The disbursement associated with the operation services of the electrical system stands at 4.1 billion euros until the end of September, which represents a 40% increase compared to the same period in 2025, according to the latest report from the Observatory of the cost of operation services. This organization includes the associations of large electricity companies Aelec, independent marketers (ACIE and Acenel), the large electro-intensive industry (AEGE), and the business organization CEOE.
According to the estimates of the Observatory, in the second half of September, electricity consumers have borne an additional cost of 25.01 euros per megawatt hour (MWh) linked to these operation services, which amounts to more than 250 million euros in that part of the year.
Since January 2026, this surcharge averages 21.95 euros/MWh, a level comparable to the cost of the networks. This circumstance drives the accumulated bill for the fiscal year to the aforementioned 4.1 billion euros.
In addition to Aelec, which includes Endesa, EDP España, or Iberdrola, and ACIE, Acenel, AEGE, and CEOE, the Observatory also has the participation of the Alliance for the Competitiveness of the Spanish Industry, the consumers' confederation Consumes, and the Spanish Confederation of Small and Medium Enterprises (Cepyme).
In its most recent report, the organizations that make up the Observatory emphasize that in recent months the costs linked to the operation of the system have experienced a strong increase, "being directly transferred to the electricity bill of consumers and reaching in numerous periods levels higher than the energy price itself."
Furthermore, they highlight that this increase has been particularly intensified by the application of exceptional measures such as the so-called reinforced operation after the blackout of April 28, 2025, which "has notably intensified, causing a substantial increase in the costs borne by households and businesses."
"All of this translates into a distorted price signal, which raises the cost of electricity supply and reduces the competitiveness of the economy," the entities point out.
For this reason, they again demand the need to "adopt measures that correct these distortions," proposing initiatives to "reduce these costs, improve transparency, and enhance the competitiveness of the economy."
REE estimates the reinforced programming below 275 million
At the same time, last week Red Eléctrica de España (REE) calculated that the total costs of adjustment services exceeded 4.219 billion euros until September 30, a 37.3% increase compared to the same period of the previous year. Of that amount, 3.614 billion euros corresponded to the solution of technical restrictions; 312.8 million euros to the Active Demand Response Service (SRAD) and 292 million euros to the secondary regulation reserve.
Likewise, the system manager quantified the so-called "reinforced programming" at less than 275 million euros in the first nine months of the year, which is equivalent to 2 cents daily for a consumer under the regulated tariff -PVPC- with an average monthly consumption of 300 kilowatt hours (kWh).
REE also specified that the costs of adjustment services for technical restrictions and secondary regulation received by generation amounted to 3.906 billion euros in the first nine months of the year, while the total costs of the electrical system rise to 29.500 billion euros, according to the data available to date.