In recent weeks it has been announced the rise that has already entered into force in the price of electricity, and that has left the possibility of saving in the night and early morning section, The most expensive hours are between 10:00 and 14:00 in the morning and between 18:00 and 22:00 at night from Monday to Friday.
For this reason, all citizens have been recommended to take advantage of the cheapest section, which is between 00:00 and 08:00 hours, to turn on their washing machines, dishwashers or hair dryers. However, This new system of sections has collided head-on with the regulations that are imposed in the municipal ordinances of several cities.
It is forbidden to connect noisy electrical appliances under penalty of a fine
It is true that most modern washing machines may have a quiet system, but the reality is that in most homes, washing machines can emit more than 50 decibels during operation. For example in Cuenca, The municipal noise ordinance expressly prohibits the plugging in of any device that disturbs the rest of the neighbors and exceeds 45 decibels between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. during the week and between 11:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. Fridays, Saturdays and holidays.
In Zaragoza, its ordinance limits the use of noisy appliances from 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. as long as the established maximum decibel limits are exceeded. In Castellón also since 2018 it does so between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. “It is forbidden to carry out work, repairs and other domestic activities likely to cause annoyances due to noise and vibrations on holidays and at night on other days, except those strictly necessary for urgent reasons” collects article 43 of its municipal noise ordinance that has been collected The Mediterranean newspaper.
And in Barcelona it still starts earlier, from 9:00 p.m. the use of noisy appliances is prohibited. The problem now collides with the new electricity bill, whose sections conflict with these municipal ordinances. In addition, if citizens decided to skip them and disturb the noise of their neighbors to the point that they called the authorities, They could face fines that, depending on where they are and the intensity of the annoyance, can range between 750 and 3,000 euros.
For its part, the Municipal Ordinance for Protection against Noise Pollution of the City Council of Valencia (from 2008) prohibits turning on washing machines and appliances that generate noise from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m.. The spokesman for Ciudadanos (Cs) in the Valencia City Council, Fernando Giner, has criticized “the contradiction that the Valencia noise ordinance supposes that prohibits turning on washing machines and electrical appliances that generate noise from 10 pm to 8 am, “Just at the time when the government has decided what should be done to suffer less from the rise in the electricity bill.” “It is alarming that the mayor has not done anything about it, since breaching the ordinance could be a minor offense and the penalty ranges from 60 to 600 euros,” he added.
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