Do I need a boletín to change the name on the electricity contract in Spain?

Do you need a boletín to change the name on the contract?

When you buy or rent a home in Spain, one of the first questions is whether you need a boletín (the electrical installation certificate, officially the CIE) to put the electricity in your name. The short answer: if the supply is still active and you change nothing, the change of account holder (cambio de titularidad) is just paperwork with the supplier (comercializadora). The boletín comes into play when the change goes together with something else.

When you usually do not need one

• The supply is active, with a contract in force.
• You keep the same power, or less than the figure on the boletín.
• The installation has not been renovated or extended.

In that case the new account holder requests the change with their details, the supply point code (CUPS) printed on the bill and the meter reading.

When you may be asked for a boletín

• The supply has been cancelled or has been cut off for a while. Then it is no longer a change of name but a new connection (alta), which needs a certificate.
• You want to increase the power above what the existing boletín allows.
• The boletín is old. Distributors work with a practical validity of 20 years and may ask for a new one for the paperwork.
• The installation has been altered without being legalised: a new kitchen, more circuits or a change from single-phase to three-phase.

Who pays and what it costs

Who pays is agreed between buyer and seller, or between landlord and tenant. A boletín for a home has a guide price of 70 to 150 euros plus VAT when the installation complies, and 100 to 300 euros if an old installation first needs bringing up to standard.

How to do it without surprises

1. Ask the seller or landlord for the latest bill and, if they have it, the boletín.
2. Check the date of the boletín and the power it allows.
3. If you will need more power, for example for an induction hob or an EV charger, raise it now so you only go through the paperwork once.
4. If the installation is old, a prior inspection will tell you what needs fixing before anyone asks.

When to call an electrician

When the supplier or the distributor asks for the certificate, or when you want to use the change to increase your power. In Seville, Spain, we issue the electrical certificate (boletín) and handle contracted power increases.