From Thursday 1 September, air conditioners, freezers and refrigeration equipment in general will be up to 10% more expensive in Spain. As the Spanish housing website Idealista reports, the Congress of Deputies approved a law on 8 July in which a new tax was ‘sneaked in’.
It is a reform of the tax on fluorinated greenhouse gases. This existed before, but was only passed on to those who sold the fluorinated gases directly to the end consumer. However, the change introduced means, the production or installation will be taxed. Therefore, the tax will now be felt in the pocket.
Anyone who deals with these gases, who is involved in the manufacture, import, intra-Community acquisition or installation of refrigeration equipment will be affected by this tax.
The air conditioner is an essential device in Spanish homes. And because the air conditioner often has to be on 24 hours a day, its energy consumption is high. In fact, it accounts for 18% of the total consumption of a household. It is therefore worth buying an air conditioning with adjustable power. The purchase price is higher, but the final savings make it worthwhile.
Affected sectors
From September 1, sectors such as the following will be affected by the tax reform;
- automotive sector
- catering industry
- supermarkets
- food industry
- department stores that sell heating and cooling equipment
According to the AEFYT (Asociación de Empresas del Frío y sus Tecnologías), this new tax will increase the price of refrigeration and air conditioning equipment by 5-10%, reports Idealista.
According to the website, some 20 business associations have filed objections to the reform. The associations claim that its entry into force ‘will affect different sectors of the economy. However, homes and small businesses will also be affected’. They also argue that the tax ‘is not in line with its intended purpose, since the gases taxed are indispensable from a technological point of view and therefore they directly burden the sector.
Also read: Lower air con to save energy
