Electricity goes up by 10%, gas by an average of 3.9%

As we announced here, electricity will be going up by 9.8% next on Saturday, January 1. That, according to the Minister of Industry, Miguel Sebastián, is the equivalent of a little over one coffee per month per inhabitant. The fact is, according to consumers' organizations, it actually means just under €7 per family per month (with national unemployment at 20%), taking the number of users as seventeen millions. Equally, the cost of a bombona will also rise by 43 céntimos per bottle. That usually means an increase in the price of petrol as well. The background to the increase is tied up in the Tarifa de Último Recurso (TUR, or Tariff of Last Recourse), in itself a complex system that allows the power companies (many of them producing record benefits) to up their prices independently of the taxes imposed by the government. The latter says it is not touching these taxes.>

Gas rises, didn't you know?

The price of a bombona (gas bottle) went up yesterday to €12.80, its record price. This is the fourth time the price of bottled gas has gone up in 12 months, the last time on July 1. You may not need reminding that electricity went up yesterday as well, by 4.8%. It would all be fine if salaries, pensions, income, went up accordingly. But then, that's one of the reasons why there was a general strike on Wednesday...

Council's recommendations on gas inspections

(Press release) Jimena Council will soon be putting up a bando municipal (official announcement, usually put up in bars and other public spots in Spanish - The Translation People have done the work for you, see below) about your rights and obligations regarding your gas installations. Also, the Local Police have lately detected a rise in false inspections, about which JimenaPulse has warned extensively (example: Gas scam - again!). However, the police say that some of the personnel presently touring the town do belong to an authorized gas installer. Nevertheless, the Council is offering further advice:>

Gas scam - again!

(E-mail) I was told this morning that there are fake REPSOL inspectors around again. Yesterday they managed to intimidate an English lady into paying them a few hundred euros for so called inspection and adaptations in her house!! Too often, for not speaking Spanish the crooks get away with it. Could you post something on the blog, urging people to ask for NIE numbers, official ID (easy to fake), etc., that should scare them off, and if it doesn't, nobody is obliged to have them do the work, they can contact their own plumber, electrician etc. There is always time (plazo) to have the work done.