UTILITY board Iberdrola has signed a deal agreeing not to cut off the electricity where hard-pressed pensioners cannot pay their bills.
An agreement with the Democratic Union of Pensioners and Retirees (UPD), which is run by pensioners as well as for them, says affected customers should obtain a report from them certifying they are not earning enough to cover their power costs.
Face-to-face consultations and advice on fuel-saving and bill restructure will also be offered to UPD pensioners, even if they are able to pay but finding it a struggle to make ends meet.
The UPD, a non-profit association, also offers financial help for retirees with severe money troubles.
Chairman of UPD, Luis Martín Pindado, says he has been pleasantly surprised at Iberdrola's generosity.
“There are so many people in Spain, pensioners included, who have to put up with being freezing cold in winter because they cannot afford heating,” Martín explains.
He recalls that many pensioners 'exist on less than €600 a month', and that even those who are higher earners have been forced to become a 'safety net' for their younger relatives.
Their children, often with their sons- and daughters-in-law in tow, and frequently grandchildren too, have had to move back home in many cases, meaning pensioners often have to support three generations out of their monthly income.
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