Electricity & Water Charges

HI Shadow if you PM Spanish Inquisition he should be able to answer your Q. Seem to recall that it is 200€ to contract the water supply not sure on leccy but got an idea it is simply a quation of changing the account name although most lawyers will charge you for this if they do it for you.

Rgds

Hi Smiley

Thanks for your help.  You really are a mind full of information!!

We took over our show apartment in Marbella 6 weeks ago and stayed there for 10 days, all utilities had already been connected by the developer who agreed to pay the bills until electricity/water and been transferred into our name.  Our Spanish lawyer contacted us today to say that the water contract would cost us 750 euros, which came as a shock.   We don't know the name of the water company but can anyone suggest utility companies to deal with?  Is this charge in line with other people's experience?

Hi Ozzie sounds to me like youre being rooked if its 750 for water - normally about 200€ with Aguagest. 750€!!! Daylight robbery unless you are being charged for water usage by the developer before the contract was put in your name or your lawyer was charging you an extortionate fee for setting contracts uo for you  just for the reason you dont know better. Tell your brief you wnat a breakdown and to see the bill from the water company itemising how the charge is so high.

Utilities basically are monopolies here, you don't get a choice.

I believe Sevillana Endesa cover all Andalucia for electric (could be wrong). We paid €150 to connect 3 years ago, this included €30 fianza, which is a deposit on your meter. (This is theoretically refundable, but since you are unlikely to return the meter when selling the property on, you might as well write it off!) It's possible to buy your meter, in which case you won't have to pay rental charges on it on every subsequent bill. Don't know how much it costs, so can't tell you whether it's worth it or not. We have a 5.5kw supply, which is more than adequate for the type of appliances we use. It is possible to request less if you think you don't need it, and you will pay a little less in standing charges in this case. For example, 3.3kw would be more than ample for a studio probably.

At the same time, we contracted our water with Astosam. Each municipality has it's own provider. We paid €42 to connect, plus €54 fianza. The cost may be calculated according to how many bogs & basins you have, maybe on the size of your drains. Perhaps Ozzie lives in a palace with gold taps and pipes you can park the Rolls in?

I see no reason to pay anyone to get these services connected - it's really not difficult. Just go to the relevant offices with a copy of your title deed, the obligatory ID, spare photcopies of every piece of paper you can find, and most importantly, the boletins from the developer, which he should provide you with as soon as the First Occupation Licence has been issued.

If you are buying a resale property, there may be a charge for changing the name on the contracts (i.e transferring the existing contracts into your name). Many people don't bother, and just change the name on the billing address. I think it is advisable to make sure the contract is in your name

In our area there is a charge of €12 to change the electric contract into a new owners name. I'm not sure what the charge for changing a water contract is. Also, in our municipality, if you are registered on the electoral role (empadronamiento) you are eligible for a significant discount on water and rubbish rates. This has been challenged in the European Courts as unfair to non-resident property owners, but since anyone owning a property can register on the electoral role, it still stands. The council did this partly to encourage more people to sign up, since the more people registered, the more dosh they get from central govt. (and the more dosh they can then embezzle, rather than improve the infrastructure!)

If its' any help, we paid €75 connection for Electric and €50 for water.

Be careful though, as our builder charged us, which we paid, then both utility companies charged us again on our first bills.

I took ages to get the money back off the builder.

Rgds,

Hi everyone,

We were charged €1000 at the notary in November 2006 for the change from builders supply to ours,this was combined water and electric.Our bank manager and legal advisor said this was normal.  

       Brian

We've been given a bill, payable when we move in, for 901 euros for the following:

       Obtaining the electrical installation bulletin
       Supplying of water and electricity contracts and meters and connections
       Licence for connecting to the water network and contract
       Licence for connecting to sewage
       Registration with the local rates department
       Certificate of Habitation
       Management expenses
Seems fair to me                      

This is becoming an interesting thread, particularly I would think for anyone who is yet to complete on a new property. I admit to having limited experience, but look at the figures that Fibby and I paid, then look at what Brian & Helen and Bobaol are being charged. Seems a bit of an anomaly to me.

Bobaol, it looks to me like your developer (or lawyer) is just making up things to charge you for. I would check your contract carefully to find out why you are being charged for the boletins (bulletins), registration at rates dept., and especially Certificate of Habitation. Is your property part of an urbanization, or have you built an independent dwelling on your own land? And management expenses? Management of what, exactly?

I am reading more and more about the builders making these charges just lately.

Certainly when we completed in 2003 this was not the normal procedure.

I wonder if this is a new thing, or a "scam" to get more money out of buyers?

I think Maria de Castro should be consulted on this subject, contact her, she is a font of knowledge on EOS.

Rgds,

Hi Everyone

Thank you all for your replies on water charges.  I have contacted the developers who say that they have had other buyers

complaining about this charge and are looking into it, so we will wait to see!  For the lady who mentioned Ocean Pines

(Benhavis) previously, we are about to travel out again next  Thursday 9/3/07 so will post another report  on this site when

we return.

ozzie 

Whoops I am a thicko.  Didn't stick the decimal point in.  Charge is €90 point 1. That is 90.10 euros.  Aren't I silly??

Sorry bout that.

Brian & Helen - CHECK YOUR DECIMAL PLACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bob - now we all know why health care is so expensive - not only can doctors not write legibly, they multiply everything by 10!

Wish i was missing a decimal point,but it was one thousand euros withdrawn from our bank by the manager who took it to the notary and handed it over for the water and electric,it shows on our bank statement as a cash withdrawl at counter.

When anybody else gets their keys for El rincon,Costa  Blanca, will you post and let us know how much you paid for your transfer of utilities cos i would love to get a massive refund.

               Cheers Brian

Hi All

I started a thread but pleased to see, thanks to Fibby, that the same thread is already in discussion.

Reading the content these charges seem to be a builders 'perk' as they appear to be random.

Just for information, my completion statement shows 985 Euros for Water connection, 556.80 Euros for Electricity connection and 750 Euros for 6 months advance use of both Water and Electricity. My solicitor is seeking copies of  the documentation served on the builder by the utility companies.  I guess we might be at the property a maximum of 6 weeks over that initial 6 month period so either the builder thinks we have a hygiene problem or my wifes a mermaid!

Needless to say we won't be paying these amounts.

Just as an aside and possibly another thread.......720 Euros for 'receiving an occupancy licence'  Does this mean I am paying for my own habitation certificate?     Mind boggling!!!!