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Date Published: 08/11/2022

Benidorm bars join hospitality blackout across Spain in protest against rising electricity costs

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The nationwide 15 minute "energy blackout" is scheduled to take place at 7pm on Tuesday November 8

Benidorm bars join hospitality blackout across Spain in protest against rising electricity costs

Hoteliers of Benidorm and Alicante province, represented by Abreca and Fehpa, are planning to join a nationwide "energy blackout" for 15 minutes, in protest against the "astronomical" rise in electricity prices in Spain.

The demonstration, in which hospitality establishments in popular tourist destinations will cease activity for a quarter of an hour from 7pm on Tuesday November 8, has been called by Spain's Federation of Hotels and Restaurants.

Bars and restaurants in Madrid were the first to sign up for the protest, and now more Spanish towns and cities plan to participate.

In recent months, establishments have seen their electricity bills skyrocket due to the energy crisis and the escalation of prices. Bills have almost tripled in a sector that is still bearing serious economic consequences from the coronavirus pandemic.

In August, head of the Federation of Andalusian Hospitality Entrepreneurs, Javier Frutos, expressed his concern about "uncertainty" after announcing the Government's package of energy saving measures , which generated "many doubts in the sector".

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And on the day of the scheduled protest, president of the employers' association, José Luis Yzuel, has warned that the hotel industry is still " highly concerned about the drop in profitability", which leaves many businesses with little room for action and uncertain about "how much they will be able to endure".

"It's a very serious problem," he said, adding: "It is practically unaffordable to face a rise between 300 and 350% in energy costs that we have been experiencing for months and we have no idea when it will end."

Meanwhile, Alex Fratini, spokesman for the restaurant association Abreca warned that in Benidorm, "the impact of the electricity bill has been more noticeable than in other places because the maximum price reached so far coincides with the high summer season".

Specifically, in the so-called 3.0td tariff for businesses, the highest price is applied in July and the average in August. "Together with the higher consumption of the sector in Benidorm, this has resulted in bills of astronomical amounts," said Fratini, who has experienced this first hand, with a bill of 11,000 euros over summer. "It's electrical robbery," he blasted.

The sector is calling for a revision and modification of the rate calculation system, lower taxes, and a statute similar to that of the 'electro-intensive' consumer and the implementation of electricity bonds.

Also read: Costa Blanca launches bid to recover pre-Covid UK tourists at World Travel Market in London

Image: Abreca

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