The new year heralds a couple of price increases but it’s not all bad news as pensions and the minimum wage both increase and the cost of a Telefonica landline remains frozen for the second year running.
The TUR electricity tariff, used by over 22 million homes and small businesses, rises by 2.64%, an extra €0.89 on the average monthly bill (consumption of 293 kilowatt hours per year). This is the only rate controlled by the Government.
RENFE is increasing the cost of travel on trains by 4% for high-speed and 6% for normal and local trains. There are also price hikes on urban transport services in many Spanish cities. Madrid’s Metrobus, for example, is increasing the cost of a ten trip ticket strip from €7.40 to €9.00, an effective increase of 21.6%.
Moderately good news for some motorists, tariffs on toll motorways actually going down by a very small amount, although there are exceptions. The Villalba-Adanero highway will actually see an increase in the toll fee of 2.39%.
For the second year running, the cost of a fixed landline will be frozen at €13.97 plus IVA. This is an attempt to bring the charge more in line with the rest of the EU.
The proposed increase in the rates of IVA – the 16% rate goes to 18% and the 7% rates goes to 8% – will not now come into effect until July 1st.