No, not at all. There is no cost to use our service and switching involves no charges and no change in equipment or interruption in power. It is 100% Free!

To switch you would need to refer to either a bill or contract that you have from your current supplier which contains all the important information about your supply:

– Your full name and ID (NIE)

– Your postal address

– The supply address, as written on your bill or contract

– The name and ID of the current contract holder, as written on your bill or contract

– CUPS number, a unique code headed with “ES” followed by 20 characters

– Your payment details, IBAN number only

In some instances your current supplier may have removed some of this information from you bill, this is a tactic to delay you from switching companies. Without this information you are unable to switch to any company through us or any other channel.
If this is the case, and you have no old bills or a contract that show the above details, please contact your current supplier and request a bill disclosing all the missing information.

We are here to help, call us and we will discuss your options.

If you are unsure which deal or supplier is best for you, at Si Compare we offer you are totally free and 100% unbiased assessment of your bill.

Simply send a copy of your bill, both the front and back page, and we will study your energy habits and along with your current price, compare the market for you. We will get back to you with the best available price and tariff options that would best suit you.

If the price you are paying is unbeatable at this point in time, we will let you know. Unlike speaking to brokers or energy supply companies directly, our assessment is free, unbiased and with no commitment.

Please send your bill to energy@sicompare.com along with your name and preferred contact number or method.

Unfortunately you would have to find either an old bill or contract to switch as all the important information you require to switch suppliers, or change your contract with your current supplier, is provided on your contract or on your bill.
If you do not have either you must contact your current energy supply company and request they send you a copy.

It is a common complaint among many people in Spain that they have stopped receiving bills or never received a bill from the start. This can be down to a number of factors, the main one being most energy supply companies now send invoices and correspondence electronically. If they do not have your correct contact information they have nowhere to send the information.

Yes.

As long as you have a bill or contract that either yourself or the previous owner received, then all the information that you require to switch would be available. It is possible to change the name of the contract holder when you switch suppliers.

If you have no bills or a contract and can not contact your energy supply company, get in touch with us and we will be more than happy to assist.

Yes.

In Spain you have the freedom to switch to a different energy supply company for your electricity no matter your location.

Many people are unaware that they can switch suppliers in Spain or think that changing the energy company is complex and therefore do not consider it. However, it is very simple with no change in the lines or meter and switching generally equates to great savings per year on your energy bill.

To compare and switch, simply enter your details on our web form, compare deals, choose and switch the supplier and tariff of your choice. We will submit your information to the new company and your application will be processed and completed generally within 4 to 6 weeks.

Yes.

The majority of energy supply companies supply electricity to both the Balearic and Canary Islands. You may find that your choice is very slightly more limited to mainland Spain, however we will display all your options once you have provided your postcode.

To compare and switch, simply enter your details on our web form, compare the deals, choose and switch the supplier and tariff of your choice. We will submit your information to the new company and your application will be processed and completed generally within 4 to 6 weeks.

No.

You do not have to be at the property or be in Spain to switch your property energy supply company.

There is no physical change with any equipment such as the lines or meter and nobody needs to visit your property. It would make no difference whether you were in Spain, South Africa or Australia, the switch would take place with the same ease regardless of where you are.

Absolutely.

You would be able to save on your energy bills in the same way as if you were the home owner. It is advised that you check with your landlord/lady or rental agency that you are have permission to do so as in some rare cases it is not allowed as per rental contract.

This is very common, especially for those that have holiday homes in Spain to rely on their asesoria or estate/ rental agent to look after the energy bills and other expenses. However the price each client pays is not monitored as this is not part of the service they provide.

If you are having your bills handled by a third party we highly recommend you carry out a comparisons for personally, if you do not have a bill, request they send you one so that you can see the savings for yourself.

No.

You will only be billed once for the energy you use. You would receive the final meter reading and bill from your current supplier which would coincide with the last day of their supply before the new energy supply company started.

The meter readings will not allow two different energy supply companies to bill you at the same time for the same billing period.

There are a number of different companies involved in getting power to you home. Understanding how they are involved, will give you a better understanding of the energy market in Spain:

1. Companies focused on the production of the electricity: These are the companies that are responsible for generating electricity through facilities such as nuclear power plants, hydroelectric plants, tidal power, wind & solar plants, etc. The energy is then sold to companies that are authorised to sell it commercially.

2. Companies dedicated to the transport of electricity: they are responsible for transmitting electric power from the power plants, through the network, the national grid. Its main mission is the management, maintenance and repair of the national high voltage infrastructure. Currently, Red Electrica de Espana (REE) are solely responsible for the electric infrastructure in Spain.

3. Companies focused on distribution: the distributor (distribudora) is responsible for moving the electricity from the substations network to customers. In addition, they are responsible for maintaining the security of the electricity supply and for the ownership and reading of the meters of the consumer. The distributor can not be chosen by the consumer as they are granted set locations and therefore the location of your property will dictate your distributor.

