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Updated: October 2026

Electricity in Spain is priced by the hour, and many homes heat and cool with electric air conditioning. That makes smart gadgets more useful here than in many other countries: moving the washing machine or water heater to cheaper hours, and switching off what you do not use, can make a real difference to your bill. Here are the gadgets worth having and how to use them.

First: understand your tariff

Most homes are on the 2.0TD access tariff, which splits the day into three periods (mainland and Balearics):

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• Peak (punta): 10:00–14:00 and 18:00–22:00 on weekdays – most expensive.
• Mid (llano): 08:00–10:00, 14:00–18:00 and 22:00–24:00 on weekdays.
• Off-peak (valle): 00:00–08:00 on weekdays and all day at weekends and national holidays – cheapest.

On the regulated PVPC tariff the energy price also changes every hour; on many free-market contracts you pay a fixed price or different prices per period. Check your bill or your supplier’s app. More in our guide to electricity, water, gas and internet bills.

Smart gadgets that save energy

• Smart plugs with a timer and energy meter. Plug in the washing machine, dishwasher or a heater and set it to run in off-peak hours. The app shows how much each device really uses – often an eye-opener.
• Timer for the electric water heater (termo). Many flats have an electric termo that keeps water hot all day. Heating it only in off-peak hours, or once a day, cuts waste. Ask an electrician to fit a timer or smart switch.
• Smart thermostat or Wi-Fi control for air conditioning. Split AC units heat and cool most Spanish homes. A Wi-Fi module or smart IR controller lets you switch them on half an hour before you get home instead of leaving them on.
• LED bulbs and smart lighting. Replacing old halogen spots with LED is one of the quickest savings; lighting specialists such as El Maestro de la Iluminación (ad) sell LED bulbs and fittings.
• Energy monitor. A clamp-on monitor in the fuse box shows live consumption for the whole home and helps you find “energy vampires”.
• Dehumidifier with humidity control. Coastal homes get damp in winter. A dehumidifier makes rooms feel warmer at a lower temperature and protects against mould.

When to replace appliances

Old fridges, freezers and air conditioners can use far more electricity than modern ones. When you replace them, look at the EU energy label and, for AC, choose an inverter model with a good seasonal efficiency rating. Spanish retailers such as Electropolis (ad) and Kyoto Electrodomésticos (ad) sell appliances online with delivery in Spain. Remember that the shop must take your old appliance back when you buy a new equivalent one.

Simple habits that cost nothing

• Run the washing machine, dishwasher and oven at weekends or after 22:00 where you can.
• Set the AC to around 26 °C in summer and 20 °C in winter – each degree makes a difference.
• Close shutters (persianas) in the heat of the day in summer and at night in winter.
• Switch devices off at the plug instead of leaving them on standby.

Working from home? See our guide to buying a laptop and home office equipment in Spain.

FAQ: saving electricity in Spain

Disclaimer: Tariff periods and prices can change; check your contract and bill. This article is general information. Links marked “(ad)” are affiliate links – NewInSpain may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

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Skincare, vitamins, baby care and more – delivered in SpainShop now

Updated: October 2026

Whether you work remotely, study online or simply need a computer for banking and the endless online forms of Spanish bureaucracy, you will probably buy a laptop or set up a home office here sooner or later. Most of it works just like at home – but there are a few Spanish details worth knowing before you spend money: the keyboard, the plugs, the warranty, the heat and what to do with your old devices.

Bring your laptop or buy one in Spain?

If your current laptop works well, bring it. Laptop chargers are almost always rated for 100–240 V, so they work on the Spanish 230 V / 50 Hz grid – you only need a plug adapter or a new cable. Spain uses the European type C and type F sockets (two round pins), the same as most of mainland Europe. If you come from the UK, Ireland or the US, buy a proper adapter or a replacement power cable rather than relying on cheap travel adapters for a device that is plugged in all day.

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Buying in Spain makes sense when your laptop is old anyway, when you want a local warranty, or when you need to replace a desktop that is too heavy to move.

The Spanish keyboard: check before you pay

Laptops sold in Spain normally come with a Spanish keyboard layout. It has the letter ñ to the right of L, a different position for many symbols (@, #, quotation marks, brackets) and a key for accents. Touch typists used to a UK, US, German or Scandinavian layout often find it frustrating.

• Many shops only stock the Spanish layout. Some manufacturers let you configure a different layout when you order directly from their own online store – check before you pay.
• You can always switch the layout in Windows, macOS or Linux, but the printed keys will not match. Keyboard stickers are a cheap fix.
• For a home office, an external keyboard in your preferred layout solves the problem and is better for your posture anyway.

