# Connecting electricity



## LojaChica (Jan 5, 2012)

Hi All

Just wondered if you would mind sharing your experiences of a time frame plus any other info for connecting Electricity in Spain?

The reason I ask................

We will arrive in Spain.....Cuesta Blanca near Loja around the 10th July.........We have owned a property there for 10 years BUT after the renovation etc all we have is bare wires, no light fittings...........

I am aware that I will have to get my skates on at running pace as everything "official" shuts down for the whole month of August SO worst case scenario is that no electric will be connected until September???

All donations of candles will be gratefully received 

Seriously............should I be worried?

I also have to attend the Town Hall/School etc..............for various other things..........will I manage it or have I got my Rose Tints on :fingerscrossed:


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## Calas felices (Nov 29, 2007)

Bare wires are the usual state that light connections are left in. If you go to a shop and order lights they will fit them for you (at least that is what happened to us).


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## fergie (Oct 4, 2010)

Make a list of the various light fittings for each room, go to any of the big 'electric light fitting showrooms',which Spain has plenty of, and choose what you need. The showrooms usually have a list of electricians who will come and fit your lights, pretty promptly. Which town are you going to live in?, there are lots of people on this forum who will be able to advise the best place to go nearby.
If the mains supply is not connected to your home, you will probably have to get hold of Iberdrola, they are the electrical suppliers, as our solicitor arranged all our services, including telephone to be connected, I am not sure of the number to ring for connection, but I'm sure Xabiachica will be able to help. 
It is worth buying a few good torches, which will come in handy anyway, as sometimes during a storm, the electricity gets cut off anyway,you'll get used to that, luckily it is not going dark here till around 9.45pm, so that helps a bit if you have no power temporarily.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

You will need a boletin from a qualified electrician first. This will detail how much power you can contract for. You will also need a certificate of first/second habitation from the town hall.

Once you have this, apply straight away for a connection - you do not have to have everything completed in the house. Just make sure that the main breaker and ICP are switched OFF first.


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## Calas felices (Nov 29, 2007)

I assumed that since the OP used the word renovation that electricity had been connected previously


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Calas felices said:


> I assumed that since the OP used the word renovation that electricity had been connected previously


I agree but I picked up on the phrase "connecting electricity".


Can the OP confirm as to whether you currently have a meter or not and whether it has an ICP fitted.


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## LojaChica (Jan 5, 2012)

Many thanks ALL for your replies.................

Electricity has previously been connected at the property............I just turned it off when we were doing the renovation to avoid paying the standing charge.........for 10 years...........Can you please tell me what an ICP is?

It's the "time frame" I was focusing on as is it "doable" before the August Holidays?

I appreciate the other advice though as in "first/second habitation"...........help please.......what is this?

Pretty sure it's self explanatory as above but just making sure

All our house documents are in order so do you just mean Escitura....wrong spelling sorry.........Sale papers etc?

Thanks for all you have to offer..........it's appreciated


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

LojaChica said:


> Many thanks ALL for your replies.................
> 
> Electricity has previously been connected at the property............I just turned it off when we were doing the renovation to avoid paying the standing charge.........for 10 years...........Can you please tell me what an ICP is?
> 
> ...


OK. If you've had it 'turned off' so that you don't pay the standing charge, then you will need to get it reconnected. This will require a boletin (proof that the house has been wired correctly and is safe for a supply of x kW).

You may not need the habitation certificate but we did. It is proof that all the work done is up-to-spec and meets all the local building regulations. An architect or your planning department at the town hall will be able to help here.

Yes you will need the escritura and probably padron, residencia etc.


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## whitenoiz (Sep 18, 2012)

*lojachiaca*

There are two main suppliers in the area you are going to live Endesa and Iberdrola. Recent experience has shown that neither company will agree to a contract without a new electrical bolletin and a Certificate of First habitation. 

