This Tuesday, June 1, 2021, the new electricity tariff change in Spain has come into force, based on hourly discrimination in terms of energy and power. Therefore, the price to pay will be different depending on the hours of consumption. The off-peak schedule (cheapest price) is from 00:00 to 08:00 hours from Monday to Friday, so that there are already those who think that it is a good idea to start the washing machine at dawn .
Cuenca environment ordinance
However, the municipal ordinance of some cities imposes penalties of up to 3,000 euros for exceeding 25 to 45 decibels in homes from 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. from Monday to Thursday and on Sundays, and from 11:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. : 00 hours on Fridays, Saturdays and the eve of holidays. This is the case of the Environmental Ordinance of the Cuenca City Council.
But does a washing machine reach this decibel level? The truth is that yes. The quietest washers on the market offer a noise level of between 45 and 50 decibels .
Environmental regulations in Cuenca prohibit “disturbing rest activity inside homes, especially during nighttime rest hours .” In addition, it places particular emphasis on vibrations and noises caused during “the operation of household appliances of any kind” .
So nothing to put the washing machine at dawn to save a few euros on the electricity bill. Of course, this applies to other appliances: dishwasher, dryer …
Sound insulation of homes is also important. The 2009 Cuenca Building Code reform requires homes to be protected against noise. However, the vast majority of houses in the city predate this reform. The fines range between 750 and 3,000 euros.
Regulations in other Spanish cities
The case of Cuenca is by no means the only one since other cities have very similar regulations. For example, in Zaragoza annoying and disturbing noises are expressly prohibited from 10:00 p.m. to 08:00 a.m. , just when electricity consumption is cheaper.
In Barcelona it starts even earlier, at 9:00 p.m. From this time, nothing to put the washing machine, the dishwasher or the dryer .
Taking all this into account, it is very difficult to take advantage of the off-peak hours (cheapest price) to put the appliances into operation. The only alternative so that the bill does not go off is to put them on a flat schedule (intermediate price): from 08:00 to 10:00 hours and from 14:00 to 18:00 hours .
