Waste disposal
Electricity
Gas
Water

Waste disposal

Although Spain doesn’t have the recycling (reciclaje) facilities such as those found in Northern Europe, facilities have improved remarkably in recent years and most municipalities now recycle glass, paper, cardboard, aluminium, cans, plastic, batteries and other materials, although there are sometimes few collection points. Many municipalities also recycle garden waste, which is then sold as compost. Some municipalities publish leaflets detailing where and when to dump your household rubbish.

Rubbish collection is efficient in most towns and cities, although in some rural areas residents are required to take their rubbish to a collection point, which may be located some kilometres away from an urbanisation. However, most community properties (urbanisations) have communal skips or rubbish bins where residents are required to deposit their rubbish in sealed plastic bags.

Bins are usually emptied daily (at night) except on Sundays. In some areas, residents have personal bins, which they put out at night and take in the morning. If this is the case, ask your neighbours when you should put out your rubbish for collection, as some municipalities levy fines if rubbish is put out for collection too early, e.g. before 9pm.

By the year 2002, residents in municipalities with over 5,000 inhabitants were supposed to have to deposit different types of rubbish in separate containers, although this has been postponed due to lack of planning!

Most municipalities charge an annual fee for rubbish collection, which varies depending on whether you live in a town or a rural area, e.g. from EUR 30 to EUR EUR 150 a year. Costs are usually reduced for the elderly on low incomes. Check with your town hall and have the bill sent to your bank and paid directly by them, as (like all municipal bills) if you don’t pay it on time it’s increased by 20 percent.

Electricity

Spain’s main electricity companies include Groupo Endesa (the largest with around ten million customers), Iberdrola (with around 9 million customers), Union Fenosa and Hidrocantábrico. In January 2003 the energy market was completely liberalised and clients can now choose which company provides their electricity. Note, however, that in many areas there’s still only one company providing electricity and unless you live in a large city, as yet you have no choice!

Endesa (www.endesaonline.com) provides electricity under the following names: Fecsa in Catalonia; Gesa in the Balearics; Sevillana Endesa in Andalusia and Unelco in the Canaries. Iberdrola (www.iberdrola.es) provides electricity in Asturias, the Basque country, Cantabria, Catalonia, Comunidad Valenciana (including the Costa Brava), Galicia and Madrid.

Getting a supply

Immediately after buying or renting a property (unless utilities are included in the rent), you must sign a contract with the local electricity company. This usually entails a visit to the company’s office to register, although most companies now offer the possibility of registering online or by telephone. You need to take some identification with you (passport or residence permit) and the contract and bills paid by the previous owner (and a good book, as queues can be long).

If you register by Internet or telephone you will need your identification as well as the reference number for the electricity supply (usually found on the top left-hand corner of an electricity bill under Contrato de Suministro Nº).

If you’ve purchased a home in Spain, the estate agent may arrange for the utilities to be transferred to your name or go to the offices with you (no charge should be made for this service).

Make sure all previous bills have been paid and that the contract is put into your name from the day you take over, otherwise you will be liable for debts left by the previous owner.

If you’re a non-resident owner, you should also give your foreign address in case there are any problems requiring your attention, such as a bank failing to pay the bills. You may need to pay a deposit. Some electricity companies have service lines where foreign customers can obtain information in English and German in addition to Spanish.

Wiring

Most modern properties (e.g. less than 20 years old) in Spain have good electrical installations. However, if you buy an old home you may be required to obtain a certificate (boletin) from a qualified electrician stating that your electricity installation meets the required safety standards, even when the previous owner already had an electricity contract. You should ensure that the electricity installations are in a good condition well in advance of moving house, as it can take some time to get a new meter installed or to be reconnected.

If you buy a rural property (finca rústica), there are usually public guarantees of services such as electricity (plus water, sewage, telephone, etc.) and you aren’t obliged to pay for the installation of electricity lines or transformers, only the connection to your property.

