Port Med Formentera has come under scrutiny over the way it calculates water and electricity charges for boats using the marina at La Savina, after a customer quotation reviewed by a local newspaper reportedly included estimated consumption rather than charges based on measured usage.

The issue concerns the conditions established by the Balearic Port Authority (APB) for the unified marina at Formentera's main port. The tender documents state that users must be charged for the water and electricity they actually consume, with individual measurement and no minimum consumption charges or proportional allocation.

The allegations emerged less than three weeks after Port Med took over the additional marina facilities on 5 October under a temporary authorisation.

Tender Rules Require Charges Based on Actual Consumption

The APB's tender conditions specify how water and electricity supplied to boats must be measured and billed.

Section 1.7 of the tender rules states that supplies must correspond to the consumption actually requested and used by each customer, measured in the appropriate units. The conditions also require individual measurement systems so that each boat's usage can be established accurately.

A further provision, section 5.2.1.5, states that customers may only be billed for actual consumption and that the operator cannot impose minimum consumption charges.

The rules also place responsibility for the necessary supply infrastructure and measurement equipment on the successful bidder.

According to the report, however, Port Med has issued customer quotations listing water and electricity under the heading “estimated water and electricity consumption”, without specifying the volume of water or the number of kilowatt-hours used to calculate the amounts.

The newspaper says it reviewed one such quotation for a boat during the low season. In that example, the estimated charges for water and electricity together reportedly exceeded the cost of the mooring by almost 10%.

The document raises questions about whether the proposed billing method is consistent with the tender conditions. No published regulatory ruling confirming a breach has been identified.

Maximum Prices Apply to Water and Electricity

The dispute also concerns the tariffs applicable to water and electricity at La Savina.

According to the published report, the applicable APB reference tariff for water supplied to boats is €8.64 per cubic metre. A management surcharge of up to 20% would bring the maximum to approximately €10.37 per cubic metre, excluding VAT.

For electricity, the reference rate is €0.3585 per kilowatt-hour. With the maximum 20% surcharge, the resulting ceiling would be approximately €0.4302 per kilowatt-hour.

These figures represent calculated maximum rates under the tariff framework described in the report. They do not establish that Port Med has charged every customer the maximum or that the estimated amounts in the disputed quotation necessarily exceeded the permitted unit prices.

The central concern is the distinction between the permitted price per unit and the method used to calculate the quantity consumed. Even where a unit price falls within the authorised limit, the amount billed must comply with the applicable measurement and billing requirements.

Port Med Took Over Additional Marina Facilities in October

Port Med Formentera assumed management of the Levante basin and dry marina at La Savina on 5 October, adding these facilities to the Poniente basin it already operated.

The transfer took place under a temporary occupation authorisation granted by the APB while the definitive concession procedure continued.

The company was selected on 29 July as the preferred bidder for a planned 16-year concession covering the unified marina. The proposed concession includes moorings, commercial premises and parking facilities, alongside investment in the modernisation of the port.

The selection of Port Med has also faced a legal challenge from competing bidder Desarrollos Concesionales Insulares (DECOIN), which filed an administrative court appeal against the decision. The appeal is a separate issue from the questions raised over water and electricity billing.

Company Response and Regulatory Position

The newspaper reported that it contacted Port Med Formentera for comment but had not received a response when its article was published on 22 October.

No public APB finding confirming that the company has breached the tender conditions, or announcing a penalty in connection with the reported quotations, has been identified in the material reviewed.

The matter therefore remains a reported concern based on the tender rules and a customer document, rather than an established regulatory infringement.

Clarification from Port Med and the APB would help establish whether the estimates were provisional quotations, how actual consumption would ultimately be measured and billed, and whether the disputed amounts complied with the applicable rules.

For boat owners using La Savina, the key issue is whether water and electricity charges will be calculated from individually measured consumption in accordance with the conditions governing the marina.