Category: Cost of Living

A Spanish electricity bill has two main charges plus taxes: potencia — contracted power capacity, a fixed charge you pay whatever you use, and consumo — the kilowatt-hours you actually use. Air conditioning raises only the second. That is why August hurts. The fixed part stays where it was, the kilowatt-hours multiply, and VAT and the electricity tax are charged on top.

An official yardstick for what households spend is the national statistics office’s household budget survey (INE, table 73993). It puts the average Andalusian household’s electricity spending in 2025 at €909.04, about €76 a month (confirmed October 2026). That is a year-round average across every kind of home, so it says nothing about a villa with three split units running in August. This guide covers what drives the summer part, which hours cost what, and which fixes rest on a published rule instead of a rule of thumb.

Last verified: 9 October 2026.

What goes up in August and what does not

Potencia is a charge for the capacity you contracted, so it does not move with your air conditioning. Consumo does. Each kilowatt-hour (kWh) is one kilowatt of draw for one hour, and a split unit’s draw is printed on its rating plate and in its manual. A unit that draws 1 kW for 8 hours uses 8 kWh. Your own unit’s figure will differ, and the price per kWh is on the energy line of your bill.

The quickest check on a bill that looks wrong is to compare the kWh figure and the number of days in the billing period against a spring bill. If the kWh per day barely moved, air conditioning is unlikely to be the main cause, so look at the price and the fixed charges.

Which hours cost what

Every standard home supply in Spain (2.0TD — the household toll category, up to 15 kW) uses the same three periods for energy. The Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC) set them in Circular 3/2020. They apply to the regulated tolls and charges inside your price, and many contracts follow them.

Period	Hours on mainland Spain
Punta — peak	10:00–14:00 and 18:00–22:00 on weekdays
Llano — mid	08:00–10:00, 14:00–18:00 and 22:00–24:00 on weekdays
Valle — off-peak	00:00–08:00 every day, plus all day on Saturdays, Sundays, 6 January and national holidays that have a fixed date and that regions cannot substitute

The power charge uses two periods, valle and punta-llano for everything else. Whether your supplier’s own price also changes by period depends on the contract. Some charge one price all day and some price each period, so read the energy prices in yours.

The regulated tariff, PVPC — the voluntary price for small consumers, has priced energy hour by hour since 2014. For 2026 the market-reference part of the energy cost is weighted 45% on the daily and intraday market prices and 55% on a basket of futures contracts, while the pattern within the day still follows the hourly market. Adjustment-service costs and other items are added on top, so these weights are not the whole price. The futures weight was lower in earlier years and has risen each year, so check the current figure before relying on this. Red Eléctrica publishes the hourly PVPC prices on its eSios site.

Cut the kilowatt-hours first

The Instituto para la Diversificación y Ahorro de la Energía (IDAE, part of the energy ministry) gives these household recommendations for the cooling season:

• A setting of 26 °C or higher, with suitable clothing, is enough for comfort. Setting the thermostat lower when you switch the unit on does not cool the house faster.
• Moving air from a fan feels 3 to 5 °C cooler and uses very little electricity.
• Lower awnings and close shutters on the sunny side before the heat builds.
• Open windows at night or early in the morning, when the air is cooler.
• Clean the filter of the unit regularly.

No saving figure is printed here for these steps. What they save depends on your home, your unit and your habits.

Move what you can into valle

A washing machine, dishwasher, water-heater timer and pool-pump timer do not care what time they run. If your contract prices valle below punta and llano, set those timers to 00:00–08:00 or to weekends. On PVPC, check the hourly price table first, because the market part of the price moves every day. Ask your pool maintainer before cutting filtration hours.

If the supply cuts out in August

In a home with a contador inteligente — smart meter, the meter’s own cut-off opens when demand passes the contracted power. Older installations use the ICP — power-control switch, which does the same job (Circular 3/2020, article 9). Air conditioning running alongside an oven is a possible trigger, but a trip can also come from the circuit breaker, the differential switch or a fault in the installation, so identify which device operated before you pay for more power.

1. Ask your supplier for the change, if the final power is 15 kW or less and your contract is in force. e-distribución’s own page says to request it through the supplier.
2. With a smart meter you can contract power in steps of 0.1 kW up to 15 kW (Real Decreto 88/2026, article 34.8).
3. The distributor attends to requests when at least 12 months have passed since the last change, and may refuse a voluntary change before then (article 38.1 and 38.3), so do not cut or raise by guesswork.
4. The change takes effect within 72 hours, or within five working days if someone has to visit (article 38.6).
5. On a low-voltage contract more than 20 years old, an increase requires the distributor to verify the installation, for which it may charge the verification fee. A new installer certificate is demanded only if the check finds the installation non-compliant (article 38.7).

A higher power raises the fixed charge all year, so staggering the oven and the air conditioning can be cheaper than paying for headroom you need three weeks a year. Raising power can also carry regulated connection charges. Ask the supplier for the exact amount before agreeing. The full rules are in the potencia contratada guide.

PVPC or a fixed price for a summer with air conditioning

The CNMC’s supervision report for 2025 (IS/DE/027/26, July 2026) compares the average free-market offer on its comparator, taxes included, with PVPC. The average offer was close to PVPC at the start of 2025 and clearly above it for the rest of the year. The average of the ten cheapest offers (the report’s own footnote says from different suppliers) came close to PVPC and fell below it in months when PVPC was rising. The same report says offers for gas and electricity differ widely, sometimes by more than double the cheapest, so compare the total annual cost on the CNMC comparator, not the price per kWh alone.