Connection costs

The cost of electricity connection (acometida) and the installation of a meter is usually between EUR 100 and EUR 300, although it varies considerably depending on the region, power supply and the type of meter installed. When you buy a community property, the cost of connection to utility services is included in the price of the property and it’s illegal for developers to charge buyers extra for this.

Meters

In an old apartment block there may be a common meter, with the bill that’s shared among the owners according to the size of their apartments. It’s obviously better to have your own meter, particularly if you own a holiday home that’s occupied for only a few months of the year.

Meters for an apartment block or community properties may be installed in the basement in a special room or in a meter ‘cupboard’ in a stair well or outside a group of properties, e.g. in an apartment or townhouse development. You should have free access to your meter and should be able read it (some meters don’t have a window to allow you to read the consumption).

Plugs, fuses & bulbs

Depending on the country you’ve come from, you will need new plugs (enchufes) or a lot of adapters. Plug adapters for most foreign electrical apparatus can be purchased in Spain, although it’s wise to bring some adapters with you, plus extension leads and multi-plug extensions that can be fitted with Spanish plugs.

There’s often a shortage of electric points in Spanish homes, with perhaps just one per room (including the kitchen), so multi-plug adapters may be essential. Most Spanish plugs have two round pins, possibly with an earth built into the plug, although most sockets aren’t fitted with earth contacts. Sockets in modern properties may also accept three-pin plugs (with a third earth pin), although few appliances are fitted with three-pin plugs.

Small low-wattage electrical appliances such as table lamps, small TVs and computers, don’t require an earth. However, plugs with an earth must always be used for high-wattage appliances such as fires, kettles, washing machines and refrigerators. These plugs must be used with earthed sockets, although they also fit non-earthed, two-pin sockets. Electrical appliances that are earthed have a three-core wire and must never be used with a two-pin plug without an earth socket. Always make sure that a plug is correctly and securely wired, as bad wiring can be fatal.

In modern properties, fuses (fusibles) are of the earth trip type. When there’s a short circuit or the system has been overloaded, a circuit breaker is tripped and the power supply is cut. If your electricity fails, you should suspect a fuse of tripping off, particularly if you’ve just switched on an electrical appliance (usually you will hear the power switch off). Before reconnecting the power, switch off any high-power appliances such as a stove, washing machine or dishwasher. Make sure you know where the trip switches are located and keep a torch handy so you can find them in the dark (see Power Supply below).

Electric light bulbs in Spain are of the Edison type with a screw fitting. If you have lamps requiring bayonet bulbs you should bring some with you, as they cannot be readily purchased in Spain. You can, however, buy adapters to convert from bayonet to screw fitting (or vice versa). Bulbs for non-standard electrical appliances (i.e. appliances that aren’t made for the Spanish market) such as refrigerators and sewing machines may not be available in Spain, so it’s advisable to bring some spares with you.

Power supply

The electricity supply in most of Spain is 220 volts AC with a frequency of 50 hertz (cycles). However, some areas still they have a 110-volt supply and it’s even possible to find dual voltage 110 and 220-volt systems in the same house or the same room! All new buildings have a 220-volt supply and the authorities have mounted a campaign to encourage homeowners with 110-volt systems to switch to 220 volts. Note that most appliances, e.g. televisions made for 240 volts, will function with a power supply of 220 volts. Spain is committed to introducing the international standard (adopted in 1983) of 230 volts AC by the end of 2003.

Power cuts are frequent in many areas of Spain. When it rains heavily the electricity supply can become very unstable, with frequent power cuts lasting from a few microseconds (just long enough to crash a computer) to a few hours (or days). If you use a computer it’s advisable to fit an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) with a battery backup (costing around EUR 150), which allows you time to shut down your computer and save your work after a power failure. If you live in an area where cuts are frequent and rely on electricity for your livelihood, e.g. for operating a computer, fax machine and other equipment, you may need to install a back up generator.

