ICP (interruptor de control de potencia)

What the ICP does

The ICP watches the total of everything you have switched on. If that total goes over your contracted power (potencia contratada), it cuts power to the whole house. It is the episode most newcomers live through in their first week: everything goes off, you unplug the kettle, you wait for the meter. It used to be a separate device next to the fuse box, sealed by the company. With the smart meter, the power control function sits inside the meter itself, so you often cannot see it.

ICP and IGA are not the same

Both leave the house in the dark, but they do different things:

• The ICP responds to your contract. It cuts out when you exceed the contracted power, even if the wiring could take more.
• The IGA responds to your installation. It is the main MCB in your fuse box and cuts out for overload or short circuit to protect the cables.

A practical clue: if every lever in your fuse box is still up when the power goes, the ICP in the meter has probably acted.

How to reset it

Switch off the biggest loads (oven, hob, air conditioning, water heater) and wait for the meter to restore the supply: depending on the model it does so by itself after a moment or when you press its button. Then switch appliances back on one at a time.

When to raise your power

If the ICP trips often with normal use, your contracted power is too low. Raising it may require checking the riser cable and the IGA and issuing a boletín. See increase contracted power in Seville, Spain.