- Business
- Childbirth & Education
- Legal Formalities
- Motoring
- Other
- Pensions & Benefits
- Property & Accommodation
- Taxes
- Airports and Airlines Spain
- Paramount Theme Park Murcia Spain
- Corvera International Airport Murcia Spain
- Join us for Tea on the Terrace
- When Expat Eyes Are Smiling
- Meet Wincham at The Homes, Gardens & Lifestyle Show, Calpe
- QROPS 2014
- Spain Increases IHT in Valencia & Murcia
- Removals to Spain v Exports from Spain
- The Charm of Seville
- Gibraltar Relations
- Retiro Park : Madrid
- Community Insurance in Spain
- Calendar Girls
- Considerations when Insuring your Boat in Spain
- QROPS – HMRC Introduces changes that create havoc in the market place
- QROPS – All Change From April 2012
- Liva & Laia : 15th November
Anyone who has lived in Spain for even the shortest period of time will doubtlessly be aware that domestic appliances don't seem to last anywhere near as long as they did in the UK.
I can recall having Fridge-Freezer, washing machines and dishwashers that I moved from house to house for maybe ten years, give or take, but here in Spain I seem to have gone through more appliances in the last 7 years than I have in all of my time in the UK.
My Philosophy (in the UK) was to buy the best quality that I could afford, in the knowledge that a well-known brand name could offer the reliability and technical support required in the event of things going wrong. However, in Spain that seems to account for very little and so I buy the cheapest possible brand, secure in the knowledge that it will break in a couple of years at most anyway.
So buying an appliance at the cheapest possible price is more important in Spain than most other places.
The other consideration here is the energy consumption - not necessarily from a carbon-footprint perspective, but from the standpoint that electricity in Spain isn't as cheap as it is in the UK.
So this is where Spain's "Plan Renove" becomes interesting - and I'm only blogging about this for two reasons :
1) I'm surprised just how many expats are not aware of it (... and to be fair, this is probably because retailers and the government have not exactly been shouting about it), and...
2) It is coming to an end shortly
Without boring you with the details, quoting EU directives, articles and sub-paragraphs etc... the situation is as follows :
- In order to encourage Spain to comply with the EU's latest round of green energy / climate change regulations, they were awarded a grant of 1 Billion euros some time back. Just one part of this grant was set aside to offer significant discounts to encourage consumers to exchange older domestic appliances for newer and more energy-efficient models. The more expensive / efficient the new model, the more discount offered - which can vary between 85 - 350 Euros per appliance.
However, the EU grant was made as a lump sum - in other words when it's gone it's gone - and is expected to be exhausted by the end of November (and only a cynic would draw a parallel with this coinciding with the General Election and a possible change of government).
So in short, if you need a new Washing Machine, Dishwasher, Tumble Dryer, Fridge or Freezer then don't forget to ask for your discount under the terms of the "Plan Renove" - some enterprising retailers are already offering and advertising this as standard, but you would be surprised how many are not.
Here's what you "may" need, so take everything with you when you go to the shop :
Residencia or NIE and your passport
Empadronimiento
Your most recent electric bill
Your most recent water bill
- Calendar Girls
- Charging for School Dinners : Whose Fault ?
- 39 Weeks pregnant : Still no name
- Further Adventures in ValenciSpanglish
- 12 Months Pregnant
- Pregnancy in Spain : State Healthcare v Private
- Hey Teacher, leave those kids alone
- Dancing on Newspaper
- The effect of regional debt on schools
- A letter home from school
- How to get legal assistance in Spain
- How to Register on the Padron
- Travel Insurance to Spain
- Do I Need Medical Insurance for my Dog ?
- Divorce in Spain
- Dangerous Dogs in Spain
- Making a will in Spain
- What is an ICP and Why do I need one ?
- The Police in Spain – Who they are and their Responsibilities
- Getting Employment in Spain
- Opening a Bank Account in Spain
- Electricity suppliers - and how to change them
- Join us for Tea on the Terrace
- When Expat Eyes Are Smiling
- Meet Wincham at The Homes, Gardens & Lifestyle Show, Calpe
- QROPS 2014
- Spain Increases IHT in Valencia & Murcia
- Removals to Spain v Exports from Spain
- The Charm of Seville
- Gibraltar Relations
- Retiro Park : Madrid
- Community Insurance in Spain
- Calendar Girls
- Considerations when Insuring your Boat in Spain
- QROPS – HMRC Introduces changes that create havoc in the market place
- QROPS – All Change From April 2012
- Liva & Laia : 15th November
- Thinking of Buying In Spain ? :Then Take The Safe Purchase Test !
- Are You Paying Too Much For Your Telephone Line Rental ?
- Spain's new UK mobile phone service
- Our most popular Funeral Plan FAQ's
- Why Plan your Funeral now ?