Even more important than a battery backup is a power surge protector for appliances such as TVs, computers and fax machines, without which you risk having equipment damaged or destroyed. In remote areas you must install a generator if you want electricity as there’s no mains electricity, although some people make do with gas and oil lamps (and without television and other modern conveniences). Note that in some urbanisations, water is provided by electric pump and, therefore, if your electricity supply is cut off, so is your water supply.

Tariffs

Electricity is generally cheap in Spain and the cost has remained stable since 1995, although in 2003 prices were set to rise for the first time in eight years by 1.5 percent. The actual charges will depend on your local electricity company.

The tariff depends on your power rating (potencia), which for domestic users with a power rating of up to 15KW is 2.0 (above 15KW it’s 3.0). This tariff is used to calculate your bi-monthly standing charge. For example, if your power rating is 3.3KW this is multiplied by the tariff of 2.0 and then multiplied by the standing charge rate per KW. The standing charge is payable irrespective of whether you use any electricity during the billing period.

The actual consumption is charged per KW. To save on electricity costs, you can switch to night tariff (tarifa nocturna, 2.0N) and run high-consumption appliances overnight, e.g. storage heaters, water heater, dishwasher and washing machine, which can be operated by a timer.

If you use a lot of water, it’s better to have a large water heater (e.g. 150 litres) and heat water overnight. If you use electricity for your heating, you can install night-storage heaters that run on the cheaper night tariff.
 
Value added tax at 16 per cent must be added to charges.

Cuota fija

Some electricity companies allow their customers to pay a set amount (cuota fija) monthly regardless of consumption. At the end of the year the actual consumption is calculated and the customer either pays the outstanding amount to the electricity company or has money returned to them. This is a good idea if you need to stick to a monthly budget.

Electricity bills

Electricity is billed every two months, usually after meters have been read. However, electricity companies are permitted to make an estimate of your consumption each second period without reading the meter. You should learn to read your electricity bill and check your consumption, to ensure that your electricity company isn’t overcharging you.

It’s advisable to pay your utility bills by direct debit (transferencia) from a Spanish bank account. If you own a holiday home in Spain, you can have your bills sent to an address abroad. Bills should then be paid automatically on presentation to your bank, although some banks cannot be relied on 100 per cent. Both the electricity company and your bank should notify you when they’ve sent or paid a bill.

Alternatively, you can pay bills at a post office, local banks (listed on the bill) or at the electricity company’s office (in cash).

Gas

Mains gas is available only in major cities in Spain, although with the recent piping of gas from North Africa (Algeria and Libya) it may soon be more widely available.

When moving into a property with mains gas, you must contact the local gas company to have the gas switched on, the meter read and to sign a supply contract.

As with electricity, you’re billed every two months and bills include VAT (IVA) at 16 percent. Like all utility bills, gas bills can be paid by direct debit (transferencia) from a Spanish bank account.

In rural areas, bottled gas is used and costs less than half that of mains gas in most northern European countries.

Many people use as many gas appliances as possible, including cooking, hot-water and heating. You can have a combined gas hot-water and heating system (providing background heat) installed, which is relatively inexpensive to install and cheap to run.

In most areas of Spain, gas bottles (bombonas) are delivered to homes by Repsol Butano (the company responsible for distributing gas bottles), for which a contract is required. You must pay a deposit of around EUR 25 and an exchange 12.5kg bottle costs around EUR 8.50 (the price fluctuates frequently) delivered to your home or less when purchased from a depot. A contract is drawn up only after a safety inspection has been made of the property where the gas appliance is to be used.

In some areas you must exchange your bottles at a local supplier. Bear in mind that gas bottles are very heavy and have a habit of running out at the most inconvenient times, so keep a spare bottle handy and make sure you know how to change them (get the previous owner or a neighbour to show you).

A bottle used just for cooking can last an average family up to three months. If a gas boiler is installed outside, e.g. on a balcony, it must be protected from the wind, otherwise you will continually be re-lighting the pilot light.

