Key Takeaways
- Door-to-door slamming is Spain’s #1 electricity scam. Someone asking to “check your meter” or “see your bill” is likely recording your CUPS number to switch your supplier without real consent.
- The phone version is just as common. A call claiming “your tariff is changing by law” records your verbal “sí” as contract consent. Thousands of cases documented by Spanish consumer groups in 2024–2025.
- You have 14 days to undo an unwanted switch. The derecho de desistimiento applies from the moment you receive confirmation of a new contract. Act immediately.
- Permanencia penalties are capped at 5% of the remaining contract value by Spanish law — but some companies calculate this aggressively. Always ask “¿Tiene permanencia?” before signing.
- PVPC has no permanencia, no lock-in, and often costs less. Many people switched to free market tariffs are paying more than they would on PVPC.
- 4 million electricity switches happened in Spain in 2024. Many were poorly understood or unwanted.
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Spain’s electricity market was liberalised years ago, which means you can choose your supplier. That’s a good thing — in theory. In practice, it created a door-to-door and telephone sales industry that has generated tens of thousands of complaints and some genuinely predatory tactics.
This guide covers the most common traps: how they work, what to do if you’ve been caught, and how to protect yourself going forward.
The Biggest Trap: Door-to-Door Slamming
“Slamming” is the industry term for switching a customer to a new supplier without their informed consent. In Spain, it has become a documented, systematic problem.
Here’s how it works: someone knocks on your door. They say they’re “from your electricity company,” or they’re “here to check your meter,” or they need to “verify your contract.” They seem official. They ask to see your recent electricity bill.
What they’re actually doing is noting — or photographing — your CUPS number (Código Universal del Punto de Suministro). This is the unique identifier printed on every Spanish electricity bill. With your CUPS number, a sales agent can initiate a supplier switch on your behalf. They don’t need a signature. They don’t need much more than this number and the verbal or recorded impression of your agreement.
RTVE documented this practice extensively in 2023, tracking companies operating on behalf of major suppliers pushing residential customers off PVPC (the regulated tariff) onto more expensive free market contracts. FACUA (the Spanish consumer union) documented Naturgy sales agents doing this at scale across residential neighbourhoods. The complaints numbered in the thousands.
The person at your door may genuinely believe they’re doing you a favour. Some do not. Either way, the outcome is the same: your supplier changes, your tariff changes, and you may not notice for weeks — not until a different company’s bill arrives.
What to Do if Someone Knocks
- Do not show them your bill. Under any circumstances. There is no legitimate reason for a door-to-door visitor to need your electricity bill.
- Do not give your CUPS number. This is the key they need to switch you.
- Your actual distributor (E-Distribución on the Costa del Sol) will never visit unannounced to sell you anything. They maintain the physical grid. They don’t sell tariffs.
- If someone claims to represent your existing supplier, ask for their full name, company name, and employee ID. Then close the door and call your supplier directly using the number on your bill.
- It is legal to simply decline and close the door. You don’t owe them time or explanation.
The Phone Version: Verbal Consent Traps
The telephone equivalent follows the same logic. You receive a call. The caller claims your contract “needs updating,” that “your tariff is changing by law,” or that they’re conducting a routine review of your account.
During the conversation, they ask confirming questions. “Is this [your name]?” “Do you live at [your address]?” “Would you like to continue receiving electricity service?” Your answers — particularly any “sí” — are recorded and can be submitted as consent to a new contract.
Spanish consumer groups documented thousands of these cases in 2024 and into 2025. Many people only discovered what had happened when they stopped receiving bills from their normal supplier and a new company’s bill appeared. Others noticed on their bank statements when the direct debit changed to an unfamiliar company name.
Protecting Yourself on the Phone
- If you receive an unsolicited call about your electricity contract, hang up.
- Your existing supplier will not call you to warn you that your tariff is “changing by law” unless there’s a genuine regulatory change — and even then, they’d send you a written notice first.
- Never confirm personal details (name, address, NIE, CUPS number) to an inbound caller you didn’t initiate.
- If you’re concerned, call your supplier back on their official number to verify nothing has changed.
- You can request a grabación de la llamada (call recording) from any company that claims you consented verbally. This is your right under Spanish law.
If You’ve Already Been Switched Without Consent
Act quickly. You have rights, and they are time-sensitive.
The 14-Day Cooling Off Period
Under Spanish consumer law, you have a 14-day derecho de desistimiento (right of withdrawal) from the moment you receive written confirmation of a new contract — whether that’s an email, a letter, or an SMS. During this window, you can cancel without penalty and without needing to give a reason.