PVPC is open to individuals and microenterprises with up to 10 kW contracted, so a home contracted above 10 kW cannot choose it (Real Decreto 216/2014, article 5.3). Leaving PVPC costs nothing. For a natural person on a standard home supply with a free-market contract, Real Decreto 88/2026 (article 28.3, effective from 12 June 2026) allows cancellation at any time without a fee, except on a fixed-price contract before its first annual renewal. There, any penalty is capped at 5% of the estimated energy still to be supplied, applies only where the supplier suffers a loss, and the supplier has to prove it. Switching normally takes up to 10 working days, extended by five where complex fieldwork is needed (article 18.1), and carries no switching charge for this supply category (article 18.3).

Taxes on the summer bill

Confirmed October 2026. VAT on electricity is 21% and the electricity tax (impuesto especial sobre la electricidad — special electricity tax) is 5.11269632% (Ley 38/1992, article 99.1). During 2026 the Government introduced temporary cuts in March (Real Decreto-ley 7/2026) and made their continuation depend on a price test. The Agencia Tributaria reports that VAT went back from 10% to 21% on 1 June 2026, and that the electricity-tax cut did not apply in August or September. For November and December 2026, Real Decreto-ley 25/2026 (articles 18 to 21) applies the cuts in a month only if the INE electricity price index for September (for November) or October (for December) is more than 15% above the same month a year earlier. The 10% VAT rate then covers contracts up to 10 kW and holders of the bono social — social tariff who are recognised as severely vulnerable. The 0.5% electricity tax has a floor of €1 per MWh for ordinary household use. That decree sets nothing beyond December 2026, so read the tax lines of any later bill against the rule in force that month.

When the bill still looks wrong

Complain to the supplier first. It must give you a reference number and answer within 15 working days (Real Decreto 88/2026, article 55). After that you can take the complaint to a consumer arbitration board, where the supplier takes part, or file it with your local consumer office (OMIC — municipal consumer office) or the provincial consumer service of the Junta de Andalucía through Consumo Responde. The Junta’s own procedure asks you to allow 10 working days for the business to answer first. The contract traps guide sets out the steps.

The five-minute version

• Air conditioning raises consumo, the kWh you use. Potencia, the fixed charge, does not move with it.
• Energy has three periods: punta 10:00–14:00 and 18:00–22:00, llano 08:00–10:00, 14:00–18:00 and 22:00–24:00, valle 00:00–08:00 plus weekends, 6 January and national holidays with a fixed date that regions cannot substitute.
• IDAE advises 26 °C or higher, a fan, shade and a clean filter. No saving figure is printed here, because it depends on your home.
• If the supply trips, find which device operated first. Power can be changed in 0.1 kW steps with a smart meter, effective within 72 hours or five working days, but the distributor may refuse another voluntary change within 12 months.
• VAT is 21% and the electricity tax 5.11269632%. The November and December 2026 cuts depend on a price test, so check each bill (confirmed October 2026).
• Complain to the supplier first. It has 15 working days to answer.

Related guides

• Spanish Electricity Bill Explained: Potencia, Consumo and Hidden Costs
• Discriminación Horaria in Spain: When Electricity Is Cheapest (and Most Expensive)
• PVPC vs Fixed Electricity Tariffs in Spain: Which Costs Less?
• Potencia Contratada in Spain: How to Get Your Power Level Right
• Spain Electricity Price Spike: What August 2026 Bills Will Show

General information, not legal advice, current as of 9 October 2026. Primary sources: Real Decreto 88/2026 (BOE-A-2026-3212, articles 18, 28, 34, 38 and 55); CNMC Circular 3/2020 (BOE-A-2020-1066, articles 6, 7 and 9); Real Decreto 216/2014 as amended by Real Decreto 446/2023 (PVPC, articles 5, 9 and 10); Ley 38/1992, article 99.1; Real Decretos-leyes 7/2026, 18/2026 and 25/2026 and the Agencia Tributaria notices on them; the CNMC supervision report IS/DE/027/26 (21 July 2026); IDAE household energy-saving recommendations; INE household budget survey, table 73993; e-distribución’s power-change page.

This is the check-and-switch walkthrough for people who speak no Spanish. A reader on a pension asked for it in July 2026: he had read our electricity coverage, had a bill in his hand, and still had no idea how to tell whether he was paying too much or how to find a better deal. Everything below assumes you are in his position. The only things you need are your latest electricity bill and a pen.

Each step tells you which Spanish words to look for on the bill, what they mean in English and what to write down. At the end you will have the five pieces of information a comparison starts from, you will know what the new supplier does for you (nearly everything) and you will know what the law says about the one case where leaving can cost money.

Last verified: 9 October 2026.

Before you start: two things worth knowing

First, there are two companies behind every bill. The distribuidora — network operator runs the local cables and reads the meter, and you cannot choose it; in Andalucía it is usually e-distribución, in the Endesa group, and your bill names yours. The comercializadora — electricity supplier buys the power and sends you the bill, and this is the one you can change. For a normal supplier-only switch the supply carries on, the connection stays as it is and a technician does not usually need to visit.

Second, in the bills readers sent us in July and August 2026 the most common verdict was that the contract was fine and the bill was high because of the heat, the air conditioning or a standing charge set too high for the home. So the point of this walkthrough is a check first. A switch is only the answer if the check says so.

Step 1: regulated tariff or free-market contract

Look at the supplier name at the top of the bill, above your own name and address, and then look for the words PVPC — Precio Voluntario para el Pequeño Consumidor, the regulated hourly tariff or precio regulado in the contract details. If you see them, you are on the regulated tariff. The regulated tariff is only sold by the reference suppliers on the CNMC register, so the name at the top will be one of these: Energía XXI (Endesa group), Curenergía (Iberdrola group), Comercializadora Regulada Gas & Power (Naturgy group), Régsiti (Repsol group), Baser or Comercializador de Referencia Energético. Those six serve the mainland; the register has eight in all, read on 9 October 2026. A reference supplier can also sell a fixed-price contract, so the supplier name alone does not settle it; the words on the bill do.

