Royal Decree RD 446/2023 establishes that, from 1 January 2024, the PVPC tariff (Voluntary Price for Small Consumers) will only be accessible to domestic consumers and legal entities that are able to accredit their status as micro-enterprises.
What is a micro-enterprise?
A microenterprise is a company that employs fewer than 10 people and whose annual turnover or annual balance sheet does not exceed €2 million (EU Commission Regulation No 651/2014).
How can a microenterprise contract the PVPC Tariff?
From 2024, a micro-enterprise that wishes to contract the PVPC tariff needs to meet the established requirements for power and voltage level, and they will also have to prove their status as a micro-enterprise by making a sworn statement:
- Contracted power equal to or less than 10kW.
- A low voltage electrical installation.
- Making a sworn statement that accredits them as a micro-enterprise. You can download the form here: Sworn Statement for Micro-enterprises
This means that, in the case of new contracts from 1 January 2024, legal entities that are microenterprises will have to accredit this status in order to be able to qualify for the PVPC, and those that are not micro-enterprises will not be eligible for the PVPC.
How do these new conditions affect legal entities that had already contracted the PVPC before 1 January 2024?
- If they are NOT a micro-enterprise: From the date when the contract will need to be renewed in 2024, the LRT tariff will be applied with a surcharge of 20% on the PVPC, as established in the legislation in force.
- If they are a micro-enterprise: To continue to be eligible for the PVPC, before the renewal date for the contract in 2024, they need to accredit their status as a micro-enterprise by sending a sworn statement in accordance with that published in the Official State Gazette (BOE in Spanish) for this purpose. If the sworn statement has not been sent before that date, from that date onwards the LRT tariff will be applied with a surcharge of 20% on the PVPC as established in the legislation in force.
- The supply points corresponding to the common elements of a community of residents may benefit from the voluntary price for small consumers (PVPC) when they contract with a reference retailer and are connected to voltages not exceeding 1 kilovolt and their contracted power is less than or equal to 10 kilowatts, without having to provide any additional accreditation. This requires communities of residents to identify themselves with their corresponding Tax ID, with the letter H (specific for communities of residents under the horizontal property regime) and to act through their legal representative which will be the chairman.
The process to accredit the micro-enterprise status step by step
You can download the form here: Sworn Statement for Micro-enterprises
Once you the form has been filled in, it can be sent to the following e-mail address: acreditamicropymes@energiaxxi.com
For example, if a legal entity has a PVPC contract that expires on 4 June 2024, it will maintain the PVPC until that date and will switch to LRT without the right to PVPC (and with the application of a 20% surcharge) from then onwards, unless its status as a micro-enterprise has been accredited before 4 June 2024. If the company is accredited as a microenterprise after 4 June 2024, it would once again benefit from the PVPC from the moment the accreditation is effective. There is also option at any time to contract with any of the free market retailers if you wish.
The Spanish Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC) may require additional information from the company making the request to verify the micro-enterprise status.
What happens if there are changes that lead to the status as a micro-enterprise no longer being valid?
A microenterprise that has already been accredited and has contracted the PVPC tariff but subsequently loses the status as a micro-enterprise, should notify this within a maximum period of one month and the LRT tariff will then be applied with a 20% surcharge on the PVPC.
If you require further information, you can speak directly to our Customer Services from your PC, phone or tablet: 800 760 333. We can also provide assistance in English and Catalan.