Electricity & Utilities.

I completed my purchase of a property in November 2011. However, I have not yet got around to using it or indeed furnishing it etc. At completion I forgot to tell my solicitor to hold up on having the gas and electric connected.

However I'm just after checking my online banking and there is a long list of money being taken out by "energy companies"

5/12/11 Iberdrola Generacion €167.82

22/12/11 Iberdrola Generacion €6.88

27/2/12 Iberdrola Generaction €29.13

While I assume that these are electricity bills and probably a connection charge its ok.

What confuses me is:

29/2/12 Hidrocantabrico Energia €228.46

Just wondering if anyone knows what this is?

As I won't be using the property for a long time would it be best to have them disconnected?

Thanks

You may know but you should have a copy of the actual bill that you can view at your online banking which will show more details about what the amount are for?

Mine show if the bills are estimates or readings etc

 Could  Hidrocantabrico Energia possibly be for water and or Gas?

http://www.informacion-empresas.com/Empresa_HIDROCANTABRICO-ENERGIA.html

 It could be for gas but it's not turned and my boiler hasn't been  commissioned yet.

I cannot see the bill on the online banking. 

Thanks

Yes but each utility will charge for installation of a meter.

Guy

Hi mmbc,

Exactly, €167.82 is for electricity connection.

And Hidrocantabrico is mainly a gas company, they will have charged €228'46 for gas connection.

Please note that both companies allow you to register and have online access to your invoices, so you don't have to wait to receive them by post. Just go online, register and check.

Anyway, in both cases, for connection of utilities they need you to sign a contract, unless you granted a power of attorney which included such faculties.

Boiler has nothing to do with Hidrocantabrico company. First you have gas connected, then you have to contact Roca or any of their partner companies so they commission it.

Would it be best to have then disconnected? Well, it depends on the time that is going to pass by from now, until you are going to actually live in the property.

 I have had my apartment since February 2008 and tend to spend 6-8 months there a year but I always go home to  UK October/November and return sometime in March.  I am still in the UK at present but notice my electric bill taken out of my account by Iberdrola has been on average €30-40 each month.  I left on 11 November  2011 and everything is switched off at the mains except the alarm.  I have never had an electric bill in the 4 years of ownership so if this is a standing charge, it's a pricey one.  I understand that they read the meters one month and estimate the next.  Have alays wondered why my electric is so hign whilst I am not there.

 Do you have an ICP fitted in your consumer unit? Iberdrola can fine you if they have wriiten to you and you have ignored the letter.

[ ICP=MAIN ISOLATING SWITCH ] They usually bill you bi-monthly so 30 -40 Euro's is exessive

Company Name
HIDROCANTABRICO ENERGIA SA
purpose
MARKETING OF ELECTRICITY, WATER AND OIL, AND ANY OTHER RELATED PREMIUMS AND FUEL IN ANY STATE.
Legal form
CORPORATION
CIF-Tax
ENERGIA SA CIF HIDROCANTABRICO
(NACE 93)
4010 Production and distribution of electricity
Activity (CNAE 2009)
3519 Production of electrical power other types
Full Report
Full Report HIDROCANTABRICO ENERGIA SA
additional information
hc energy production, distribution and marketing of electric power, gas distribution, renewable energy and telecommunications.
phone
902830 ...
 

Can someone tell me if any of the energy companies in Spain have options without standing charges? We are with Iberdrola and we only use our apartment for around 6 weeks a year, I would rather pay more per unit and have no standing charge if it is an option. (Does it make a difference for changing provider if you are part of a community?)

Electricity is dear - fact. The standing charges can be quite high - depends on the power (potencia) that you have contracted. We just had ours increased on a property we rarely use and the standing charge has rocketed. They also charge a fee for increasing the power (it's regarded as a new contract). They also charge you if you change the name on the contract (titular). Nothing surprises me when it comes to the utilities.

Do any of the companies provide power without the standing charge?

I don't know the answer to your question, but I'd be surprised if any did! I think you would have to get disconnected and then reconnected every time you came and went - a nightmare surely!

Owning homes you don't use much costs money, I'm afraid. It was the same when I still had a house in the UK - it was costing a lot in terms of standing charges, insurance, boiler contract, Council Tax and so on. So glad when I sold it!

ok . Thank you for the reply.

Last year when I was away from our apartment our average monthly bill was €25 and the only thing running was the fridge/freezer, hot water boiler was unpluged at wall,  so yes the standing charge was quite dear. Normal usage when there was about €70.

Not sure if ICP was fitted as it was a rented apartment, and from what I remember from the bills, they allowed me to use a certain amount, considered to be normal usuage and if I went over it, there was additional charges on bill.

I was very careful using my a/c- heating but usually managed to go over my limit a few months every year.

Thanks everyone.

I presume I've been charged for installation of metres in that case (not the practice in Ireland). 

I guess I'll leave them on as the hassle and reconnection charges would be high too I presume!

Thanks again