If the bill instead shows a product name next to tarifa, producto or plan, with a price per kWh that does not change hour by hour, you are on the mercado libre — free market, whichever company’s name is at the top, including the plain Endesa, Iberdrola, Naturgy or Repsol brands. Write that product name down.

Why it matters: the regulated price comes from a formula set by the government, so no supplier can discount it (the social discount in a later step is the exception, and it only exists on this tariff); on the free market the price is whatever you signed, and a poor contract can sit unnoticed for years. Our PVPC versus fixed tariff guide goes into which suits which household.

Step 2: the contracted power

Find potencia contratada — contracted power, a figure in kilowatts (kW) that appears twice, labelled P1 and P2 (daytime and night-time power on the household tariff). This is the size of the pipe, and you pay for it every day whether you use any electricity or not. It sits in the contract details box and again on the line of the bill that charges for it, labelled término de potencia — power charge.

Write down both kW figures and the amount the bill charges for them. A power charge that is a large share of a small bill is a reason to check whether the contracted power fits the home, which the checker in step 6 does. The law lets you set contracted power in steps of 0.1 kW up to 15 kW where the meter supports it, and the network operator can refuse a second change within twelve months of the last one, so the figure is worth getting right rather than guessing.

Step 3: the energy price

Find the line labelled término de energía — energy charge, sometimes consumo or energía consumida. It shows the kilowatt-hours you used multiplied by a price per kWh. That price is the number this whole exercise turns on.

On a free-market contract there is one price, or three (P1, P2 and P3). On the regulated tariff the real price moved hour by hour, so divide the energy charge by the kWh to get the average you actually paid for the period. Three prices means a time-of-use contract. The regulated network bands on the mainland are P1, the dear band, from 10.00 to 14.00 and 18.00 to 22.00 on working weekdays; P2, the middle band, from 8.00 to 10.00, 14.00 to 18.00 and 22.00 to midnight; and P3, the cheap band, from midnight to 8.00 plus all of every Saturday, Sunday, 6 January and the fixed-date national holidays. A free-market product can use its own hours and prices, so read the hours printed on your contract rather than assuming they match.

Write down the price per kWh, or all three if there are three, and the total kWh for the period. Also note the number of days the bill covers, which appears next to the billing period dates.

Step 4: the CUPS

Find CUPS — the unique code for your supply point. It is 20 or 22 characters long, starts with ES, and is usually printed in the contract details box near the contracted power. It belongs to the supply point, not to you or to the supplier, which is why a new supplier can take over the supply with it. Copy it carefully: a wrong character can get the request rejected or, worse, point it at someone else’s supply.

Step 5: the contract type and its dates

This step decides whether leaving is free. Look for precio fijo — fixed price in the product description, and for fecha de inicio, fecha de alta or duración del contrato — contract start date or term. The bill is required to show the contract’s end or renewal date; that is not the same as the start date, and if the start date is not on the bill, the welcome letter or the supplier’s online account should have it. Write down whether the contract is fixed-price, when it started and when it next renews. The rule these feed is in the switching section below.

Also scan the bill for servicios, mantenimiento or protección — add-on services such as boiler cover or an emergency electrician. These are separate products billed with the electricity. Add-ons sold together with the supply end automatically when the supply contract ends unless you say otherwise, but they are often the quiet reason a bill is high, so check whether you want them and ask about the cancellation terms before removing them.

Step 6: compare, without reading any Spanish

You now have the five pieces of information an initial check needs: both contracted powers, price per kWh (and the kWh used), CUPS, contract type and dates, and any add-on charges. Two routes from here.

The English route. Our electricity contract check takes a PDF bill (the one your supplier emails you, up to 4 MB) and reads the figures off it, or you type them into a form in English using the numbers you just wrote down. It tells you the likely reason the bill is high (tariff, contracted power, add-on services or the time of year) and gives a conservative recommendation: stay, check a switch, check the regulated tariff, reduce power, remove services or wait for a human review. It keeps no copy of the PDF, the extracted text or any identifier (CUPS, ID number, IBAN or address); the only things stored are the confirmed figures and a pseudonymous case reference. If the file will not read (a photo or a scan usually will not), the page gives you an email address instead and a person reads the bill and replies. Homes with solar panels get the human review rather than a self-serve verdict, because export arrangements change the sums.

The official route. The regulator, the Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia — CNMC, the competition and markets regulator, runs a price comparator at comparador.cnmc.gob.es that suppliers are obliged by law to keep updated with their offers. It is in Spanish, but a browser’s translate button handles it, and there is a shortcut: your standard household bill should carry a QR code or link that opens the comparator with your contracted power and consumption already filled in, so look for the square code on the bill before typing anything. The comparator can compare by billing period or by year; pick the annual comparison for a switching decision, because one hot month is not a fair test of a contract.

What counts as better: a lower total cost for a year on the same two contracted powers and the same consumption, taxes included, after any add-on, discount that expires and exit charge is counted. A slightly dearer power rate can be outweighed by a cheaper energy rate, so compare the total, not one line. A quote on a different contracted power is a different product.

Step 7: the switch itself

The new supplier does the work. You give it your CUPS, your name as it appears on the current bill, your NIE or passport number, the property address and the IBAN of the account the bills come out of. It must record your consent in a durable form and keep that record for five years, which in practice means a signed form, a recorded call or an online confirmation. Ask for the documento resumen — contract summary; the supplier is required to send it before you sign, in plain language, and it has to state any early-exit penalty, so this is the page to read before anything else.