Contact the new supplier immediately in writing (email creates a paper trail). State clearly that you are exercising your derecho de desistimiento under Ley 3/2014 and that you did not authorise the switch. Request written confirmation that the cancellation has been processed.
After 14 Days: Your Escalation Options
If the 14-day window has passed, or if the new supplier refuses to cooperate:
- File a complaint with the new supplier formally — a reclamación in writing, sent by burofax if needed. This creates a legal record.
- File a claim with CNMC (Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia) at cnmc.es. The CNMC regulates the electricity market and takes slamming complaints seriously.
- Contact Consumo Responde, the Junta de Andalucía consumer protection service: 900 21 50 80 (free call, Monday–Friday). They can intervene on your behalf.
- File a denuncia with local police if you’ve suffered financial damage — you were billed at higher rates you didn’t agree to. This creates a formal record that supports any future civil claim.
Keep records of everything: the original bill, the first bill from the new company, all correspondence, call logs, and complaint reference numbers.
Permanencia Clauses: The Lock-In Trap
Free market electricity contracts in Spain often include a permanencia (minimum commitment period), typically 12 months. This is legal and common. The trap is when it isn’t clearly disclosed at signup — especially during door-to-door or phone sales where you may not have received or read the full contract terms.
What the Law Says
Under Spanish regulations (referenced in guidance from administracion.gob.es), the early termination penalty is capped at 5% of the remaining contract value for the rest of the commitment period. So if you have four months left on a contract worth €80/month, the maximum penalty is 5% of €320 = €16.
In practice, some companies calculate this more aggressively — applying it to projected future consumption at current rates, for example. If you receive a penalty invoice that seems disproportionate, challenge it in writing with reference to the 5% cap.
PVPC Has No Permanencia
The regulated PVPC tariff has no permanencia. You can switch to any supplier, or back to PVPC, at any time with zero penalty. This is one of PVPC’s underappreciated advantages — and one that free market sales agents rarely mention.
Always ask “¿Tiene permanencia este contrato?” before agreeing to anything. Get the answer in writing.
Auto-Renewal Traps
Many free market contracts include a promotional first-year rate. When that year ends, the contract auto-renews — but often at a significantly higher rate. The renewal rate may be buried in the original contract’s “condiciones de renovación” section, written in dense Spanish legalese.
Readers have reported bills jumping by €30–50/month on renewal without any prior warning from their supplier.
How to Protect Yourself
- When you sign any free market contract, note the end date of the promotional period in your calendar — with a 30-day reminder.
- Read the “condiciones de renovación” section before signing. Ask what rate you’ll pay in month 13.
- If renewal is approaching, use it as an opportunity to compare tariffs. You can switch during the final month of your contract without incurring permanencia penalties.
- If your supplier auto-renewed at a higher rate without adequate notice (typically defined as 30 days in advance in the contract), this may be grounds for a formal complaint.
Hidden Charges to Watch For
Beyond the tariff rate itself, Spanish electricity bills contain several charges that can catch people off guard.
Alquiler de Equipos de Medida
This is the meter rental charge, and it appears on virtually every Spanish residential bill. Technically, this is a distributor charge — it goes to the network company (E-Distribución on the CdS), not your supplier. It typically runs €0.80–1.10/month. It cannot be removed or negotiated away.
Where it becomes a trap: some consumers assume their supplier is pocketing this, or that switching supplier will remove it. It won’t. It’s a fixed infrastructure charge.
Servicios Adicionales
These are optional add-ons: home appliance maintenance insurance, boiler cover, electrical installation guarantees. Legitimate products — but they are frequently added to contracts during phone or door-to-door sales without clear, separate consent.
Readers have reported discovering they’d been paying €8–15/month for appliance cover they didn’t know they’d agreed to.
Check your first bill from any new supplier line by line. If you see “Servicio de mantenimiento” or similar charges you didn’t explicitly request, contact the supplier in writing to cancel them. You have the right to remove any optional service add-on.
What Free Market Sales Agents Don’t Tell You About PVPC
Spain’s electricity market has two main track options: the regulated PVPC tariff and the free market (mercado libre). Sales agents, by definition, only ever push the free market. Here’s what they don’t mention:
- PVPC is often cheaper overall, particularly for households that can shift usage to off-peak hours. The PVPC rate varies hourly with the wholesale market, which can work strongly in your favour if you run dishwashers, washing machines, and pool pumps overnight.
