Iberdrola (electricity)

Has anyone managed to contact Iberdrola by phone from the UK. When I ring I get a message saying I cant be connected. I have checked and rechecked the number 0034 901202020

I have also had an email from Polaris saying the supply to the apartments is the usual supply level requested for all Polaris properties, and that we do need to contact Iberdrola to arrange any change and they cannot say if there will be a charge..

Hi,

Below is another number to try. If your looking to upgrade your supply they do charge and then it also impacts on your future bills as you would be charged at a higher rate for having a larger supply capability. I hope that helps.

Iberdrola, Avenida de los Pinos, 7
30009 MURCIA
Tel.: +34 968 285 200

Many thanks, I had the number from an email query to Iberdrola! I will try these. I realise we may have a higher standing charge but during our visit had only the water heater, a tv and the firidge on when someone went in the bathroom all the lights tripped.. I dont feel thats an excessive amount of appliances- heavens knows what will happen with aircon and heating in the mix. I also think its a health and saftey situation as its not so safe having a shower and then the lights go out!! 

Telephoned Iberdrola on davey's number and after a bit of wait and some singing (not by me I hasten to add) I got through and in my best Spanish asked for someone english- some more waiting and singing, and a bit more waiting and singing (just hoping work do their usual and forget to charge for a private call!) Then I spoke to a very helpful bilingual lady who advised me that there are three options for up grades 6.9, 8 and 9.2. As an example price wise the 8 would be a further 130 euros and approx 30 euro's every two months. She said we should presently be on a 5.something which was appropriate for a house and all the regular appliances and outgoings. She then advised we have the fuse checked as it should be a 25 amp and not a 15amp- so before we commit ourselves to the upgrade we should at least be sure it is required. This we will get done before organising anything.

She also said she hadnt heard a whisper that Condado Polaris owners had been phoning for upgrades and wondered if the transformer on the resort was the problem. Finally she recommended that if people did feel there was a problem they should contact Iberdrola and Polaris, she felt that if Polaris believe there's an issue they would contact Iberdrola. Also said it was always possible some properties had had a lower fuse fitted 'by mistake' but that would be unusual.

So that's where we are now but once we have the fuse checked we'll know more. Judging by the few people on these threads about the supply I do wonder if its not a problem being felt across the resort. I can only urge members if they think they are affected to contact Polaris and Iberdrola.

However I also appreciate that if I have to telephone again I  may be told something else by someone else!!

Tell me about it, !!!!   I have torches around now,  looking for those you keep on charge for emergencies. Must say gas fire solved a few problems.  I am going to try iberdola office again to get elec changed .

It was a lovely day today beach cafe sipping a lemon drink!!

Hi

Just picked up on this thread. As JH has said, not many people picking this up as a problem. Has anyone asked any of the key holders who live on the site. They must know with washing machines going all the time, etc....

Phil

Hi All, With reference to your phone call to the electric company, the figures she is giving you seem to relate to the Kw used, with a 25 amp circuit breaker at 230 volts, you could only use about 5.75 KW, which is not a great deal when you think boiling a kettle will generally use 2KW, so if you put on your oven and a couple of rings on your hob, you would be right on your limit, so you couldn't have any heating on as well. As I've said before Polaris have installed all the circuits to cope with a load of 9.2 KW which is 40amps, which would be enough to run all of the appliances in the apartments, that is why they have put in 40amp RCD's on the cooker circuits and the air con circuits. So polaris have designed it at 40amp load and then they come along and put a 25amp breaker in. I wouldn't like to pay more to a company just for a higher RCD. how would they know if you got a sparkey and changed the breaker, They must do this all over Spain, so before asking them to do it I would check with a local sparkey and see what they could do. Cheers Andy

Hi Jan

Well done for chasing up Iberdrola, it's getting very interesting finding out excactly what we have and what we are actually being charged for. Keep us informed on any developements.

And Andy ta for the advise will keep that in mind when I finally get round to looking at my fuse box!

Thanks andy for the advice. We are just trying to find out a bit before paying anyone to do anything and we're a bit hampered by the fact our power was changed over on the 23rd Dec and we arrived on 26th and had  5 nights there using heaters, lights tv + a fan heater at one point (it really was chilly folks!) plus the oven, stove rings and sometimes the extractor and not until an hour before we left on the 31st (when we had far less on) did the electricity begin flickering and going off but putting itself back on we didnt have to flick back the trip switch. So our experience doesnt tally with what other people are saying at the moment. But as we are not there we cant try it out. However we do have 6 people planning to use the apartment in mid February so we'd like to know a bit more incase it is necessary to upgrade.

Polaris's email advice was that we should have a 57.50W supply fitted which is standard and sufficient for a house with all its necessary outgoings, but you can get upgraded to 92W. This was echoed by Iberdrola but they suggested we do have the supply checked before committing to anything- they did also say that whatever PW are doing onsite could affect the supply.

So its as clear as mud!

Hi,

We were at Condado on the 15th Dec to the 22nd Dec the electrics tripped near the end of our holiday.  We had two air cons on, lights, tv. kettle and one hot plate  all ok but if  I put all four hotplates on and the oven then the  power would go off. 

During the last few days of our hols the electricity begin flickering and going off but putting itself back on we didnt have to flick back the trip switch. The fridge was going off then just powering up again.   Not sure what amp was in the apartment..

Hi,

Having lived in Spain for a while (not on your polaris site), most houses are on a 5.75 kw supply and you do have to be mindful of how many appliances you have on at one time.

You SHOULD NOT change or upgrade the supply breaker in the sealed/locked outside meter box yourself. If you did, this would be noticed when the Iberdola meter reader comes around and you would be in SERIOUS trouble, fined, denounced etc. You can of course pay to have a higher rated supply, to avoid tripping.  However in Spain the power supply is flakey and we have many power blips and cuts. It is best to put surge protectors on your laptops/TV's etc.

Hope this helps, Chris & Rick

Hello

We too are on 5.75 Kw and as chastity says it is the nonm for houses in Spain.

My OH was an electrician and is always saying Spanish supply nowhere near as reliable or constant as in UK. I´m afraid it is something you have to learn to live with. Once you get used to it you will manage ok but do not be surprised that the lights dim when you turn on the electric kettle or in summer when there is greater demand.

Please do not tamper with the meter boxes or as chastity says you will be in serious trouble. You can apply to be upgraded but it will cost and your standing charges increased,

Jean

Thank you for all the information everyone especially from those who live in Spain. I think for those of us who have been on the builders supply without a hitch there was a concern that something irregular had occurred once we were moved onto Iberdrola. I'm aware that in Spain the supply can be less reliable than in the UK but that suggests something different from the experiences people have been having on Condado. We may wait now and see how our next visitors manage before considering the upgrade but the jury is still out on that decision. We're not renting so there's slightly less pressure I think.

Hi All, I don't think any of us were suggesting going into the meter box,  because that isn't tripping out, it is the breaker on the fuse board that will trip out when you go over 25 amps, I have had it confirmed from pw that the apartments are wired up to supply a maximum of 9.2 kw, if they weren't why put 40amp breakers on the aircon and cooker circuits. The only advantage is that we will conserve electric by turning things off, so hopefully we could save money. On another note why didn't pw install solar panels and then we could generate our own electric, and if you don't live there you would be making money from supplying electricity. that would be a idea for the communities to think about. Andy.

the apartments on Mirador are meant to have solar panels - but these are just to heat the water. 

Julie 

if you put all the electric appliances on you will get tripped.so use it wisely and get some candles in just in case as general cut outs are very common as well.