You do not ask your old supplier to cancel. Under article 32 of Real Decreto 88/2026 a new contract for the same supply point ends the old one automatically, through the switching process. The network operator has to complete the change within ten working days of the new contract being formalised, extendable by five working days only where complex work on the connection is needed, and no switching fee can be charged to a household on the standard 2.0TD tariff. Your old supplier then sends a closing bill up to the changeover date. Settle what is valid; a disputed charge is argued separately, and switching does not make an old debt disappear.

For a normal switch the supply does not stop and the meter stays where it is. The visible change is the name on the next bill.

The one case where leaving can cost money

Article 28 of Real Decreto 88/2026, which took effect on 12 June 2026, says a person on the household 2.0TD tariff can end a supply contract at any time without any penalty, with one exception: a fixed-price contract before its first annual renewal. Inside that window the supplier may charge a penalty, but only if your leaving causes it a loss, only up to 5% of the energy it estimated it still had to supply you, and it carries the burden of proving the loss. A supplier that cannot show a loss cannot charge it at all.

So the step-5 dates matter: fixed price and not yet past its first renewal means ask the supplier for the penalty figure in writing before you switch, and weigh it against the saving. Fixed price and past its first renewal, or any contract that is not fixed-price, means leave when you like. Whether the new rule reaches a contract signed before 12 June 2026 is a question for that contract and supplier; the rule it replaced also capped the penalty at 5% of the remaining energy.

Two more exits cost nothing whatever the contract says. A contract signed online or by phone carries the general consumer right to withdraw within fourteen calendar days of signing (Real Decreto Legislativo 1/2007, article 102), though electricity already supplied at your request is still paid for. And when a supplier writes to say it intends to change the conditions of your contract, which it must do at least a month ahead and separately from the bill, you have the right to end the contract at no cost rather than accept the change.

The social discount, if you are on a low income

The bono social — social electricity discount cuts the eligible regulated-tariff charges by 42.5% for a vulnerable household and 57.5% for a severely vulnerable one, up to a consumption limit, at the rates set for 1 January to 31 December 2026 by Real Decreto-ley 7/2026. It applies to your habitual residence and depends on the household’s income and circumstances, not on being retired as such. The catch for a switcher: it is only available on the regulated tariff with one of the reference suppliers in step 1, so a move to a free-market contract gives it up, and the new supplier has to warn you of that in writing. Our bono social guide has the thresholds and the application steps.

What to say, and what to send

Sign-up forms are mostly the numbers you already have, so try English first in any email or web form. When a reply comes back in Spanish, these three lines cover the whole process:

• Quiero cambiar de comercializadora. Este es mi CUPS. — I want to change supplier. This is my CUPS. The opening line to the new supplier, by email or on the phone.
• ¿Tengo permanencia o penalización por baja anticipada? — Do I have a minimum term or an early-exit penalty? The question for your current supplier, answered in writing before you sign anything new.
• Quiero dar de baja los servicios adicionales. — I want to cancel the add-on services. For the maintenance or protection products from step 5, whether or not you switch.

What to send the new supplier, as a starting file: a photo or PDF of the current bill (it carries the CUPS and the contracted powers), a copy of your NIE card or passport, and the IBAN. The supplier may ask for more. If the current bill is in a landlord’s or a previous occupier’s name, you need a change of contract holder first, which is a separate process from a switch.

What this guide does not do

It does not name a cheapest supplier, because free-market offers change often and a figure printed here would go stale; the CNMC comparator is updated by the suppliers themselves. It does not price solar homes, where the export arrangement changes the sums. And it does not replace the regulator for a dispute: the CNMC runs the comparator but does not resolve individual billing complaints. Our bill guide covers how to dispute a bill.

The five-minute version

• Five things from the bill: both contracted powers (kW), price per kWh and kWh used, CUPS (20 or 22 characters, starts ES), contract type with start and renewal dates, and any add-on services.
• The words PVPC or precio regulado on the bill mean the regulated tariff, sold only by the reference suppliers (Energía XXI, Curenergía, Gas & Power, Régsiti, Baser and one more on the mainland); a product name with a fixed price per kWh means the free market.
• Compare in English through the electricity contract check, or in Spanish on the CNMC comparator with the translate button on and the annual comparison selected.
• The new supplier runs the switch, the network operator completes it within ten working days, the old contract ends automatically and no switching fee applies on the household tariff.
• Leaving is free except inside the first year of a fixed-price contract, where the penalty is capped at 5% of the remaining estimated energy and the supplier must prove a loss (RD 88/2026, article 28, in effect since 12 June 2026).
• Bono social: 42.5% or 57.5% off the eligible regulated charges in 2026, regulated tariff only.

Related guides

• https://guides.waypointsur.com/electricity-contract-check/
• https://guides.waypointsur.com/spain-electricity-bill-explained/
• https://guides.waypointsur.com/electricity-tariffs-spain-pvpc-vs-fixed/
• https://guides.waypointsur.com/switching-electricity-spain/
• https://guides.waypointsur.com/electricity-contract-traps-spain/
• https://guides.waypointsur.com/bono-social-spain/

General information, not legal advice, current as of 9 October 2026. Primary sources: Real Decreto 88/2026 (BOE-A-2026-3212), articles 6, 18, 28, 32, 34 and 38 and disposición final novena; Real Decreto Legislativo 1/2007 (BOE-A-2007-20555), article 102; Real Decreto-ley 7/2026 (BOE-A-2026-6544), article 1; CNMC Circular 3/2020 (BOE-A-2020-1066), 2.0TD time bands; CNMC register of reference suppliers (sede.cnmc.gob.es/listado/censo/16) and comparador.cnmc.gob.es, read 9 October 2026.

