Spain e-credits could make electric car charging cheaper from next year

From next year, charging an electric car in Spain could become cheaper. The Spanish Government has approved a new mechanism enabling charging operators to access an additional revenue stream through credits purchased by oil companies. That income could then be used to bring down charging costs.

The measure forms part of Royal Decree 611/2026, published on 23 July, and creates the so-called e-credits: a credit scheme linked to renewable electricity used to charge electric vehicles. Each e-credit represents an amount of renewable energy equal to one megawatt-hour (MWh).

How do e-credits work?

The basic principle is fairly straightforward. Every time an electric vehicle is charged using renewable electricity, that energy creates an electronic credit, known as an e-credit.

These credits are allocated to charge point operators, which can subsequently sell them to oil companies. The companies buy them to meet European carbon-emissions reduction targets.

This allows oil companies to avoid relying solely on biofuels, while also helping them avoid penalties for failing to meet emissions targets.

Under the Renewable Energy Directive, Member States must increase the use of renewable energy in transport. This helps cut emissions from the sector and supports the European Union’s climate targets.

What do electric-car drivers gain?

The decree does not automatically translate into benefits for drivers, but the intention is for the proceeds from e-credit sales to be reflected in charging prices.

With this extra income, operators are expected to lower tariffs, provide customer discounts or invest further in infrastructure, making charging cheaper in future. However, the benefit may reach users in different ways depending on the operator.

Initially, the scheme will apply only to public charging points. The decree does, however, envisage that home charging could eventually generate e-credits too. Further regulation will be needed first to set out the technical requirements and the way in which this electricity use will be aggregated.

How much could e-credits be worth?

The Spanish Government has not set a price for e-credits, as their value will be determined by the market. Some companies in the sector estimate that each credit could be worth the equivalent of five to ten cents per kWh of electricity supplied.

If those forecasts prove accurate, charging could become considerably cheaper for many electric-vehicle users.

A similar scheme is under discussion in Portugal: Renewable Electricity Certificates. Issued by the National Entity for the Energy Sector (ENSE), these digital certificates formally verify the inclusion of green electricity in final consumption.

The new mechanism requires energy suppliers to purchase, or demonstrate the use of, clean sources. It acts as an important market instrument for meeting the national decarbonisation targets set for 2030. These certificates are also expected to be sold to oil companies.