Once you have bought your property in Spain you may need to be connected to the various utilities such as electricity, gas and telephone. Before doing this please ensure that all previous bills belonging to the property have been paid. You solicitor or estate agent can assist you with this.
ELECTRICITY
There are two main companies who will supply electricity to your property. Grupo Endesa (the largest in Spain), or Iberdrola. You can register with these electricity companies online or by phone which will probably be easier than visiting a local branch. The contact details for these companies are below:
Grupo Endesa: tel. 900 737 373 or visit the website at www.endesa.es
Iberdrola: tel. 901202 020 or visit the website at www.iberdrola.es
To register with any of these electricity companies you will require:
- Passport or residence card
- The contract and bills paid by the previous owner
- The reference number for your electricity supply which you can find on a bill from the previous owner
You should expect your bills to be issued by the electricity companies every two months.
The electricity supply in most areas of Spain is 220 volts AC with a frequency of 50 hertz, but you may find some areas still have a 110 volt supply. You will find that most U.K. electrical items will be compatible with the Spanish electrical supply at 220 volts but you will need to buy an adapter.
Power cuts can be frequent in Spain, so be prepared for this. Keep candles or torches to hand or you may want to consider investing in a backup generator.
GAS
Mains gas is usually only available in the major cities of Spain so gas is usually provided in the form of bottled gas or bombonas. If you are lucky enough to have mains gas supplied to your property, you will need to contact the gas company to arrange for connection and contracts. As with electricity, you will be billed every 2 months.
Gas Natural is the largest gas supplier in Spain, or you could use Endesa who can provide you with both gas and electricity.
Gas Natural – tel. 900 760 760 or visit the website at portal.gasnatural.com
Grupo Endesa – tel. 900 737 373 or visit the website at www.endesa.es
Bottled gas is straight forward to use and can last a family of four for up to 6 weeks. You can arrange a contract with Repsol Butano, the company responsible for the supply of bottled gas, and arrange for regular deliveries to you home.
Repsol Butano – tel. 901 100 100 or visit the website at www.repsolypf.com
WATER
Water is controlled by the local municipality and the charges can range from 50-300 euros to install a supply into your home in an urban area or up to 1,500 euros in rural areas.
There is usually a quarterly charge for a minimum consumption, even if you don’t use any water during the billing period. Ensure that you check your bills after each quarter as they can often be inaccurate.
There are many different companies that supply water. They are usually local companies so you will need to check in your area for the best supplier.
To transfer a water contract into your name, you should go to your local town hall. You will need to take your passport (or residence card) and any previous bills from the former owner. Non-residents will also need to give their foreign address.
Most people come to Spain thinking the water is unsafe to drink, cook or wash in. Opinions vary widely but the water companies must comply with all Spanish EU regulations on safe drinking water. If you don’t want to drink the water, bottled water is widely available and costs very little.
TELEPHONE
Telefonica is the national phone company which owns the cabling in Spain. This is the main telephone company in Spain and has the advantage of English speaking staff. They also have a website in English – www.telefonicainenglish.com
An engineer can install a phone line within a few days. The charge for this is approximately 110 euros, this can be added to your phone bill. When requesting a line installation, you should provide the following:
- Passport or residence permit.
- Proof of address e.g. recent electricity or gas bill.
If there is already a phone line, you should transfer it into your own name immediately to avoid paying any bills from the previous owner.
Your telephone bill will include VAT at 16%. You should receive an itemised bill on a monthly basis. You can either pay in cash at most banks or branches of Telefonica, or you can pay by direct debit.
RADIO TELEPHONE
In some areas of Spain, it can be very difficult to get a land line installed. This can sometimes be due to the cost of installing lines where developers have not built under-road ducting or it could be that there is not a telephone exchange nearby. You can overcome this by using a Radio Telephone, but you will need to check the reception in your area before you purchase one.
There are 2 types of the radio telephone:
- Mobile radiophone with an internet connection or
- Mobile radiophone with an infrared connection to your computer.
It can be worthwhile for you to pay a bit extra for delivery and installation by an engineer.
INTERNET ACCESS
Once a telephone line is installed, Internet access can be achieved through one of any number of Internet Service Providers (ISP). Prices can vary greatly from provider to provider.
DIAL-UP ACCESS
Dial-up access is the slowest and usually the least expensive of Internet access options. Dial up uses the telephone line to access the Internet which means the telephone cannot be used simultaneously while connected to the Internet.
You can be billed for dial-up internet access either:
- By the minute with rates depending in the time of day
- A flat rate per month or
- A flat rate per month plus by the minute
ADSL AND BROADBAND
The broadband (cable modem, ADSL) Internet usage rate in Spain are lower than most other European countries. This is mainly due to lack of access for those in more rural areas and the high cost of the services provided. ADSL and cable broadband are much faster than dial-up access and allow the user to stay connected to the Internet 24-hours a day. ISPs generally offer bundled packages that include phone and Internet access at a flat fee. The necessary hardware may or may not be included in the cost of the plan, so it is advisable to ask the provider. Plans may have limits regarding how much data can be uploaded or downloaded.
A technician is no longer required to install ADSL and cable broadband, therefore the customer will usually be responsible for installing the necessary hardware, which will be supplied by the ISP.
Once ADSL or cable broadband is installed, an optional wireless router can be connected allowing for wireless Internet usage within a building.
SATELLITE BROADBAND
Satellite phone (including Internet access) can be used instead of land-based broadband. Those living in rural areas may find that satellite broadband is their only option for both Internet and telephone services.
Satellite access requires a satellite dish with a clear line of sight to the south. Like regular broadband, it can be connected to the Internet at all times while allowing simultaneous phone calls. Plans may have limits regarding how much data can be uploaded or downloaded. Set-up and monthly service costs are generally much higher than conventional broadband.