Potencia contratada — contracted power capacity — is the maximum electrical power your property can draw at any moment, measured in kilowatts (kW). It’s set when you open your electricity contract and it directly determines the fixed charge on your monthly bill. Too high and you’re overpaying every single month. Too low and your breaker trips the moment you turn on the AC while running a video call. Getting this number right is one of the most overlooked — and most impactful — things you can do for your electricity costs.

What Potencia Contratada Actually Is

Think of your potencia contratada like a pipe diameter. The wider the pipe, the more water can flow through at once — but you also pay for the pipe regardless of how much water you actually use. Electricity works the same way: your contracted capacity determines how much power can flow to your property simultaneously, and you’re charged a fixed monthly amount for that capacity — the término de potencia — whether you use it or not.

In Spain, residential potencia contratada options come in standardized increments defined by the electrical grid regulations. The most common residential values are:

Potencia (kW)	Typical Property	Approx. Monthly Fixed Charge
3.45 kW	Studio or 1-bed flat, minimal appliances	EUR 8–12
4.6 kW	2-bed flat, typical household	EUR 11–16
5.75 kW	3-bed flat or small townhouse	EUR 14–20
6.9 kW	Large apartment or townhouse	EUR 17–24
8.05 kW	Villa, larger properties	EUR 20–28
10.35 kW	Large villa, high consumption	EUR 26–36

The exact monthly fixed charge depends on your retailer and the regulated network access fee (peaje de acceso), which is set by the government. But the pattern is consistent: more contracted power = higher fixed monthly charge.

For a full breakdown of every line item on your Spanish electricity bill including the término de potencia, see our guide to understanding your Spain electricity bill.

The Problem With Having Too Much Potencia

Many properties on the Costa del Sol — particularly those originally set up as holiday homes or by previous owners who didn’t monitor costs carefully — have significantly more potencia than they need. Having 8.05 kW contracted when you realistically peak at 4–5 kW means you’re paying for 3–4 kW of capacity every single month, every single year, that you never use.

At current rates, excess potencia of 3 kW costs roughly EUR 7–9 per month in fixed charges. That’s EUR 84–108 per year. Not enormous on its own, but it’s money that goes out the door regardless of whether you’re home, regardless of whether you’re using any electricity at all.

The fix is free. Lowering your contracted potencia is an administrative change that costs you nothing — no fees, no engineer visits in most cases. You call your electricity distributor (not your retailer — this is important), request the change, and within a few weeks your new lower fixed charge takes effect.

The Problem With Having Too Little Potencia

This is where most people feel the pain directly. Insufficient potencia means your ICP trips — your lights go out mid-video-call, your AC shuts off at the worst possible moment, your oven turns off halfway through dinner.

The Interruptor de Control de Potencia — power control breaker — is a regulatory breaker installed (usually in a sealed box near your meter) that automatically cuts your power the instant your consumption exceeds your contracted capacity. It’s not a safety fuse for your wiring — it’s an enforcement mechanism for your contracted capacity level. The moment your total demand exceeds your kW contract, it trips.

Here’s what makes this a particular problem for remote workers and for Costa del Sol residents during summer:

The Summer Remote Work Scenario

Consider a property contracted at 4.6 kW. That sounds reasonable. Now walk through a typical July afternoon:

• AC unit in office/living room: 1.5–2 kW
• AC unit in bedroom (pre-cooling for evening): 1.0–1.5 kW
• Laptop and monitors: 0.1–0.3 kW
• Router + networking gear: 0.05 kW
• Kettle or coffee machine: 1.5–2 kW (brief but high spike)
• Fridge: 0.1–0.15 kW

Total: 4.25–6 kW. With 4.6 kW contracted, you’re right at the edge under normal conditions and tripping the breaker the moment you make coffee while both AC units are running. Entirely predictable. Entirely fixable.

How to Check Your Current Potencia Contratada

Three ways to find your current contracted capacity:

Option 1: Your Electricity Bill

The most reliable source. Look for a line that says “Potencia contratada” — you’ll see a figure in kW. The término de potencia charge on your bill will be this kW figure multiplied by the regulated rate. If you only have digital bills, log in to your provider’s online account and download the most recent PDF.

Option 2: Your ICP Box

The ICP breaker is typically in a sealed metal or plastic box near your meter, often on the wall by the front door or in a utility room. The sealed box will have the contracted capacity written or stamped on it. Note: this box belongs to the distributor, not you — don’t try to open it.

Option 3: Call Your Retailer

Call the customer service line of your electricity retailer (comercializadora) and ask: “¿Cuál es mi potencia contratada actualmente?” — “What is my currently contracted power?” They can tell you immediately from your account.

How to Change Your Potencia Contratada

This is a critical point that confuses many people: you change your potencia contratada by contacting your electricity distributor (distribuidora), not your retailer (comercializadora).

On the Costa del Sol, the distributor is almost universally Endesa Distribución (the distribution subsidiary — separate from Endesa’s retail arm). Their number for potencia changes is different from the Endesa commercial customer line. You want: Endesa Distribución: 900 77 00 00 (free, 24h).

For customers of other distributors in other parts of Spain, it’s Iberdrola Distribución, UFD (also Endesa group), or E-Distribución depending on your area. Your electricity bill will show your distributor’s name and contact number — look for the section titled “Distribuidora.”

The Process to Lower Potencia (Free)

1. Call your distributor and say you want to reduce your potencia contratada
2. Give them your CUPS code (from your bill) and confirm your identity
3. Tell them what level you want to move to (pick the appropriate standard increment from the table above)
4. They will process the change and send a technician to adjust or replace the ICP breaker — typically within 1–3 weeks
5. There is no fee for lowering potencia. The technician visit is covered by the regulated process.

