Hi, I’m based in Alhaurín El Grande (Málaga) and work with Endesa, their rebranded distribution company Edistribución, their sub-contractors and my customers in Alhaurín El Grande and Coín.
I specialised in domestic installations, rewires and supply upgrades but do not work on industrial or commercial installations, nor do I repair domestic appliances.
As of January 2024 I have not taken on any new customers and now only provide technical support to existing customers.
Text in orange is a clickable link to another post on this website or an external reference. Click the Home tab at the top of any page on this website to return to this Welcome Page.
I have recently removed old ‘posts’ that are no longer relevant and hope you find the remaining information posted here useful.
Contact me via telephone or WhatsApp +(34) 659 862 691, or send me an email (email address above will no longer be in use from January 2025).
Site last updated 8th December 2024
Winter Time starts officially at 2:00 AM on Sunday 27th October 2024.
This will affect all consumers with an Off-Peak (‘Discriminación Horaria’) or Discounted tariffs, for ALL electricity providers, both dual-tariffs and 3-tier tariffs.
Off-Peak tariffs for ALL electricity providers in Spain have 10 hours per day charged at the Peak Rate and 14 hours per day charged at the Cheap Rate. Three-tier tariffs have the additional benefit of 6 hours charged at a further reduced rate.
Discounted Endesa Tariffs include “Tempo Happy” and “Siempre Ganas”
Dual-tariff: cheap rate off-peak hours (‘valle’) will be 10:00 PM until 12:00 PM (22:00-12:00). Peak rate hours (‘punta’) will be 12:00 PM until 10:00 PM (12:00-22:00)
3-Tier-Tariff: cheapest rate hours (‘supervalle’) will be 12:00 AM until 6:00 AM (00:00-06:00), the cheap rate hours (‘valle’) will be 10:00 PM until 12:00 AM and 6:00 AM until 12:00 PM (22:00-00:00 & 06:00-12:00). Peak rate hours (‘punta’) will be 12:00 PM until 10:00 PM (12:00-22:00)
If you are unsure whether the time changes will affect you, check a recent electricity bill, or your contract, the off-peak tariff code (‘Peaje de acceso’) depends on the power contracted (‘potencia contratada’):
Consumers with power upto 10 Kilowatts the tariff code is 2.0DHA (dual-tariff) or 2.0DHS (3-tier tariff)
Consumers with power between 10-15 Kilowatts the tariff code is 2.1DHA (dual-tariff) or 2.1DHS (3-tier tariff)
Consumers with power above 15 Kilowatts the tariff code is 3.0A (3-tier tariff)
If you need assistance changing tariff or upgrading your ‘potencia contratada’ (contracted power in Kilowatts) please contact me, details on my Home page.
17 October 2024
All electricity supply companies in Spain should have completed the substitution programme of all old analogue electricity meters for new digital Smart meters (for domestic consumers with less than 15 kilowatts contracted). Government deadline for completion of substitution program was end of 2018.
Smart meters are remotely programmed/controlled by your supplier and have an integrated Power Control Switch (PCS). The PCS will restrict the power available to that which you have contracted.
The power available in your property (check your ‘potencia contratada’ on a recent electricity bill) was previously restricted by the ‘Interruptor de Control de Potencia’ (ICP), a circuit breaker fitted into a dedicated sealed compartment in your fuse box. However in many installations these ICPs were either never fitted or illegally removed/bypassed, therefore allowing the consumer to draw more power than that contracted with their supply company.
If you lose power and all your circuit breakers remain on, check your Smart meter. If the display reads “ICP 00 PULSE” then press the yellow button to rearm the meter and restore power.
ADVICE: Take extreme care when opening your meter box to minimise risk of electric shock. Do not touch any exposed live parts, e.g. terminals and fuse holders!!
Alternatively to rearm your meter in case of interruption, follow the advice as stipulated by Edistibución:
- switch OFF your Main Breaker
- wait 3-4 seconds
- switch ON your Main Breaker.
This will reconnect power to your property. Resetting your meter by pressing the yellow button or switching your Main Breaker OFF/ON will not give you any more power than you have contracted.