What to look for in a work laptop

• Memory: 16 GB RAM is a comfortable minimum for video calls, many browser tabs and office software. 8 GB quickly feels slow.
• Storage: an SSD of at least 512 GB, or 256 GB if you keep everything in the cloud.
• Battery and weight: matter if you plan to work from cafés, co-working spaces or on the train.
• Webcam and microphone: a 1080p webcam makes a real difference if you spend your day in meetings.
• Cooling: Spanish summers are hot. A laptop that throttles at 30 °C indoors is a daily annoyance – read reviews that mention heat and fan noise.
• Ports: at least one USB-C port with charging and display output makes it easy to connect a monitor with one cable.

Home office equipment worth buying

• External monitor: a 24–27 inch screen at eye level is the single biggest upgrade for long working days.
• Keyboard and mouse: in your own layout, if the laptop has a Spanish one.
• Headset: Spanish homes often have tiled floors and little soft furnishing, so rooms echo. A headset with a good microphone helps your colleagues more than a better webcam.
• Chair and desk: many furnished rentals come with a dining chair at best. An adjustable office chair is worth it if you work from home every day.
• Surge protector: storms and power cuts happen. A surge-protected power strip is cheap insurance for your equipment; a small UPS (uninterruptible power supply) keeps a router or desktop running through short outages.
• Fan or air conditioning: the room you work in will decide how productive you are in July and August.

Internet: the part that matters most

Spain has one of the most extensive fibre networks in Europe, and in most towns you can get symmetric fibre at a reasonable price. Check coverage at the exact address before you sign a rental contract – rural houses and some older buildings may only have 4G/5G home internet. Our guide to the best internet and mobile providers in Spain compares the main operators, and utility bills in Spain explains what you will pay each month.

Where to buy: shops, online and refurbished

• Electronics chains and department stores have laptops on display, so you can try the keyboard and screen before you buy.
• Online shops often have a wider range and better prices. Compare the final price including delivery.
• Manufacturers’ own stores are the best place to look for other keyboard layouts and custom configurations.
• Refurbished devices from professional sellers are a good way to save money; they still come with a legal warranty (see below).
• Second-hand from private sellers (Wallapop and similar) can be cheap but carries no legal warranty. Meet in person and test the device first.

Your rights as a buyer in Spain

• Three-year legal warranty: since 1 January 2022, new goods bought from a business in Spain have a minimum legal guarantee of three years from delivery. If a fault appears within the first two years, it is presumed to have existed when you bought it.
• Refurbished and second-hand from a business: the seller may shorten the guarantee, but not below one year.
• 14 days to change your mind online: for purchases made online or by phone you can withdraw within 14 days without giving a reason. This does not apply to purchases in a physical shop, where returns depend on the shop’s own policy.
• Keep the invoice (factura): you need it for warranty claims. If you are self-employed, ask for a full invoice with your NIF/NIE so you can deduct the purchase.

Prices in shops include VAT (IVA) at 21%. In the Canary Islands, IGIC applies instead at a lower rate.

Recycling your old devices

Electronic devices must not go in the normal rubbish. When you buy a new device, the shop is generally obliged to take back an equivalent old one free of charge, and large electronics shops must accept very small devices even without a purchase. You can also take old electronics to your town’s recycling point (punto limpio). Wipe your data first.

Working for yourself? Get a professional address

If you freelance or run a small business from your home office, a professional email address on your own domain looks better to clients than a free webmail address. Spanish providers such as Nominalia (ad) offer domains, email and hosting with Spanish-language support. For the paperwork side of freelancing, see our guide to becoming autónomo in Spain.

Useful links

• European Consumer Centre Spain: guarantees (Spanish)
• Working remotely for a foreign company while living in Spain
• Best internet and mobile providers in Spain
• Cost of living in Spain in 2026

FAQ: laptops and home office equipment in Spain

Disclaimer: This article is general information, not legal or financial advice. Links marked “(ad)” are affiliate links – NewInSpain may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, products and shop policies change; check before you buy.

Online pharmacy & parapharmacy
Skincare, vitamins, baby care and more – delivered in SpainShop now

Updated: October 2026

Your weekly shop is one of the biggest regular costs after rent, and Spain has a wide choice of supermarket chains, each with its own style. This guide is for newcomers trying to work out where to shop. It compares the main national chains, explains own-brand ranges and loyalty apps, and covers online shopping and home delivery, so you can pick the mix that suits your budget and your neighbourhood.

The main chains at a glance

Strong regional chains are worth knowing too, and in some areas they are the most convenient option: Consum in the Valencia region and along the east coast, Eroski in the Basque Country and the north, Gadis in Galicia, Ahorramas in Madrid, BonÀrea and Bonpreu in Catalonia, and Covirán and Mas in Andalucía. Many towns also have their own local chains with very competitive prices.

Online pharmacy & parapharmacySkincare, vitamins, baby care and more – delivered in SpainShop now Vivid BusinessA business account for freelancers and companies in SpainOpen your account online, with sub-accounts and cards for your team.Learn more →(ad) Buying a home in Spain? Simulate your mortgageSee your monthly payment with Banco Sabadell’s mortgage simulator.Try the simulator →(ad) A bank account for autónomos in SpainCuenta Clara Autónomos: no commissions, free debit and credit cards, opened online.See the account →(ad) A European bank you open from your phonebunq: an EU-licensed bank with debit cards, managed fully in the app. Sign up in about five minutes.Get started →(ad) A mobile bank account with no commissionsB100, the mobile bank from Abanca: everyday account and free debit card, all in the app.Get the app →(ad)

Which supermarket is cheapest?

