Glossary
Comercializadora de referencia (COR, reference supplier)
An electricity supplier designated by the authorities that must offer the PVPC, the regulated tariff, to consumers entitled to it. It is also the only kind of supplier that can apply the bono social discount.
What a comercializadora de referencia is
A comercializadora de referencia or COR is a reference supplier: a company that sells electricity with a special obligation, to offer the voluntary price for small consumers, the PVPC, to anyone who asks for it. All other suppliers work on the free market (mercado libre) and set their own prices.
Regulated market and free market
- With a reference supplier you can sign up for the PVPC, whose energy price changes every hour according to the wholesale market and rules set by the government. CORs also offer other tariffs.
- On the free market you sign with any supplier for a fixed, time-band or indexed tariff on whatever terms you agree.
In both cases the electricity arrives through the same cables, and the same distributor (distribuidora) deals with any outage.
Who can have the PVPC
The PVPC is designed for households and small businesses with contracted power up to 10 kW. Above that, you have to go to the free market.
The bono social
The bono social is a bill discount for vulnerable households that meet income and family requirements. It can only be requested through a reference supplier and with the PVPC contracted.
Which suits you
It depends on how much you use and when. The PVPC tends to suit people who shift usage to cheap hours and accept variable prices; the free market suits those who prefer to know what they will pay. Either way, getting your contracted power right saves money. See contracted power and tariff review in Seville, Spain.
Related questions
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