4. Companies that sell electricity commercially: these energy supply companies take charge of buying and selling electricity for their clients, the consumer. The energy supply company is responsible for the prices we pay and the customer service we receive and acting on any contractual changes you may need to make for supply. You can choose an energy supply company of your choice.

No, absolutely not.

This is a very common misconception. The level of power that is fed through the national network/ grid has no relation to the energy supply company that you are contracted to. The energy supply company are only responsible for your customer service, billing and act on any contractual changes you may need in relation to your supply. All maintenance of the lines and meter is all handled and controlled by the distributor.

No, not for a second.

You will have no interruption in your supply, the switch is simple. Your electricity and/ or gas service will not be cut, your meter will remain the same and nobody visits your home. It is completely seamless

On your electricity bill, you will find that the total bill is the sum of the following:

1. The contracted power (potencia), this is the fixed price you pay for having a required number of Kilowatts (Kw) of energy available to your home. This is an independent cost to how much energy you consume.

2. The energy consumed (energia consumida), refers to the electricity that you have consumed during the billing period which is reflected in your meter readings, expressed in kilowatt hours (Kwh).

3. The electricity tax (impuesto de electricidad) applied to only the contracted power and energy consumption total.

4. The meter rental (alquilar de equipos de medida y control), this is a small daily charge for the meter rental, the cost does not change regardless of the energy company you use.

5. Value Added Tax, VAT (IVA Impeusto sobre el Valo anadido or IGIC for the Canary Islands) is the tax added to all aspects of the bill and set by the goverment.

6. Additional charges (otros conceptos) may also be present, these can include; contract changes to your supply, such as changing your contracted power level, applying a night and day rate, insurance, bono social contributions and late payment interest charges. For further information about your bill please refer to our “Understand you Invoice” page.

We have carefully hand picked the suppliers we display following our due-diligence in their workings as to ensure that we offer only the highest quality in service and price for our users.

In some instances we found energy supply companies charging up-front deposits, unlisted costs, prices that were variable without real-time comparison to the market prices and customer service that was not meeting a standard we believe should be achieved.

Our aim is to provide our users with a simple, reliable and a service of a high standard, if the energy supply companies that we display do not follow our standards, it reflects negatively on the service we offer.

Should you believe that an energy supply company has been overlooked and would like to see it listed on our site, please feel welcome to contact us and let us know.

It is official and the changes apply to all properties across Spain as of the 1st of June 2021. The changes apply to all customers, both on the free market and the regulated market. Among the biggest changes, the new regulations introduce new time discrimination schedules and price structures for both the Potencia/ Contracted Power (kW) and the Energy Consumption (€/kWh) rates. For a detailed explanation of the structures and time schedules, please click here.

Our comparison website uses the information you provide in the compare form to estimate how much your energy bill would be if you had another rate or supplier. Once we know small details like your average energy yearly consumption, your postcode and if the energy supply is for a home or a business, we are able to estimate your energy bill based on the prices other suppliers have.

Please note the yearly price for a deal provided on our comparison is only an estimation and it will entirely depend on the energy consumption you have.

The “potencia” or contracted power is the amount of power in kilowatts (Kw) that a client agrees to contract with the electricity company. The amount of power required will depend on the number and size of electrical appliances that you have: the greater your energy needs, the greater the contracted power must be. It is the maximum amount of power that you can obtain at any given time with all the appliances working at the same time.

This number is adjustable and can be changed should you require. This is moved in set levels and for making these adjustments the distributor will charge a fee for any amendments.

This is the cost of the energy consumed: what we pay for the kilowatt per hour (€/Kwh). It is the non-fixed part of your energy bill, and it basically translates to how much energy you have actually used in the billing period.

The energy consumed rate is the price at which the energy companies sell the electricity to the customers and that is defined in the contract that each consumer signs with his or her company. In the case of consumers who have a regulated tariff (PVPC), this cost is determined by the prices of electricity in the energy market and charged accordingly, hourly and daily.

The “facturacion por peajes de acceso” is the access toll charge. This is a charge for the use of the distribution network. This charge is included within both the power capacity (potencia) price (€/Kw) and the energy consumption price (€/Kwh). This charge is usually hidden, however in some invoices may show a break-down of this charge for your reference only. When comparing prices this charge will always be included, unless otherwise specified.

If you are experiencing interruptions in power with the power tripping at the meter, especially at times when you are running a number of electrical appliances at a time, it would be more than beneficial looking at increasing the contracted power (potencia) level up. This will come at a cost charged by the distributor and will show on your bill provided by the energy supply company. The cost is calculated by each Kilowatt (Kw) increased plus a service fee. Take note, increasing the contracted power will increase the cost of your bills.

Lowering the contracted power may be of benefit too as this could reduce the cost of your bills. For example, if you have recently installed solar or, new and more energy efficient air conditioning units or boiler, the chances are you would not require the same higher level of contracted power as beforehand. Lowering the level will also come at a cost, charged by the distributor. To understand the costs and change the level, you are required to contact your energy supply company.