The Process to Raise Potencia (Small Fee)

1. Call your distributor with the same information as above, but specify you want to increase
2. They assess whether your existing wiring and connection supports the higher capacity. For minor increases (e.g., 4.6 to 5.75 kW), it usually does. For larger increases, they may need to upgrade your connection.
3. For a simple ICP replacement, you’ll typically pay EUR 20–60 as a regulated administrative fee. If new wiring or a connection upgrade is needed, costs can be higher — get a quote before confirming.
4. Processing time: 1–4 weeks depending on whether infrastructure work is needed

What Power Do You Actually Need? A Realistic Assessment

The right potencia is the level that covers your peak simultaneous demand with a small buffer — not your absolute maximum theoretical load (you never run everything at once), but not so tight that ordinary activity trips the breaker.

A useful rule of thumb: add up the wattage of the appliances you’re likely to run simultaneously at your busiest moment (typically a summer afternoon with AC running and cooking happening), then add 15–20% buffer, and pick the next standard increment above that.

Common Appliance Power Draw

Appliance	Typical Draw	Notes
Split AC unit (1.5kW rated)	0.8–1.8 kW	Higher when first starting up
Electric oven	1.5–3 kW	Major draw when at temperature
Electric kettle	1.5–2.5 kW	Brief but high spike
Washing machine	0.5–2 kW	High during heating cycle
Electric shower / instant water heater	4–8 kW	Often the single biggest single draw
Dishwasher	1–2 kW	High during heating cycle
Pool pump (1hp)	0.75–1.2 kW	Continuous when running
Work laptop + monitors	0.1–0.3 kW	Low but continuous during work hours
Router + networking	0.02–0.08 kW	Always on

If you have an electric shower, that alone means you need at least 5.75 kW contracted — probably 6.9 kW if you want the shower to run simultaneously with anything else significant. Many expats coming from countries with gas showers are surprised by this.

The ICP Breaker: Understanding the Device That’s Tripping

The ICP — Interruptor de Control de Potencia — power control switch is a separate breaker from your household circuit breakers. It sits between the electricity meter and your property’s internal fuse board (cuadro eléctrico). When your total demand exceeds your contracted capacity, the ICP trips and cuts all power to your property until you manually reset it.

Here’s how to tell whether a trip was the ICP or a regular circuit breaker:

• ICP trip: Total power cut to the property. All lights, all sockets, everything. The ICP is in a sealed box separate from your main fuse board. You push a button or flip a lever to reset it.
• Circuit breaker trip: Only one circuit goes down (e.g., only the kitchen sockets, or only the upstairs lights). Your main fuse board inside the property has individual breakers for each circuit — one of these has tripped.

If you’re losing all power (ICP trip) during high-demand moments, the fix is raising your potencia. If only a single circuit keeps tripping, you may have a wiring fault or an overloaded circuit — that’s an electrician’s job, not a potencia change.

A home bought for holidays may still run on an electricity contract set up for holiday use: a modest potencia — contracted power capacity, a price chosen years ago and a supplier nobody has reviewed. Working from the home all day puts different demands on it. Three things decide whether the contract fits, namely the contracted power, the price structure and the cost of leaving.

We have not found an official estimate of typical savings for a remote worker, so none is printed here. Your own bill and your own hourly readings decide it. The fixes have become easier. Real Decreto 88/2026, the supply regulation in force since 12 February 2026, sets short switching times, no switching charge for a standard home supply and a capped penalty for leaving a fixed-price contract early.

Last verified: 9 October 2026.

Four signs the contract still fits a holiday home

• The whole supply cuts out when several things run together. If the trip comes from the power control, the cause is the contracted power. In a home with a contador inteligente — smart meter, the meter’s own cut-off opens when demand passes the contracted power. Older installations use the ICP — power-control switch (CNMC Circular 3/2020, article 9). A trip can also come from the circuit breaker, the differential switch or a fault in the installation, so identify which device operated before you pay for more power.
• You pay for far more power than your peak demand ever reaches. The power charge is fixed, so unused capacity costs money every month.
• You do not know whether your energy price is one price all day or a price for each period.
• You do not know what leaving the contract would cost.

Step 1: find your real peak demand

Your distributor’s customer area and Datadis, the shared consumption portal for the distributors, show your consumption and maximum power (the CNMC’s contracted-power guide describes them). Hourly energy readings do not show a short spike inside an hour, so look for the maximum-demand figures in kW (the CNMC points to the bill and the distributor’s portal for them). For the worst realistic moment, such as a summer afternoon with the desk, the air conditioning and the kettle all running, add up the power printed on each appliance’s rating plate.

WaypointSur’s electricity contract check sends your bill PDF to a server, which keeps no copy of the PDF, the extracted text or any identifier.

Step 2: change the contracted power

1. Ask your supplier. For a final power of 15 kW or less on a contract in force, e-distribución’s own page says to make the request through the supplier, which also tells you the cost.
2. With a smart meter, power can be contracted in steps of 0.1 kW up to 15 kW, and the valle period can have a different power from the rest (Real Decreto 88/2026, article 34.8; Circular 3/2020, article 9). With only an ICP, one power applies to both periods.
3. The distributor attends to requests when at least 12 months have passed since the last change, and may refuse a voluntary change before then, except where the tariff structure changes (article 38.1 and 38.3).
4. It takes effect within 72 hours, or within five working days if someone has to visit (article 38.6).
5. On a low-voltage contract more than 20 years old, an increase requires the distributor to verify the installation, for which it may charge the verification fee. If the check finds the installation non-compliant, the distributor requires its adaptation and a new boletín — installer’s certificate (article 38.7). e-distribución also asks for a new certificate when a request exceeds the authorised maximum.

