Half of all households struggle to pay bills and buy fresh food, says OCU consumer group

Half of all households in Catalonia have "trouble" paying household expenses and buying fresh food according to the results of a survey made public by the OCU consumer group on Tuesday.

According to the same report, the share of households that have "serious trouble" making ends meet has risen to 8%, up from 3% in 2020, prompting OCU to call for more direct aid for those in need.

This, however, is below the Spanish average, which OCU says is 11%, therefore affecting over 1 in 10 households.

Over half of all households, 53%, struggle to pay water, gas, and electricity bills.

48% said they have trouble buying fresh foods, while 42% specifically mentioned fruit and vegetables, and 40% claimed to have trouble purchasing basic food items such as bread, pasta, rice, oil, or milk products.

Around half, 49%, said it was tricky for them to go to the dentist – the public health system covers only basic care – and 20% said going to the dentist was out of reach for them altogether.

The survey also found that 69% of households found it difficult to save money last year due to inflation, up from 56% in 2020.

OCU polled 4,122 people across Spain for this report, of which 515 reside in Catalonia.

Barcelona and Girona among most expensive for groceries

Esther Lorente, the head of OCU in Catalonia,  told Catalan News last fall that Barcelona and Girona were among the most expensive cities in Spain for grocery shopping. 

"In Catalonia the cheapest supermarket is Alcampo," Lorente said, "followed by Consum, Mercadona, and Caprabo." And even though supermarkets like Mercadona or Dia have brought prices up more than other stores, they are still not the most expensive. 

Lorente also argued it was important to know what kind of electricity contract each household has in order to keep costs down by using price comparison tools or applying for government grants. 

The best way to keep gas costs down, she said, is for people should check their gas bills: if they have a good deal that will last through 2023 they should not switch rates, but if they do not, she argued that the "best by far" is the tarifa d'últim recurs or TUR rate, which is only provided by four companies: Comercializadora Regulada (Naturgy), Energía XXI (Endesa), Curenergía (Iberdrola), and Baser (TotalEnergies).