FAQ
How do I know if a power cut is my fault or the electricity company's in Spain?
The fault belongs to the electricity company if your neighbours have no power either, the street has gone dark or the meter is off for no reason: then the distributor, which in Seville is e-distribución, repairs it. If your neighbours have power and the fault starts in your fuse box or your line, the fault is yours.
Where the company’s network ends and yours begins
To know whether a fault is yours or the electricity company’s, it helps to know the route electricity takes to your socket:
- Distributor’s network and service connection (acometida): they reach the building’s main fuse box (CGP). They belong to the distributor.
- Building service installations: main fuse box, main supply line and meter room. They belong to the comunidad (owners’ association).
- Meter: normally owned by the distributor.
- Individual riser cable (derivación individual) and your fuse box: the line from your meter to your fuse box and everything after it are your installation.
Clues to whose fault it is
| What you see | Most likely |
|---|---|
| No power in the street or the whole building | Network fault: distributor |
| No power in the stairwell or garage, your home fine | Communal installation: comunidad |
| Only your home, something down in the fuse box | Your fault |
| Only your home, everything up in the fuse box | Meter, ICP or your riser cable |
| Dim or flickering lights in several homes | Network or the building’s neutral |
The smart meter gives you clues
The digital smart meter includes the ICP, which cuts out when you exceed your contracted power. If the power went when you switched on several appliances and everything in your fuse box is up, switch some off and wait for it to restore. If the meter is completely off and your neighbours’ meters work, call the distributor.
Who to call in each case
- Distributor: when the fault is in the network or the meter. The fault number is on your bill. Note this is not the same as the supplier (comercializadora), the company you have the contract with and that bills you for energy. When the fault is in its network, the repair is at the distributor’s expense.
- Property administrator or community president: when the stairwell, entrance or garage fails.
- Electrician: when the fault is in your riser cable, your fuse box or your circuits.
If the network has damaged your appliances
A voltage surge from the network or a broken neutral can damage appliances. RD 1955/2000 regulates the distributor’s quality of supply, and to claim you will want a technical report establishing the cause. Take photos, keep the damaged appliances and do not throw them away before a technician sees them.
When to call an electrician
Call if only your home is without power and the fuse box gives no answer, or if you suspect the riser cable. In Seville, Spain we help as a 24-hour emergency electrician and, for communal faults, through homeowners’ associations. More answers in our FAQ.
Related services
Power cut at home
No electricity in your apartment while the neighbours still have lights? Then the fault is in your part of the installation: the riser cable from the meter, the fuse board (consumer unit) or a joint. We find the cause, whether the whole home is dark or only half of it, and repair it.
New electricity connection
We manage your new electricity connection in Seville, Spain from start to finish: the boletín (electrical installation certificate) for the connection, the application to the distributor, energising the supply and, if needed, a new service connection. Whether you are moving into a new home or bringing back a supply that was cut off, we handle the paperwork and the coordination with e-distribución.
Communal electrical faults 24 h
We provide communal electrical fault repair in Seville, Spain at any hour, because a fault in the building leaves the staircase in the dark, the garage without light or the entrance without an intercom. We find the cause, repair it and, if the fault comes from the grid, handle the report to the distribution company.
Related questions
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What should I do if my RCD has tripped and will not reset?
What is the difference between an RCD (diferencial) and an MCB (magnetotérmico)?
Why does the power go off when I use the oven and hob at the same time?
What should I do if the power goes off at home in Spain?
Why do I get an electric shock from the shower tap (faucet)?
Need an electrician in Seville, Spain?
Call us or send a WhatsApp message with a photo of the job. You get a fixed quote before any work starts.