Costs (confirmed October 2026): a reduction adds only the regulated connection fee. Orden ITC/3519/2009 (annex V.4) sets it at €9.04 per action before VAT. Where an increase needs extra capacity, charges for that capacity can apply, so ask your supplier for an itemised quote before agreeing.

Step 3: choose a price structure for daytime use

Energy on a standard home supply is split into three periods: punta — peak 10:00–14:00 and 18:00–22:00 on weekdays, llano — mid 08:00–10:00, 14:00–18:00 and 22:00–24:00 on weekdays, and valle — off-peak 00:00–08:00 plus weekends, 6 January and national holidays that have a fixed date and that regions cannot substitute (Circular 3/2020, article 7). On a non-holiday weekday, the hours from 08:00 to 18:00 sit entirely in llano and punta. Valle covers them only on weekends and qualifying holidays, so a contract that rewards valle helps with the loads you can move and does nothing for the hours at your desk. The three periods are the 2.0TD network-toll schedule. A free-market offer does not have to charge three different prices.

• PVPC — the regulated tariff (voluntary price for small consumers) is open to individuals and microenterprises with up to 10 kW contracted (Real Decreto 216/2014, article 5.3). It prices energy hour by hour, and you can leave it at no cost (article 5.8).
• A free-market contract can be one price all day, a price per period or indexed to the market. Offers vary a lot: the CNMC’s 2025 supervision report says gas and electricity offers sometimes differ by more than double the cheapest.

Compare total annual cost on the CNMC offer comparator, not the energy price alone. The same report notes that the power price on free-market offers has risen faster than on PVPC, especially for valle power, so an offer that looks cheap per kWh can lose on the fixed part. Use your last 12 months of consumption from your bill or your distributor’s portal.

What leaving costs now

These rules come from Real Decreto 88/2026 and apply to a natural person on a standard home supply. Article 28 took effect on 12 June 2026. The articles do not say how it treats contracts signed earlier, so read the exit clause of any contract signed before that date.

• You can cancel at any time without a fee, except on a fixed-price contract before its first annual renewal (article 28.3).
• In that exception the penalty cannot exceed 5% of the estimated energy still to be supplied, applies only where the supplier suffers a loss, and the supplier carries the burden of proving it.
• The supplier must send a separate summary document before you sign, showing any early-exit penalty (article 28.5).
• A new contract ends the old one automatically (article 32.1.c), so you do not cancel first. Switching normally takes up to 10 working days from signing, extended by five where complex fieldwork is needed (article 18.1).
• A supplier that wants to change your terms must warn you in writing at least a month ahead, separately from the bill, and you may leave free of charge when you receive the notice (article 6.1.m).

Solar for a home office

The supply regulation recognises self-consumption under Real Decreto 244/2019 (article 54.d). Whether panels pay for themselves depends on your roof, your daytime consumption and the quotes you receive, and no payback figure is printed here. Our guides on solar panels on the Costa del Sol and balcony solar for apartments cover the costs.

The five-minute version

• A supply that cuts out when several things run together may be a contracted-power problem, or a breaker, differential or installation fault. Identify the device that operated, and find your maximum demand in kW, before you change anything.
• Power changes go through your supplier, in 0.1 kW steps up to 15 kW with a smart meter, effective within 72 hours or five working days. The distributor may refuse another voluntary change within 12 months.
• A reduction costs the regulated connection fee (€9.04 before VAT under Orden ITC/3519/2009). An increase may carry charges for extra capacity, and on a contract over 20 years old it triggers an installation check.
• Non-holiday weekday working hours sit in llano and punta. Valle helps only with loads you can move.
• Leaving a contract is free except a fixed-price contract before its first renewal, where the penalty is capped at 5% of the energy still to be supplied.
• Compare total annual cost on the CNMC comparator, using your own last 12 months of consumption.

Related guides

• Potencia Contratada in Spain: How to Get Your Power Level Right
• Potencia Contratada in Spain: Getting It Right for Video Calls and Remote Work
• PVPC vs Fixed Electricity Tariffs in Spain: Which Costs Less?
• Discriminación Horaria in Spain: When Electricity Is Cheapest (and Most Expensive)
• Switch Electricity Provider in Spain: CUPS, Timelines and Tariff Traps

General information, not legal advice, current as of 9 October 2026. Primary sources: Real Decreto 88/2026 (BOE-A-2026-3212, articles 6, 18, 28, 32, 34, 38 and 54); CNMC Circular 3/2020 (BOE-A-2020-1066, articles 6, 7 and 9); Real Decreto 216/2014 as amended (articles 5.3 and 5.8); Orden ITC/3519/2009 (connection fee); the CNMC supervision report IS/DE/027/26 (21 July 2026); and e-distribución’s power-change page.

You want to switch electricity providers. You compare prices. You find a better deal. You start the signup process and then—

“Please enter your CUPS number.”

What the hell is a CUPS number?

---

What CUPS means

CUPS stands for Código Unificado de Punto de Suministro (Unified Supply Point Code). It’s your electricity supply point’s unique identifier—think of it like a serial number for your connection to the grid.

Every property in Spain with electricity has one. It never changes, even when you switch providers or when the property is sold.

Why it matters:

• It identifies your specific connection
• Switching providers requires it
• Administrative queries require it
• It’s tied to your contracted power (potencia contratada) and tariff

Format: 20-22 characters starting with “ES” (for España). Example: ES0021000012345678AB

---

5 ways to find your CUPS number

Method 1: Check your electricity bill (fastest)

Your CUPS appears on every electricity invoice. Look for:

• A section labeled “Datos del suministro” (supply data) or “Punto de suministro”
• A 20-22 character code starting with “ES”
• Usually near the top of the first page

Different providers put it in different places:

• Iberdrola: First page, top-right section
• Endesa: First page, under contract details
• Naturgy: First page, supply point section
• Holaluz: First page, clearly labeled “CUPS”

If your bill is digital, search the PDF for “CUPS” or “ES00”.

