Barcelona shops switch off lights in protest electricity price increases

Shops in Barcelona switched off their lights from 12 pm to 12:15 pm on Friday to protest against the constant increases in prices of electricity seen in the past months. The goal was to urge authorities to implement urgent measures to reduce the impact of these added costs on businesses.

After surviving the Covid-19 pandemic, business associations now claim that electricity prices will push many stores to close. The vast majority of cases see electricity bills rising by 250% and the average gas invoice by 130% compared with the previous year.

The action was organized by the Barcelona Comerç association which represents over 25,000 stores across 23 commercial sites in the Catalan capital. 

Under the motto "without electricity, there is no trade," the group of businesses calls for a reduction of taxes on electricity (VAT, or 'IVA' in Spanish and Catalan) from 21% to 4%, highlighting the importance of local commerce.

Some other requests include subsidizing 50% of social security contributions until May 31, 2023, and fully-subsidizing self-employment taxes.

One of the establishments that joined the protest is 'Bo per tu cafè' bar in Galileu street in the Les Corts neighborhood. This is one of the 150 locals, 80% of the Sants-Les Corts commercial area that switched off its lights. 

"The unexpected increase is making it very difficult to survive," Montse Prieto, the owner of this cafè that opened one year ago said to the Catalan News Agency (ACN). 

Her prices remain the same, but "serving good and quality food is becoming very difficult as transport and all my suppliers have increased their costs," so Prieto believes she will have to raise her prices.

"It is very difficult to survive," Reyes de la Corte, a hairdresser and the president of the Sants-Les Corts commercial area said to ACN before the lights were switched off. "Utility bills could be the end of us."

The future of local commerces "is at stake, as we cannot increase our prices between 150% to 300%, which is the rise we have seen in the cost of our supplies," she added.

On a similar note, Marc Sánchez, from a metal shop also in Galileu street, highlighted that the "client is also a victim of these increases at their home," making it very difficult for everyone to survive.