To set up utilities in Spain after you buy, you usually take over the existing electricity and water contracts rather than open new ones. Changing the electricity holder (cambio de titular) is free if you keep the same power, and takes 1 to 20 working days. Then sort out insurance, the community of owners and IBI.
What should you sort out in the first month after buying property in Spain?
Five jobs, and most of them need the same three things: a copy of your title deed (escritura), your NIE (the tax identification number for foreigners in Spain, which the lawyers we work with help you get) and a Spanish bank account number.
| Job | Who you deal with | What you need | Cost | How long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity | the energy supplier | deed, NIE, bank account, CUPS supply number from a bill | free if the power stays the same | 1 to 20 working days |
| Water and rubbish | the local water company, the town hall | deed, NIE, bank account, meter reading | depends on the local tariff | depends on the company |
| Home insurance | an insurer | deed, details of the home | depends on the cover | same day |
| Community of owners | the administrator (administrador de fincas) | deed, NIE, bank account, email address | fees set by the community budget | a few days |
| IBI (council tax) | the town hall, or SUMA in Alicante province | deed, NIE, bank account | depends on the town's rate | before the next payment period |
The route to completion itself is in our guide to buying property in Spain from the UK. This checklist starts where that one ends, on the day you get the keys.
Open the Spanish bank account first, because every direct debit below is easier with it. Our guide to a bank account in Spain for non-residents explains how.
How do you change the electricity into your name?
Ask the energy supplier for a change of holder (cambio de titular). If you keep the same contracted power, it costs nothing. You need the CUPS number, the supply point code printed on the seller's bills, plus your own details and bank account. The seller gets a final bill for use up to the change.
Costs appear in three cases:
- Changing the power. Lowering the contracted power costs a flat €9.04 (about £7.55) plus taxes, however many kW you drop. Raising it costs more, charged per kW.
- An expired electrical certificate (boletín eléctrico). It is valid for 20 years. A new one comes from an authorised electrician, and the price is not regulated: Selectra puts the average at about €186 (about £155). You normally need it only for an old installation, or if you want more power than the certificate allows.
- A disconnected supply. Reconnection brings charges from the distribution company.
Once the contract is in your name, look at the tariff. A flat used a few weeks a year pays mostly the fixed daily charge for power, so a lower contracted power cuts the bill all year. Set it too low, though, and the supply trips when several appliances run at once.
Buying a new build? GOV.UK notes that you need the licence of first occupancy (licencia de primera ocupación) from the town hall to connect electricity and water, and that a developer cannot force you to complete without it.
How do you transfer the water and rubbish bills?
Water is run locally, so you change the contract with the town's water company. In Torrevieja that is Agamed, which has a change of holder form among its online services, though not for every town it supplies. The form asks for the contract number and the seller's ID number, so get both from the seller at completion, along with a copy of the deed.
Give the meter reading from the day you got the keys, and keep a dated photo of the meter. It protects you from paying for the seller's last months.
The rubbish collection charge comes either with the water bill or separately, from the town hall or from SUMA. Spain's waste law (Ley 7/2022, article 11) gave councils until April 2025 to bring in a specific charge that covers the real cost of collection. In most towns that use SUMA, the 2026 payment period for the waste charge ran from 5 March to 11 May (the calendar excludes Alicante city, Alcoi, Dénia and Xàbia). Check whose name the bill is in, and make sure it comes to you from the next year.
Do you need home insurance in Spain?
Not by law if you buy in cash. With a Spanish mortgage, yes: the home must be insured against damage, including fire and natural events, for its appraised value without the land, and the insurer is told about the loan. For typical premiums alongside your other yearly bills, see what a holiday home in Spain costs to own.
What a policy for a holiday flat should cover:
- Building and contents (continente and contenido). In a block, ask the administrator what the community policy already covers.
- Liability to neighbours. A leak into the flat below is the classic claim in a block.
- Break-ins. Check how many days in a row the home may stand empty.
- Plumbing and electrical breakdowns, and glass.
- Landlord liability if you plan to let. Letting to holidaymakers needs a licence first, as our post on the tourist licence in Alicante explains.
What happens to the seller's insurance?
Watch this one. Under Spain's insurance contract law, the buyer takes over the seller's policy, with its rights and obligations, on the day of the sale (Ley 50/1980, article 34). The exception is a named policy for non-compulsory cover whose general terms rule the transfer out. The seller must tell you about the policy in writing, and any premiums already due can be claimed from both of you.
If you do not want it, you can cancel by writing to the insurer within 15 days of learning that the policy exists (article 35). So at completion, agree whether the seller's policy carries on or your own starts that day. Otherwise you can end up with two policies, or with a premium you did not choose.
How do you join the community and pay IBI?
Send the community administrator a copy of the deed, your NIE, a bank account for direct debits and an email address for meeting notices. Before completion the seller has to produce a certificate showing the state of the community account. The buyer can waive it, but you should not. If debts slip through, the flat itself answers for the part of the current year already due and the three calendar years before it (Ley de Propiedad Horizontal, article 9). Our guide to community fees in Spain covers the costs and the risks.
IBI is charged to whoever owned the home on 1 January, so the year you buy, the seller normally pays it. Buyer and seller can agree to share it pro rata, so check your contract. Unpaid IBI stays attached to the property, which is why the notary asks about it.