The habitation certificate is issued by your local Town Hall which in your case will be Loja. However... in order to provide this Certificate they will need another certificate, issued by a licenced Technical Architect, stating that the work carried out at the property is in accordance with the original planning request and that the work complies with all the latest building regs. (I can put you in contact with a good guy in Moraleda, more or less on your doorstep). (well, within 20kms anyway!) He's Spanish but speaks English btw. He will need from you a copy of the original planning request, again the Town Hall in Loja is your start point. 

Once you have the Certificate of Obras Final from the architect, you can take it to the Town Hall and in theory, they should issue the all important Habitation certificate. Don't know how long this will take though; my local Town Hall in Cacin needed a few reminders from me... what was originally promised in three days took three weeks...

As regards the Bolletin... if the electrical work at your house was carried out prior to 2007 then you will definitely need to have it checked out by a professional licenced electrician... the Tech architect in Moraleda can probably recommend a good guy. In 2007 the government introduced a whole raft of new regulations pertaining to the supply of electricity in domestic properties; the ICP that has been referred to is just one example. It's not being used in this instance for its intended purpose, but to set a level at which your supply will be tripped offline if you exceed the power usage agreed in your contract. 

Depending on your domestic requirements I would suggest that for a house with aircon, a washing machine, hot water electrically heated, and any form of continuous winter usage of electric heating a 9.2KWH contract will be required. Although the basic cost of electricity remains the same for all supplies below 10KWH and is set by government, the Standing Charge varies with the contracted usage. In other words the Standing Charge for a 5KWH supply is less than that for a 9.2KWH. In reality the difference isn't that great given the cost of the electricity itself. If you tell the leccy you want a 9.2KWH supply he will fit the appropriate ICP. 

There were other rules brought in at the same time but your licenced leccy should be able to incorporate any necessary changes without it costing too much. 
Once the leccy is satisfied that the wiring into the meter box, between the meter box and the domestic distribution panel is OK and he has successfully carried out checks on the internal wiring, he will issue and sign off the bolletin.

With the bolletin and the licence of Habitation in hand you can then contact the supplier, be it Endesa or Iberdrola (either will do they are both as bad as each other!) and get a contract drawn up. When the contract is signed by both you and the supplier, they will arrange a time and date to come and fit the latest meter and for want of a better phrase... turn you on!

Hope this helps; as I said during a post on a previous thread, of all the people on this forum I am probably your closest neighbour just 20 minutes or so away. This information is about a year old but is I believe still accurate for this area.


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

An ICP shouldn't be required as the new smart meters incorporate one that the electric company can adjust remotely.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

gus-lopez said:


> An ICP shouldn't be required as the new smart meters incorporate one that the electric company can adjust remotely.


Smart meters are still not being fitted in most areas. I understand they have to be in AND working by 2018.

We have a smart meter in one of our flats but Iberdrola will not use it as such - they still require a manual reading and INSIST on an ICP.


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## LojaChica (Jan 5, 2012)

whitenoiz said:


> *lojachiaca*
> 
> There are two main suppliers in the area you are going to live Endesa and Iberdrola. Recent experience has shown that neither company will agree to a contract without a new electrical bolletin and a Certificate of First habitation.
> 
> ...


Wow......Whitenoiz

I'm sat here in Australia feeling a trifle overwhelmed right now with all the above info however it's what I expected to be honest and I'm very grateful for all the detail you have gone into for me!

I shall be following it to the letter 

Really appreciated thanks and I'll give you a shout if I may, should I need to..............


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

snikpoh said:


> Smart meters are still not being fitted in most areas. I understand they have to be in AND working by 2018.
> 
> We have a smart meter in one of our flats but Iberdrola will not use it as such - they still require a manual reading and INSIST on an ICP.


Even in Andalucia where Endesa fit them all the time , they do not read them remotely: I don't think they ever will. Same here.
We have irrigation water meters all linked back & remotely read. The bloke still comes around & manually reads them. :lol:


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