The best independent source is the annual price survey by consumer organisation OCU. Its 2026 supermarket study, published in September 2026, visited 690 shops in 38 cities plus online supermarkets. Its main findings:

• Prices vary more by shop than by chain. OCU puts the average possible saving from choosing the cheapest supermarket in your town at around 1,310 euros a year, and much more in big cities such as Madrid.
• Regional and discount chains often win. A small regional chain came out cheapest overall, with Alcampo and Carrefour’s discount format Supeco close behind. Lidl was the cheapest option in more towns than the year before.
• Own brands keep getting cheaper. OCU’s basket of the cheapest products in each shop fell in price on average, with the biggest drops at Mercadona and Lidl, while manufacturer brands rose.

Rankings change every year and depend on what you buy, so treat them as a guide. Part of the full OCU ranking is only open to members, but the free summary already shows which chains are cheap in many towns.

Own brands: the marca blanca habit

Spanish shoppers buy a lot of own-brand products, known as marca blanca or marca de distribuidor. Many of them are made by well-known Spanish producers, and quality is usually good. Some own-brand items have a loyal following, from Mercadona’s ready meals and cosmetics to Lidl’s bakery and weekly speciality food weeks.

A practical approach is to try own brands for basics such as milk, pasta, rice, tinned tomatoes and cleaning products, and keep branded products where you notice a real difference. The packaging lists the producer and a health registration number, so you can often see who makes the product.

Loyalty apps, offers and ways to save

• Apps and cards: Lidl, Carrefour, Dia, Alcampo, Eroski and Consum run loyalty schemes with personalised coupons or money back. Mercadona is the big exception: it does not run promotions and aims for stable everyday prices instead. You can find what the Lidl app offers on its website (in Spanish).
• Weekly leaflets: most chains publish offers online every week. “2ª unidad al 50%” means the second unit is half price, and “3×2” means three for the price of two.
• Compare unit prices: shelf labels must show the price per kilo or litre (precio por kilo/litro), which is the fairest way to compare pack sizes.
• Use the market as well: for fruit, vegetables, fish and meat, the local mercado municipal and weekly street market can beat supermarket quality and price, especially for seasonal produce.
• Bring your bags: shops must charge for plastic bags, so keep reusable bags or a trolley handy.

Online shopping and home delivery

Online grocery shopping has grown fast in Spain, but coverage still depends on your postcode. Check before you rely on it, especially if you live in a village or an urbanisation outside town.

• Mercadona: runs its own online shop from dedicated warehouses in several big cities. Orders have a minimum amount and a service charge, delivery starts the next day depending on slots, and you pay by card online. See Mercadona’s online shopping FAQ in English. The old service of delivering in-store purchases to your home is being phased out and is only offered by some stores.
• Carrefour: has one of the widest online grocery services, including the Balearic and Canary Islands, with home delivery or collection in store via carrefour.es.
• Dia, Alcampo, Eroski, Consum and El Corte Inglés: all offer online orders in many areas, with options from same-day delivery in cities to collection points.
• Lidl: its online shop is mainly for non-food items such as household goods, tools and clothing; for groceries you still go to the store.
• Delivery apps: Glovo, Uber Eats and Amazon deliver from some supermarkets and convenience stores in larger cities, usually at higher prices than the shop.

Delivery fees, minimum orders and free-delivery thresholds change often and differ by chain, so compare them on each website before your first order. Some online shops expect a Spanish phone number, and cards issued abroad are occasionally declined; see our guide to opening a bank account in Spain.

Practical tips for your first shop

1. Check opening hours: large supermarkets usually open all day from Monday to Saturday, but Sunday opening depends on your region.
2. Use gloves or bags for fruit: in many shops you take a plastic glove or bag to pick loose fruit and vegetables, and some still ask you to weigh and label them yourself.
3. Fresh counters: at the meat, fish and cheese counters, take a number from the machine and wait your turn. Staff will clean and cut fish for free if you ask.
4. Look for home comforts: Carrefour, El Corte Inglés and supermarkets in expat areas usually stock the widest range of international products.

For a full picture of household spending, see our guides to the cost of living in Spain and family living costs.

Useful links

• OCU: the cheapest supermarkets of 2026 (Spanish)
• Mercadona: online shopping FAQ
• Carrefour Spain online shop
• Cost of living in Spain
• Living on a small salary in Spain

FAQ: supermarkets in Spain

Disclaimer: This article is general information only and is not sponsored by any supermarket. Prices, delivery areas, fees and loyalty schemes change often – always check the chain’s own website before you shop.