However, it is important to be sure of which level of contracted power you require, as you can only change it once every twelve months. If you are unsure, many energy supply companies have a contracted power calculator (calculadora de potencia) on their website. Enter how many appliances you have in your property and it will calculate the required amount for you.

It is possible to work it out at home yourself too, grab a note pad and pen and take note of how many kilowatts of power each of your main electrical appliances require when running. Remember that the total is not necessarily the amount you require, as the level only needs reflect the amount required when you have a certain number of appliances working. It is not usual to have every appliance running at the same time so your requirement will be less.

No, and there would be no advantages to change in any case.

The distributor is set to where you live in Spain. They are only responsible for the servicing of the lines and meter. The price that you pay for your energy would not alter either as it is the energy supply company who sets your price. For example; if you move from Barcelona to Malaga the distributor would change, you then use the same energy supply company as before, the price you pay would remain the same as it had been in Barcelona.

Yes.

It is possible to have one supplier for gas and a separate supplier for the electricity.

Many suppliers offer discounts if you contract both gas and electric them, however, following our market research if this has not been researched in the last 12 months, the discount you receive may not give you the best price available from other suppliers or by possibly contracting the gas and electricity with different energy supply companies.

On your gas bill, you will find that the total bill is the sum of the following:

1. The termino fijo gas, (fixed term) is the amount you pay, the volume in m3 by the Kw price per day. It is calculated by the number of days in the billing period. This is an independent cost to how much energy you consume.

2. The consumo gas/ termino energia gas, (energy consumed), refers to the gas that you have consumed during the billing period which is reflected in your meter readings, expressed in kilowatt hours (Kwh).

3. The hydrocarbons tax (impuesto especial sobre hidrocarburos) applied to only the energy consumption total.

4. The meter rental (alquilar de contador/ equipos gas), this is a small daily charge for the meter rental.

5. Value Added Tax, VAT (IVA Impeusto sobre el Valo anadido or IGIC for the Canary Islands) is the tax added to all aspects of the bill and set by the goverment.

6. Additional charges (otros conceptos) may also be present, these can include; discounts and service charges. For further information about your bill please refer to our “Understand you Invoice” page.

No, they are different.

There is one CUPS for electricity and one CUPS for gas, they are individually unique for both.

To switch supply companies you would be required to find your CUPS number from either old bills, a contract or by contacting your current supplier. It would not be possible to switch without this information, either through our website or any other possible channel.

This will depend on how long ago you switched suppliers or changed your tariff with your current supplier.

It is more common for energy supply companies to offer contracts without permanency, a binding term, “sin permanencia”, so it is more than likely you are free to switch. However to avoid any possible cancellation or early departure fees, there are a couple of ways to recognise whether you are in a contract with permanency (permanencia);

If you have a copy of the contract from the energy supply company it will specify if there is a minimum contract period.

In general if your home has been supplied its energy by the same company for more than 12 consecutive months you should have completed the initial one year binding term and be free to switch, unless you recently signed up to a new contract.

Please also note that on your bill in the contract information section it will display something similar to “end of supply contract” or “fecha fin del contracto de suministro”, this date is not specifically the end of the contract date that you have with your energy supply company. This date automatically rolls over for a further 12 months once you reach the given date, it does not confirm a binding contract period.

Should you be unsure, we suggest you contact your energy supply company for confirmation or contact us and we will be more than happy to assist.

Users with a contracted power (potencia) of less than 10kW have 2 market options:

1. Regulated Market; The Voluntary Small Consumer Price (PVPC), (formally known as TUR), in which the price paid by the consumer depends on the prices reached in the electricity market, hourly and daily. This complex price curve would be applied to you billing. This market is aimed at consumers who do not mind assuming certain instability caused by the volatility of the price of electricity in the market. This market can only be provided by certain authorised energy companies.

2. Free market: The more favoured free market offers a fixed price set by the energy company throughout the year, eliminating the instability of the PVPC and giving you peace of mind as you know how much each KWh will cost you as set by the contract.

No, definitely not.

The price you pay per unit for your electricity does not alter regardless of whether you have a mono or 3 phase set up.

The only difference is the actual installation of the wiring. In simple terms, you will see that you are on 3 phase installation by observing the 3 live cables leaving your meter, mono phase would only have the one live cable from the meter to the fuse box.

Do your homework first.

Unlike the cost of shoes for example it is not easy to calculate the difference in price from one energy supply company to another because of your neighbour or a friend who pays less, even if you have identical houses.

Comparing the cost of your energy is similar to comparing the cost of your phone bill, i.e. you wouldn’t know all the calls that are being made by your neighbour, or to where.

It comes down to how much energy you consume, having the correct contracted power, when you use it and which appliances you have that are requiring the energy.

If you would like a free and non biased assessment of your bill, please send it to energy@sicompare.com and one of our highly experienced and knowledgeable members of the team will get back to you with the best options available.

We have aimed to provide you with the most common and sought after questions and apologise if you are looking for an answer that has not been covered. If you have a query please contact us and a member of our team will get back to you in response.