You must have your gas appliances serviced and inspected at least every five years. If you have a contract with Repsol Butano, they will do this for you or it will be done by your local authorised distributor. Some distributors will try to sell you a package which includes third party insurance and free parts should they be required, although it isn’t necessary to have this insurance and is a waste of money. Beware of ‘bogus’ Repsol Butano representatives calling unannounced to inspect gas appliances. They may represent legitimate companies, but their charges are extortionate and they will give you a large bill for changing tubing and regulators (which usually don’t need changing at all), and demand payment in cash on the spot. If you wish you can let them make an inspection and give you an estimate (presupuesto) for any work that needs doing, but don’t let them do any work or pay any money before checking with your local Repsol Butano distributor.

Incidentally, plastic tubes have an expiry date printed on them and you can buy them from a hardware store (ferretería) and change them yourself.

Water

Water, or rather the lack of it, is a major concern in Spain and the price paid for all those sunny days. Like some other countries that experience regional water shortages, Spain as a whole has sufficient water, but it isn’t distributed evenly. There’s (usually) surplus rainfall in the north-west and centre and a deficiency along most of the Mediterranean coast and in the Balearic and Canary islands.

Restrictions

During water shortages, local municipalities may restrict the water consumption or cut off supplies altogether for days at a time. Restrictions can be severe and householders may be limited to as little as three cubic metres (m3) per month, which is sufficient for around 10 baths or 20 showers. You can forget about watering the garden or washing your car unless you have a private water supply.

If a water company needs to cut your supply, e.g. to carry out maintenance work on pipes and other installations, they will usually notify you in advance so that you can store water for cooking. In some areas, water shortages can create low water pressure, resulting in insufficient water to take a bath or shower.

Contracts

After buying or renting a property (unless utilities are included in the rent), you should arrange for the water contract to be registered in your name.

Always check in advance that all water bills have been paid by the previous owner, otherwise you will be liable for any debts. You must usually visit the local town hall to register your ownership and have the water contract transferred into your name. Take along some identification (passport or residence permit) and the previous contract and bills paid by the former owner. When registering, non-resident owners should also give their foreign address in case there are any problems requiring their attention, such as a bank failing to pay water bills.

Hot water

Water heating in apartments may be provided by a central heating source for the whole building or apartments may have their own water heaters. If you install your own water heater, it should have a capacity of at least 75 litres. Many holiday homes have quite small water boilers, which are often inadequate for more than two people.

If you need to install a water heater (or fit a larger one), you should consider the merits of both electric and bottled gas heaters. An electric water boiler with a capacity of 75 litres (sufficient for two people) costs from EUR 130 to EUR 250 and usually takes between 60 and 90 minutes to heat water to 40ºC in winter.

Connection costs & standing charges

Water is a local matter in Spain and is usually controlled by local municipalities, many of which have their own wells. In some municipalities, water distribution is the responsibility of a private company. The cost of connection to the local water supply for a new home varies considerably from around EUR 75 up to EUR 500 (when a private company controls the distribution), or even EUR 1,500 in an isolated area.

In most municipalities there’s a standing quarterly charge or a monthly charge for a minimum consumption (canon de consumo), e.g. 14m3 a month or EUR 10 a month plus IVA at 7 percent, even if you don’t use any water during the billing period. Water shortages don’t stop municipalities from levying high standing charges for a water supply that’s sometimes non-existent.

Water rates

The cost of water has risen dramatically in Spain in recent years (as a result of drought) and in some towns, water bills have increased by over 300 percent or more. The cost of water varies considerably from an average of around EUR 1 per cubic metre (m3) on the mainland to between EUR 2 and EUR 3 per m3 in the Canaries and some parts of the Balearics, where drinking water is often provided by desalination plants and is very expensive.