ADVICE: the last appliance plugged in or switched on may have exceeded the power available and caused the PCS to disconnect your supply. Before attempting to rearm your Smart meter, unplug the last appliance connected or switch off the appliance you were using when you lost power.
If you experience frequent interruptions to your electricity supply due to insufficient power (check the ‘potencia contratada’ on your electricity bill) you may need to speak with your supplier in order to upgrade your potencia.
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Way way back in August 2010 I posted a Warning to 3-Phase Consumers concerning the ‘potencia’ they have contracted and the inevitable problems they will encounter when Endesa, or other electricity provider, requests the installation of an ‘Interruptor de Control de Potencia’ (ICP) on their supply.
With the passing of time, things have moved on significantly, and so I am reposting my warning to all 3-Phase consumers! The function of the ‘current limiter’, the ICP, is now integrated within the new ‘intelligent’ Smart Meters being ‘rolled out’ throughout Spain. The installation of Smart Meters has been ongoing for several years and the Government plan is to complete the roll-out before 31 December 2018.
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I receive numerous telephone calls, almost on a daily basis, from concerned consumers who feel they are paying too much for their electricity. Join the club! The days of cheap electricity in Spain are over!
In July 2009 the electricty supply market was deregulated, i.e. ‘opened up’ to free competition from a number of new ‘Free Market’ electricity suppliers. Since then, the electricity providers have seen a drop in income, due to consumers installing new energy efficient appliances and changing to ‘low energy’ and LED lighting.
Over more recent years, you will have noticed your ‘Fixed Charge’ (facturación por potencia contratada) has increased significantly, compared to the ‘Unit Charge’ (facturación por energía consumida).
The Fixed Charge is based on the ‘potencia contratada’ (power available), in Kilowatts. This charge will be fairly consistent from bill to bill, differing only by the exact number of days in the billing period. The power available was previously restricted by the ‘Interruptor de Control de Potencia’ (ICP) installed in your fuse box, but is now restricted by an integrated limiter in the new ‘intelligent’ Smart Meter (if fitted).
The Unit Charge is based on the electricity you use, in Kilowatt Hours. This charge may vary considerably from bill to bill, depending on your electricity consumption. You are more likely to use more electricity in winter for heating, hot water, cooking etc.
The amount you pay for your electricity depends on your tariff and potencia contracted. Consumers contracted with Endesa will find the following graphic useful in explaining the various billing methods, depending on whether you are contarcted with the regulated company Endesa Energía XXI or the free market company Endesa Energía SAU. The billing method also depends on whether a Smart Meter is fitted and whether or not it is integrated within the ‘telemetry’ network (sistema de telegestion).
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Use this Endesa guide to check if the energy rating (potencia contratada) of your single-phase domestic electricity contract is adequate to support the range of electrical appliances in your home.
Using the matrix below check which appliances you have and read along the row to determine the minimum energy rating in Kilowatts (kW’s) you require in your home. I recommend you check the energy ratings of your individual appliances before deciding on a suitable potencia to contract.
the column ‘Contracts prior 2005’ refers to old Sevillana or Endesa contracts setup when the nominal supply voltage in Spain was set at 220 Volts
the column ‘Contracts after 2005’ refers to new Endesa contracts setup since the nominal supply voltage in Europe was set at 230 Volts
The small difference in energy ratings between old and new contracts is due to the small change in nominal supply voltage. The column on the far right shows the rating of the ‘current limiter’ integrated within the Smart Meter (if fitted), or the rating of the ‘ICP‘ installed in the fusebox (if fitted).
Note: Key for heating / aircon: 
– 1 or 2 units max., 
– complete home system
Click here Endesa Guide to determine Potencia Required for Single-Phase Contract to see the guide in full-screen, then use your ‘Back’ button on your browser to return here.
The energy ratings above are minimum recommendations and apply to single-phase domestic contracts only! Selecting the minimum energy rating may not facilitate simultaneous running of all appliances listed. To guarantee adequate power consider which appliances will be running at the same time and plan to upgrade to the next level if necessary.
Consumers with 3-phase electricity supplies please see my post entitled Determining Potencia for 3-Phase Installations, to be published in the near future!
