Glossary
Installed power (potencia instalada, connected load)
The sum of the power of every appliance connected to an installation: lights, appliances, air conditioning, machines. They almost never all run at once, so it is usually higher than the contracted power.
What potencia instalada is
Potencia instalada (installed power, or connected load in US terms) is the sum of the power ratings of every appliance in an installation. Add up the oven, induction hob (cooktop), air conditioning, water heater, washing machine and all the lights, and in a home the figure can easily exceed 15 kW.
Installed, contracted and maximum admissible power
Three ideas that are often confused in Spain:
- Installed power: what all the appliances add up to.
- Contracted power (potencia contratada): what you pay for on your bill and can use at the same time without the ICP tripping.
- Maximum admissible power (potencia máxima admisible): what your installation can carry according to its cables and protection, stated on the boletín.
Normally installed power is the highest of the three, because you never switch everything on at once.
Simultaneity
An installation is not sized on installed power as it stands, but on an estimate of what will run together. ITC-BT-10 sets a minimum of 5,750 W for homes with basic electrification and 9,200 W for high electrification. Buildings and garages use simultaneity factors.
How to use this figure
- To choose your contracted power: add up what you usually switch on together, not everything you own.
- To know whether your installation can take a new appliance, such as an EV charger or air conditioning.
- To consider dynamic load balancing instead of raising your power.
See contracted power and tariff review in Seville, Spain.
Related services
Increase contracted power
You need to increase your electricity power in Spain when the smart meter cuts everything off as soon as the air conditioning, the oven and the washing machine run together. We check what power your installation can take, upgrade the supply cable, main switch and fuse board if needed, and issue the boletín so the distributor approves the increase.
Contracted power and tariff
We carry out a contracted power review in Seville, Spain based on data, not guesswork: we measure your real consumption peaks and adjust the peak and off-peak power of the 2.0TD tariff so you do not pay for potencia contratada (contracted power) you never use, and the limiter does not keep cutting your supply. Ideal before adding an induction hob, air conditioning or an EV charger.
Related questions
Need an electrician in Seville, Spain?
Call us or send a WhatsApp message with a photo of the job. You get a fixed quote before any work starts.