In some areas, tariffs start with a low basic charge of say EUR 0.50 per cubic metre (e.g. for the first 15m3 a month), but becomes prohibitively expensive above this consumption. Many municipalities levy a standing charge, which is usually for a minimum amount of water per quarter or month, e.g. 45m3 a quarter or 15m3 a month, whether any water is used or not (which hits non-residents hardest).

Some municipalities levy a quarterly surcharge (canón de servicio) and regional governments may also levy a charge for water purification. Sometimes a higher water rate is charged for holiday homeowners or owners in community developments, where the water supply isn’t controlled by the local municipality, while in others the cost of water is included in community fees.

Water bills usually include sewerage and may also include rubbish collection, e.g. when a city provides all services, in which case the cost of rubbish collection may be calculated on how much water you use (a large family will usually use more water and also create more rubbish). There’s also a rental charge for the water meter, e.g. around EUR 4 per quarter.

Always check your water bill carefully as overcharging on bills is widespread. Sometimes water company meters show a huge disparity (increase!) in consumption compared with a privately installed meter and when confronted with the evidence water companies often refuse to reply! Some municipalities arbitrarily levy higher tariffs on certain urbanisations, although this is illegal.

To reduce your water costs, you can buy a ‘water saver’ that mixes air with water, thus reducing the amount of water used. The cost of fitting an apartment with water savers is only around EUR 40, which can reportedly be recouped in six months through lower water bills. Water savers can be purchased from El Corte Inglés and Hipercor stores, hypermarkets and DIY stores.

Water bills

Bills are generally sent out quarterly. If you don’t pay your water bill on time you should receive an ‘enforced collection’ (recaudación ejecutiva) letter demanding payment of your bill (plus a surcharge). If you don’t pay your bill your water supply can be cut off, although this doesn’t usually happen until customers are around a year in arrears. However, many thousands of people have their water supply cut off each year for non-payment. If your supply is cut, you must pay a reconnection fee, e.g. EUR 40, plus any outstanding bills. Note that IVA is levied at 7 percent on water bills.

Water quality

Water is supposedly safe to drink in all urban areas, although it can be of poor quality, possibly brown or rust coloured, full of chemicals and can taste awful. Many residents prefer to drink bottled water, of which over 3,000 million litres are consumed each year in Spain.

In rural areas, water may be extracted from mountain springs and taste excellent, although the quality standards applied in cities are usually absent and it may be of poor quality. Water in rural areas may also be contaminated by the fertilisers and nitrates used in farming, and by salt water in some coastal areas.

If you’re in any doubt about the quality of your water you should have it analysed. Note that although boiling water will kill any bacteria, it won’t remove any toxic substances contained in it. You can install filtering, cleansing and softening equipment to improve its quality or a water purification unit (costing around EUR 1,300) to provide drinking water. Note, however, that purification systems operating on the reverse osmosis system waste three times as much water as they produce. Obtain expert advice before installing a system as not all equipment is effective.

Sewage

Surprisingly for a western industrialised country, around a third of the population isn’t connected to a sewage treatment system, with untreated waste water going straight into the ground, rivers or the sea. In some areas there are no sewage plants and sewage is drained into cesspools (pozos negros) or septic tanks (fosas sépticas) which are emptied by tankers. Septic tanks can cause problems in summer in some buildings, for example when holiday homes are fully occupied and the septic tank isn’t emptied frequently. Note that cesspools are illegal in many areas and properties must be connected to mains drainage.

Most sewage treatment deficiencies are found in central Spain and along the northern Atlantic coast, although raw sewage is dumped into the sea throughout the country. A special tax (canon) is levied in many areas to pay for the installation of sewage treatment plants. Towns with 15,000 inhabitants or more were expected to have a sewage treatment system by the year 2001 and municipalities of between 2,000 and 15,000 people by the year 2006. However, many towns are still without proper sewage treatment due to lack of funds and planning.

This article is an extract from Living and Working in Spain, by David Hampshire. Published by Survival Books.