Method 2: Check your electricity meter

The CUPS is often printed on a sticker on your meter itself.

Where to find your meter:

• Apartments: Usually in a communal area (basement, utility closet on each floor, or exterior wall)
• Houses: Often in a meter box on the exterior wall near the property entrance
• Modern meters: The smart meter (contador inteligente) may display it on screen

Look for:

• A barcode sticker with the CUPS printed below
• A metal plate with engraved numbers
• The code starting with “ES”

Note: In older buildings, meters can be hard to find or access. Try other methods first.

Method 3: Ask your landlord or property manager

If you’re renting, your landlord should have the CUPS on file from:

• Previous utility bills
• The property deed or rental documents
• Their own records when setting up the original contract

A quick message: “Can you send me the CUPS number for the electricity?” usually gets results.

Method 4: Contact your current provider

Call or use the app/website of your current electricity company.

Iberdrola: Login to customer area → “Mis contratos” → Select your contract → CUPS appears in details

Endesa: Login → “Mi energía” → Contract details

Naturgy: Login → “Mis productos” → Click on your contract

Smaller providers: Most have customer portals with the same information, or call their customer service.

Phone: If you call, they’ll verify your identity (NIE, contract number, or address) and give you the CUPS.

Method 5: Request it from the distributor

This is your fallback if nothing else works.

The distributor (the company that owns the wires, different from your retailer) has your CUPS on file.

Main distributors by region:

• E-Distribución (Endesa): Most of Andalucía including Costa del Sol
• I-DE (Iberdrola): Parts of northern Spain
• UFD (Naturgy): Barcelona area, others

For Costa del Sol, you likely need E-Distribución:

• Website: edistribucion.com
• Phone: 900 850 840
• You’ll need your address and NIE/NIF

They can look up the CUPS for any supply point they manage.

---

When you can’t find a CUPS (new property)

If the property has never had electricity connected, there’s no CUPS yet.

This happens with:

• New construction
• Properties that were disconnected and demolished internally
• Conversions (commercial to residential)

In these cases, you need to request a new connection (alta nueva), which creates a CUPS. This involves:

1. Electrical installation certificate (boletín eléctrico)
2. Application to the distributor
3. Installation of meter
4. CUPS assignment

For existing buildings without active supply, see: Electricity in Spain: Complete Guide

---

CUPS vs. contract number vs. meter number

People confuse these. They’re different:

CUPS: Identifies the supply point (permanent, doesn’t change)

Contract number: Identifies your specific contract with your provider (changes if you switch companies)

Meter number: Identifies the physical meter device (changes if meter is replaced)

When switching providers, you need the CUPS, not the contract number.

---

Using your CUPS to switch providers

Once you have your CUPS, switching is straightforward:

1. Compare prices – Sites like Selectra or Kelisto compare electricity tariffs
2. Choose new provider – Sign up online or by phone
3. Provide CUPS – They’ll verify it matches your address
4. Automatic switch – Your new provider handles the transfer with your old provider
5. Continuity – No interruption in service; the switch happens behind the scenes

The switch typically takes 15-20 days. Your new provider manages everything—you don’t need to contact your old provider.

More on switching: Save Money by Switching Electricity Providers in Spain

---

What your CUPS tells you

The CUPS number contains encoded information:

“
ES 00 21 000 001234567 8 AB
│ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │ └─ Check digits
│ │ │ │ │ └─── Control digit
│ │ │ │ └───────────── Supply point number
│ │ │ └───────────────── Zone
│ │ └──────────────────── Distributor code
│ └─────────────────────── Sector
└────────────────────────── Country (ES = Spain)
“

For most purposes, you don’t need to decode it—just copy the full string accurately.

---

Common problems and fixes

“My CUPS doesn’t match my address”

This usually means:

• You copied it wrong (check carefully, especially 0 vs O)
• Your landlord gave you the wrong property’s CUPS
• The provider’s database is out of date

Solution: Verify with the distributor using your address.

“I have two CUPS at my property”

Some properties have separate electricity supplies:

• Main house + detached garage
• Building with common areas + individual apartments
• Properties with separate meters for day/night (older system)

Each supply point has its own CUPS. Make sure you’re using the one for the space you want to manage.

“My CUPS is only 18 characters”

Older CUPS formats were shorter. Some systems auto-complete them. If a form rejects your CUPS, try:

• Adding “ES” at the beginning if missing
• Checking for trailing spaces
• Contacting the provider for the full format

---

Keep your CUPS documented

Once you find it, save it:

• In your phone notes
• In your important documents folder
• Screenshot of the bill section showing it

You’ll need it for:

• Switching providers
• Adjusting contracted power (potencia)
• Administrative disputes
• Future property transactions

For understanding your potencia contratada: Potencia Contratada: Getting It Right for Remote Work

---

Key takeaways

1. CUPS is your supply point ID – Permanent, unique, needed for any electricity changes.

1. Check your bill first – Fastest way to find it. Search for “CUPS” or “ES00”.

1. Meter has it too – Look for a sticker with barcode and code starting “ES”.

1. Distributor is the fallback – E-Distribución for Costa del Sol can look up any CUPS by address.

1. Save it somewhere accessible – You’ll need it again.

Five minutes to find your CUPS. Hours saved when switching providers.

---

Get Costa del Sol intelligence that matters. Subscribe to Waypoint Sur → waypointsur.com/subscribe

Last reviewed: February 2026

Related Guides

• How to Find a Good Gestor
• NIE Guide
• Healthcare Guide
• What Is a Gestoria?

Frequently Asked Questions