Electricity, water, IBI, refuse and community
Utilities and household bills from abroad
A bounced bill turns into a debt with a surcharge
Utilities and local taxes are the dullest part of owning a house here, and the fastest to go wrong when nobody checks the letterbox. The problem is almost never paying: it is finding out.
What you get
- Change of holder on electricity and water, with the CUPS traced and without cutting the supply.
- IBI and refuse tax set up on direct debit from your account, and a check that the first charge goes through.
- A review of the past year's bills: impossible consumption, obsolete tariffs and too much contracted power.
- A same-day warning if a bill bounces, and what to do before the surcharge starts.
- Your data on one sheet: who invoices what, when, and into which account.
Why this matters now
A bounced municipal bill does not sit still: it moves into enforcement, and the General Tax Act adds a surcharge that starts at 5 % and reaches 20 % plus interest depending on when it is paid. Changing the holder of electricity or water, by contrast, is free at the supplier. In other words: the money is not lost in the procedure, it is lost in the silence between the bounced bill and the day somebody notices.
What this service is NOT
We are not an energy retailer and we take commission from none of them: if switching supplier suits you we will say so, but nobody pays us to say it, and we do not sign supply contracts in your name. Nor do we pay your bills with our money: the direct debit goes from YOUR account. And we do not touch the installation: if an electrical certificate is needed, an authorised installer signs it.
Questions about this service
I bought the house and everything is still in the previous owner's name. Is that serious?
It is commoner than it looks and yes, it causes trouble: you cannot report a fault on a contract that is not yours, and if the previous holder closes their bank account you lose your electricity. It is the first thing we do after a purchase.
Are you going to switch my electricity company?
Only if you ask. We read your bill and tell you what you are overpaying, with numbers. But we have no arrangement with any retailer and are not paid to sign you up: if you switch, you switch yourself.
What about the community fee?
We set up the direct debit the same way, but the community has its own rules and its own administrator. If there is a special levy or an old debt, that belongs to the owners' meeting service, and we say so rather than mixing it in here.
The other services
The other areas
This page was last checked on 4 September 2026
Responsible for this content Sullivan Benedetto · Torrevieja (Alicante), España
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