La discriminación horaria usa varios tramos horarios.

Because discriminación horaria is being used as a specific concept, and in Spanish it is very natural to use the definite article with nouns like this.

So La discriminación horaria usa... means something like Time-based pricing uses...

In English, we often drop the in general statements, but Spanish uses the article more often.
You might omit la in a heading, label, or very compact technical writing, but in a normal sentence la sounds more natural.

This is adjective agreement.

• discriminación is feminine singular
• so the adjective must also be feminine singular → horaria

And:

• tramos is masculine plural
• so the adjective must be masculine plural → horarios

So:

• discriminación horaria
• tramos horarios

The basic adjective changes form to match the noun it describes.

Because the subject is La discriminación horaria, which is singular.

Structure:

• La discriminación horaria = subject
• usa = singular verb
• varios tramos horarios = direct object

So the verb agrees with discriminación, not with tramos.

If the subject were plural, then you would use usan, for example:

• Las tarifas usan varios tramos horarios.

In this context, tramos means bands, slots, or periods.

So tramos horarios means time periods, time slots, or time bands.

In Spain, this kind of wording is especially common in electricity pricing, transport, official schedules, and similar technical contexts.

A tramo is literally a section or segment, and here it means a segment of the day.

Not exactly in tone.

Although discriminación often does mean discrimination in the social sense, in technical or economic contexts it can also mean differentiation.

So discriminación horaria is a technical term meaning that something changes depending on the time of day, such as different electricity rates at different hours.

For a learner, this is important because it may sound more negative in English than it does in this Spanish expression.

Because each adjective belongs to a different noun:

• horaria describes discriminación
• horarios describes tramos

So even though they come from the same word family, they are doing two separate jobs.

This kind of repetition is normal in Spanish, especially in technical language. It may feel a bit repetitive in English, but it is not wrong or strange.

If the context were already clear, a shorter version like usa varios tramos could be possible, but tramos horarios is more precise.

Yes. Usa and utiliza both work here.

• usa = more everyday and direct
• utiliza = slightly more formal or technical

So both of these are fine:

• La discriminación horaria usa varios tramos horarios.
• La discriminación horaria utiliza varios tramos horarios.

In many contexts, usa is the more natural and simpler choice.

Because usar takes a direct object in Spanish.

So:

• usar algo
• usa varios tramos horarios

There is no need for en, de, or another preposition here.

Compare:

• Usa varios tramos horarios = It uses several time periods.
• Se divide en varios tramos horarios = It is divided into several time periods.

So if the verb changes, the preposition pattern may change too.

Here it is an adjective.

That can be confusing because horario can also be a noun meaning schedule or timetable.

Examples:

• el horario del tren = the train schedule → noun
• tramos horarios = time periods / time bands → adjective

In your sentence:

• horaria and horarios are both adjectives related to time or hours

So they are not being used as nouns here.

Yes, especially in a technical or administrative context.

In Spain, expressions like discriminación horaria and tramos horarios are very common in discussions about electricity tariffs and pricing by time period.

That said, in newer or more user-friendly language, you may also see alternatives such as:

• tarifa por periodos
• periodos horarios
• franjas horarias

But your sentence is still perfectly understandable and natural, especially in formal or technical Spanish.