- PVPC has no permanencia. Switch whenever you want, with no penalty.
- PVPC qualifies for the bono social (Spain’s social electricity discount). Free market tariffs do not. If you’re eligible for the bono social, you cannot access it on a free market contract. See our bono social guide.
- Many people who switched to free market are paying more. CNMC data shows 4 million electricity switches in Spain in 2024 — approximately 13.7% of all households. A significant portion of those switches were either unwanted or based on incomplete information about relative costs.
This doesn’t mean free market is always wrong. A fixed-rate free market contract can provide predictability, especially for people who can’t easily shift their usage. But the choice should be yours — made with full information, not under pressure at your front door.
See our full comparison: PVPC vs Fixed Rate: Which Is Right for You?
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone switch my electricity supplier without my signature?
Yes. Under Spain’s liberalised electricity market, a supplier switch can be initiated using your CUPS number and a record of verbal or telephone consent. No wet signature is required. This is the mechanism that makes slamming possible. The safeguard is the 14-day cooling off period — but only if you notice in time.
How do I find my CUPS number?
Your CUPS number (Código Universal del Punto de Suministro) is printed on every electricity bill, typically near the top with your address details. It starts with “ES” followed by 20 digits. Guard it as you would an account number — it’s the key to your electricity supply point.
I was switched without consent and it’s been more than 14 days. Am I stuck?
No. The 14-day right of withdrawal is the easiest path, but it’s not the only one. File a formal complaint (reclamación) with the new supplier, then escalate to CNMC if they don’t cooperate. Consumo Responde (900 21 50 80) can also intervene on your behalf. Cases of proven slamming — where consent was not genuinely given — have been successfully reversed well outside the 14-day window through regulatory channels.
What’s the maximum penalty for leaving a contract early in Spain?
Spanish law caps early termination penalties at 5% of the remaining contract value for the rest of the commitment period. For a typical residential contract, this is rarely more than €20–40. If a supplier quotes you a higher figure, ask them in writing to show the calculation and cite the legal basis. Challenge anything that exceeds the 5% cap.
Is PVPC available to everyone?
PVPC is available to any residential customer with a contracted power (potencia contratada) of up to 10kW — which covers virtually all apartments and houses. Large villas with particularly high contracted power may fall outside this threshold, but for the vast majority of Costa del Sol residents, PVPC is accessible at any time. You can request a switch back to PVPC from any free market supplier with no permanencia penalty.
Who regulates electricity suppliers in Spain?
The CNMC (Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia) is the national energy regulator. They handle complaints about slamming, billing disputes, and market conduct. Their online complaint portal is at cnmc.es. For local consumer protection matters in Andalucía, Consumo Responde (900 21 50 80) is the first-line resource.
Related guides: How to Switch Electricity Suppliers in Spain · PVPC vs Fixed Rate Tariffs · Bono Social: Spain’s Electricity Discount · How to Read Your Spanish Electricity Bill
Related Guides
- Electricity in Spain: Complete Guide
- Electricity Providers in Spain
- Finding a Rental
- Cost of Living in Spain
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does electricity cost in Spain?
The average Spanish household pays EUR 80-150 per month for electricity. On the Costa del Sol, summer bills can spike to EUR 200+ due to air conditioning. The regulated PVPC tariff averages EUR 0.10-0.20 per kWh depending on the time of day.
What is the PVPC tariff in Spain?
The PVPC (Precio Voluntario para el Pequeno Consumidor) is the regulated electricity tariff with hourly pricing that varies throughout the day. It is cheaper during off-peak hours (midnight to 8am) and most expensive during peak hours (10am-2pm and 6pm-10pm).
Should I choose PVPC or a fixed-rate tariff?
PVPC works well if you can shift consumption to off-peak hours (running dishwashers and washing machines at night). Fixed-rate tariffs offer budget predictability but are typically 10-20% more expensive overall. For most expats new to Spain, a fixed rate reduces bill shock.
How do I switch electricity provider in Spain?
Contact your chosen new provider with your CUPS code (on any bill) and they handle the switch. It takes approximately 2 weeks. There are no switching fees or penalties. Your supply is never interrupted during the change.
What is the potencia contratada?
The potencia contratada is your contracted power capacity in kW. Most homes have 3.45-5.75 kW. If your appliances exceed this, the breaker trips. You can adjust it through your provider but higher capacity means a higher fixed daily charge.
