Power shift with Iberdrola

I was looking at my on line contract with Iberdrola the other day, I noticed a new section called "Power Shift", in the section your present contracted power is stated and it gives the impression that you can change your contracted power by inserting the required power in one of the boxes (ie, 3.3kw to 5.8kw etc). Has anyone done this and do you still need a bolletin.

This happened to us at a rented villa, the electricity kept tripping when we attempted to use the oven, the owner sent an electrician, who replaced a gizmo in the fuse box with a far more poweful one.

They simply change the ICP normally located in your fuse box. An ICP is a device for controlling your contracted power supply, an Interrupter de Control de Potencia or Power Control Switch, also called a Mains Isolater.

Usually rated by Amperage to control the amount of Kw coming in. 15A is 3.45Kw, 25A is 5.75Kw and 30A is 6.9Kw.

It is a case of replacing one ICP with a larger one to do what is says on the box, ie control the amount of power available. It doesn't need a boletin but you do need to take out a new contract with the electricity company.

I know all the technical stuff, I was a electrician in my past life but don't claim to be in Spain. All I want to know is if anyone has come accress this new power shift item on the contract part of the E billing on the Iberdrola web site.

I have been in Spain for many years now and cannot believe the Spanish would make it easier to do anything to upgrade your supply.

There is a warning in the power shift section telling you it will cost more if you upgrade but nothing else.

It's always been easy to upgrade your power rating, you simply ask. You can either use your own electrician or iberdrola send their own one out. In both cases Iberdrola then needs to seal it and change the contract. An electrician should charge around 50 euro to supply and fit and Iberdrola charge 9 euro plus IVA to seal it. The extra cost is based on the amount of kwh you have at the end of it.

Of course, the not so easy bit is when they actually get round to doing it.

We changed from 3.3 kw to 5.75, which required a  Boletin, and some rewiring, as the house was more than 10 years old and the developer had used lighting cable, which had to be replaced.

We paid 600 euros. And many have paid a lot more than that

Some people have ( illegally) put in a more powerful fuse, which is dangerous.

As your wiring was upgraded you would have needed the boletin. Simply upping the available power does not. 

I changed to 5.75 kW after a "smart meter" had been fitted an electrician carried out a boletín No work was required but Iberdrola charged 120€ for a new contract