From time-to-time you may have a question to ask us about your electric company, your electric invoice or your electricity supply. Please browse the list of FAQs below. We hope to have answered the most common questions. If you can not find your answer here please this form to send us your question.
A. Joining Iberswitch to look after your electricity supply is quick and easy.
We will need a simple APPLICATION FORM completing and copies of the following: electricity bill, NIE certificate and photo page of the passport.
These may be scanned and emailed to us: [email protected]
Once the documents are received we process the application and normally within a few weeks your supply will be switched to a Free Market supplier with obvious benefits.
A. You pay nothing whatsoever to join our service but once connected we charge a small management fee of €26.50 every 6 months which covers you for all subsequent switching. This is charged in January and July each year.
A. Simply send an email to your electricity supplier quoting your customer reference, name and NIE and the amount of the payment. All this information can be found on a previously received bill. If you have never received a bill from them click here for a list of contact details.
A. The name of your supplier is shown on your bank statement. click here to find contact details to your supplier.
A. If your supply is with Fenie Energia click here
A. Sometimes, and we do not know why, the grid companies take customers back. It is referred to as being “snatched back”. When this happens, and a bill is received by the customer, it must be paid manually. They will not take the money from your account.
You must take the invoice to the bank and either using the barcode scanner on the ATM or over the counter, a transfer must be made for the amount on the invoice.
Let us know as soon as possible if this happens to you and we will get your account back.
A. Yes, we now use the SEPA system which is more secure. We send you an email inviting you to add your IBAN and this allows you to click on a link and enter the information directly into our system. You receive notifications of debits and there are less issues with payments from the banks.
A. This is very easy, click here and use the form to make changes to details on your bill.
A. The grid company tells your supplier how many kilowatts to bill when the meter is read and even if it is estimated. You cannot tell to look, if your bill is real or estimated. When your bill seems very high, take a meter reading (if you have access to your meter) and compare it to the meter readings (lecturas) on your latest bill. If it has been estimated, the over-charge will be corrected on the next bill.
A. We only use companies who offer “transparent billing”. This means there are no additional or hidden charges. When we connect your account to a supplier, it is rarely for a “quick fix” but more for longer term advantages.
Depending when you join, you may not see a huge difference to your bills however, once we have you on the correct tariff, once several increases have been part or completely avoided, the benefits become much more visible.
A. Most domestic dwellings are now on a three tier system: peak, standard and off-peak, depeding on the time of day.
Email to [email protected] and ask for details of the different periods.
A. The chances are you are simply exceeding your contracted capacity (potencia). When this happens, the power either comes back on automatically after a few seconds or, you will have to reset the meter by going to the meter cupboard and pressing a restart button.
Firstly, the way to get around this is to go to the fuse box in the house, turn the main breaker to the OFF position, count to 5 and turn the power back on. This should reset the meter without having to go outside.
You will undoubtedly have a new style digital meter in the meter box which has an inbuilt limiter inside it. It is by order of a Royal Decree that all properties in Spain will have one of these meters before 2018. This is designed to stop people using more than the contracted capacity and in turn, force people to upgrade their supply.
5.75 kilowatts is the new minimum supply, if you have less than this it is likely you are on an antiquated supply which needs to be upgraded.
Once you have the boletin we will need a copy to register the upgrade with the grid company and your current supplier. It is then in the hands of the grid company to finalise the upgrade which can take several weeks.
If you live in the area where Iberdrola are the grid owners we can assist you with the upgrade by sending our own contractors. There is a charge for the upgrade survey of €70 which, if you accept the quotation, is discounted from the total charge. Please send us an EMAIL if you would like us to assist you.
A. When a direct debit is not honoured it is usual that the company making the application for payment is penalised by their bank. It is normal for them to pass this charge on to the client.
This usually happens for one of two reasons: insufficient funds or, the bank has changed the account number due to a previous merge with another bank. Many banks have done this in Spain in the recent past and it is advisable to check with your bank or, on a recent statement to see if the bank account number held by the electricity provider is the same.
Banks will always tell their customers that there was no direct debit claim which suggests it is the fault of the electricity company however, if they are not using the correct account number, the rejection will not be seen on the client’s account.
A. Correcting errors with the name (correcting Christian names and typos in the surname) is easy. Simply email your supplier with the amendment, sending copy of passport for the name and official document such as bank statement for the address, as proof. Contact details can be found on an invoice from the company.
A. We will need a copy of your NIE certificate, the photo page of your passport and the death certificate. These may be scanned and emailed to us: [email protected]
A. We require 30 days notice in writing (letter, fax or email). We will then confirm to you by email that our service has been withdrawn allowing you to control your own supply.
A. You will remain liable for the bills until a substitute customer has taken over the supply. At the very least, we will need the bank details of the new owner so they are paying for the electricity consumed.
Most people rely on their estate agent or solicitor to change the supply unfortunately, this is all too often overlooked.
It would be best to control this part of the process yourself to ensure you are not paying for the power after the sale and, to avoid the new owners losing supply due to non payment.
We will need the new owners to complete our APPLICATION FORM and we will need the photo page of the person wishing to appear on the bill, a copy of the NIE certificate and, a copy of the Copia Simple from the sale of the property.
These may be scanned and emailed to us: [email protected]
A. Simply send us an email confirming this or fill out the form (click here) and we will do the rest. You will need a new digital meter if you do not already have one. There is an administration fee of €15 plus IVA to arrange this change.
A. We are not given advance notice about this in fact, you will be the first to know because you will have a short power outage (10 minutes) while the meter is being installed. You do not have to be home for the installation as it all takes place outside in the meter cupboard.
A. click here to fill in the form or send us an email remembering to quote your customer reference number, name, NIE and address and we will let your supplier know about the change.
A. First of all check your fuse box. If the main breaker is in the OFF position, there has been an issue in the property (such as water entered a socket) and for safety reasons, the supply has tripped.
If this is not the case, try turning the main breaker to the OFF position, count to 5 slowly and reset the switch. If this happens, you have exceeded your contracted capacity and have tripped out.
If you are still without power, visit your neighbours and see if they too have lost supply. If they have, the grid company will know about it and it is likely to be resolved very soon (within 6 hours usually).
Should the neighbours have power, look in the meter cupboard. If there is a red sticker on the meter, you have been cut off for non payment. In this case you will need to contact your supplier to establish what needs to be paid and to where.
Once you have exhausted all these possibilities, it is likely to be an electrical issue within the property and the best course of action is to contact an experienced electrician.
Please use this form to send us your question.
