the cities with the most expensive and cheapest rates in the country

Turning on the tap in one area of ​​Spain does not cost the same as in another. He water is one of the most essential resources in life of any person. It is essential for health, but also for agriculture, industry or the environment. The truth is that many people may find it difficult to pay their bill because each place has a different price. There are some points where, to facilitate access for everyone and guarantee that basic needs are covered Rates are established that are designed for the most vulnerable.

However, there are other places where this does not exist and causes the price to increase. That is what a study carried out by the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU). In it they have realized that there are a total of 10 cities in which this type of aid for vulnerable groups does not exist.

The cities with the most expensive and cheapest water rates

The first thing to keep in mind is that Water rates are municipal responsibilitythat is, the city councils are in charge of publishing the price in their ordinance. They do it according to European Water Directive 2000/60/ECwhich establishes that “the true costs of its collection and treatment” must be reflected and may vary depending on the situation of the population.

The study carried out by the OCU has analyzed the rates of the provincial capitals, Ceuta, Melilla, Vigo and Gijón. The entity explains that the receipts are broken down into different concepts: supply (price of water consumed), sanitation (costs for sewage and wastewater treatment) and rental or maintenance of the meter (does not appear on all receipts).

It must be taken into account that in the supply section there is usually a fixed fee and a variable amount that depends on the consumption. There are exceptions: in MelillaFor example, if no water is consumed, the invoice that has to be paid is 0 euros. Cities like Barcelona, ​​Oviedo, Pontevedra either Soria They do include a minimum water consumption in that fee that is included in the bill even if there is no expense.

On the other hand, in the receipts that include the charge for equipment rental, it must be kept in mind that its price has increased in recent years. One of the cases to comment on is that the annual cost in Castellon for the meter supply is almost 40 euros.

Taking all these assumptions into account, the OCU report concludes that “the city with the highest rates in the study is Barcelonawith an average receipt of 516 euros per year“. Above the 400 euros are also included several Andalusian cities (Seville, Huelva, Almería, and Cádiz), Alicante and Murcia.

Bilbao It is also among the expensive cities with very high sanitation costs. On the opposite side, and as areas where the water rate is cheaper, there are Melilla (156 euros), Palencia (151 euros) and Ourense (148 euros).

And one more fact. The OCU study reveals that There are 10 Spanish capitals that do not offer any type of discount or help: Castellón, Cáceres, Gijón, Guadalajara, Jaén, Lérida, Segovia, San Sebastián, Soria, Segovia and Toledo.