into a significant relief on the variable portion linked to consumptionwhich helps to lower the final amount; also, if you have photovoltaic panelsThe benefit can be greater. But electricity is never completely free, since those other charges remain mandatory. Even so, taking advantage of these discount periods is still a good strategy to minimize the impact of the receiptespecially in homes with intensive use of certain appliances.
However, this Saturday offers a particularly favorable scenario for those who can organize themselves a bit and adjust their consumption habits: The best prices are found during the middle of the dayWith several periods offering lower rates and others practically at zero cost, the early morning hours are shaping up to be the least advantageous. Planning the use of the washing machine, dishwasher, or oven during the cheapest times can make a difference when the bill arrives, especially in the current context of such volatile electricity prices.