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New European regulations require the introduction of SMART Meters to “encourage consumers to play an active role in the electricity market and thus improve energy efficiency”! To comply with the relevant Spanish regulations, Real Descreto 1110/2007, Endesa Distribución inaugurated its SMART Grid Operations Centre in October 2010 and between 2011 and 2018 will be replacing an estimated 13 million electricity meters in Spain, for consumers with ‘potencia contratada’ (contracted power) of 15 kW or less.
SMART Meters monitor and control electricity consumption and facilitate other ‘operations’ remotely thanks to the SMART Grid, a state-of-the-art communications system developed jointly by Endesa and Enel who together boast the largest number of SMART Meters installed on a countrywide basis, estimated to be in excess of 38 million.
I originally posted an article on SMART Meters in October 2011 when I first learnt that pilot trials began in Spain that year, with SMART Meters installed in Málaga. Today I know Endesa are in the process of notifying consumers and replacing electricity meters locally in Alhaurín el Grande, Coín, Cártama and Álora, and no doubt everywhere in Spain, for residential consumers and commercial customers contracted at 15KW or less. Be warned, there are implications, see my advice below in reponse to some recent customer enquiries!
The new “SMART” Electricity Meters are replacing traditional electro-mechanical electricity meters, two models: Single-Phase (1x 230 Volts) shown on the left and 3-Phase (3x 230/400 Volts) on the right, not to scale
Read on for more information on the SMART Grid, watch the video and read my answers to some important and frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) (more…)
Winter is here, the time of year I take more ’emergency’ calls than at any other time of year. I have posted this information previously but thought I’d update it and repost. You may want to print this and keep a copy near your fusebox.
If you suffer from ‘nuisance tripping’ or power cuts on a regular basis, and wonder why your neighbours still have electricity? Well, before contacting your electricity provider or your ‘shockingly good’ electrician here are a few tips and tricks that might help. First of all, acquaint yourself with your fuse box, before your next power cut! … you may be glad you did! Do you recognise any of these circuit breakers?
Hopefully you identified most of them! But what do they all do? And what can you do if any of these breakers trip (i.e. switch OFF). Read on to find out!
The next time you lose power in your home, go to the main fuse box, with a torch if necessary and follow these tips and tricks!
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You may have read in recent press that Endesa, and all other electricity suppliers in Spain, are in the process of changing all electricity meters to new digital ‘Smart’ meters by the end of 2018. All thanks to another European directive!
Working alongside Endesa and their sub-contractors as I do, I have known for some time that the new Smart meters are being pilot tested in Málaga and Marbella, however Endesa are now installing Smart meters on ALL new (or upgraded) single-phase supplies in Alhaurín el Grande, Coín and surrounding area.
The Smart meters use ‘telemetry’ technology to send data on electricity consumption back to the supplier via the electricity supply network. The data is collected at the local substation and sent from there via the internet to the billing company. Once you have a Smart Meter installed, Endesa (Cobra) will no longer go out to read your meter. The main advantage to you, the consumer, is no more estimated readings every other month!
What people do not seem to be aware of, is that these new meters also incorporate the functionality of the Interruptor de Control de Potencia (ICP). Once your Smart meter is installed, if you exceed your ‘potencia contratada’ (i.e. energy rating of your contract in Kilowatts) the supply will be disconnected at the meter. The supply can only be reconnected by following a simple procedure at the main fuse box.
No problem then?
Click here to find out (more…)
In the past week I have received 3 calls from people who have problems with 3-phase supplies. These people had received their letter from Endesa, telling them to have their ICP fitted (see previous article Letter from Endesa re ICP). Having duly had their ICPs fitted, these callers are not at all delighted when they discover that they can’t run their washing machine and electric hob at the same time (or other appliances!). In fact one of them is now unable to boil a kettle! In this article I will try to explain why.
Those of you who are considering installing or upgrading to 3-phase may also find this article of use.
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While out and about, trying my best to provide a ‘shockingly good’ service, I ‘m always asked the same questions by my customers. Many of their problems are caused by trying to use more appliances than their supply contract will support. To help understand just what your contract will allow you to use, I have created a Guide to Determine Energy Rating of Electricity Contracts. Use this, and the replies to my ‘frequently asked questions’ below, to determine whether or not you may need to upgrade your contract.
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