From the next year, IBI is yours. In Alicante province, SUMA Gestión Tributaria collects it for the towns that use it. SUMA's 2026 calendar set the IBI payment period from 27 July to 8 October for the province's towns, except Alicante city and Xàbia. You set up the direct debit once:
- Online, with the CSV security code printed on an original bill.
- By phone on 965 292 000, with the same CSV code. The call must come from the holder of both the bill and the account.
- At a SUMA office, with ID and the IBAN of an account in your name.
You can set it up at any time up to 15 days before the payment period ends. SUMA takes the money in the last days of the period, so keep the account topped up.
Can you pay Spanish bills from a UK bank account?
Often not, and this is where British and Irish owners differ. The EU's SEPA regulation stops a company that collects by direct debit from insisting on an account in a particular member state, but it protects only accounts located in the EU (Regulation 260/2012, article 9). An Irish account is covered. A UK account is outside the EU, so a Spanish supplier does not have to accept it, even in euro.
In practice, a Spanish account is the simple answer for utilities, IBI and the community. It also helps with the non-resident tax return (form 210), which you file every year even if you never let the home. Spain taxes UK residents at 24 per cent and EU or EEA residents, Irish owners included, at 19 per cent; the holiday home costs post above shows the sums.
What should you do with the power and water when the flat is empty?
Leave the electricity on if it runs an alarm or the fridge. Turn the water off at the main valve before every trip home. For internet, you can keep a fixed line for the alarm, or use a mobile router that you switch on only when you are there. Tell your insurer how long the flat stands empty, because cover for break-ins often depends on it.
Can someone do this for you while you are in the UK?
Much of it, yes. Changing the electricity holder and setting up direct debits can usually be done by phone or online. For the rest, someone in Spain needs a power of attorney. Our advice is to come out once in person to see the property, and to sign the power of attorney at a Spanish notary during that visit. You can also sign one in the UK before a notary, then have it legalised with an apostille from the FCDO Legalisation Office, as GOV.UK explains.
We work with lawyers and banks, we help you with each step and we keep an eye on the deadlines.
Frequently asked questions
Can I set up utilities in Spain without a Spanish bank account? Sometimes, but expect pushback with a UK account. EU rules stop Spanish companies refusing an account from another EU country, so an Irish account should work. A UK account is outside the EU and is not covered. A Spanish account is the easiest way to pay utilities, IBI and community fees.
How do I change the name on an electricity bill in Spain? Ask the supplier for a cambio de titular, by phone, at its offices or, with many suppliers, online. Have the CUPS number from a recent bill, your NIE, a copy of the deed and your bank details ready. It is free if you keep the same contracted power, and takes 1 to 20 working days depending on the supplier.
What if the previous owner left unpaid bills? Unpaid community fees and IBI attach to the property, so the new owner can end up paying them. That is why you need the community's no-debt certificate and the last IBI receipt before completion. Unpaid electricity and water normally stay with whoever held the contract, so give a meter reading on the day.
Do you need home insurance in Spain? It is not compulsory for a cash buyer, but it is sensible. With a Spanish mortgage the home must be insured against damage for its appraised value without the land. Remember that the seller's policy passes to you on the day of the sale unless you cancel it in writing within 15 days.
How do I pay IBI in Spain online? In Alicante province most towns collect IBI through SUMA. You can pay online or set up a direct debit with the CSV code on an original bill, by phone or at a SUMA office. In 2026 the payment period ran from 27 July to 8 October. Other towns collect it themselves.
Should I turn off the electricity over winter? Usually not if the home has an alarm or a fridge. Cancelling the contract means reconnection charges later, and sometimes a new electrical certificate. Turn off the water at the main valve instead, and check your insurer's rules on how long the home may stand empty.
Thinking about buying on the Costa Blanca?
Tell us the town you have in mind, and we will tell you what to expect after completion as well as before it. Browse homes for sale in Torrevieja to get a feel for prices. Tripinvest ES is a licensed agency (RAICV 4221) with offices in Torrevieja and Calpe and a head office in London, and we have worked on the Spanish market for over 12 years. Service is in English from the first call to the notary. Our clients don't pay us commission.
General information as of 13 November 2026, not legal or tax advice.
Or call us on +44 20 3888 0008.
Sources
Last checked: November 2026
- BOE, Ley 50/1980 on insurance contracts, articles 34 and 35: boe.es (official)
- BOE, Ley 7/2022 on waste, article 11.3: boe.es (official)
- BOE, Real Decreto Legislativo 2/2004 on local finance (TRLRHL), articles 64 and 75: boe.es (official)
- BOE, Ley 49/1960 on horizontal property (LPH), article 9: boe.es (official)
- BOE, Real Decreto 716/2009 on the mortgage market, article 10: boe.es (official)
- BOE, Real Decreto Legislativo 5/2004 on non-resident income tax, articles 13, 25 and 27: boe.es (official)
- Regulation (EU) No 260/2012 (SEPA), article 9, Official Journal L 94 of 30 March 2012: boe.es (official)
- SUMA Gestión Tributaria, taxpayer calendar 2026: suma.es (official)
- SUMA Gestión Tributaria, direct debit: suma.es (official)
- GOV.UK, Spain: buying and renting property: gov.uk (official)
- GOV.UK, get a document legalised: gov.uk (official)
- European Central Bank, euro foreign exchange reference rates, 13 November 2026 (€1 = £0.83559): ecb.europa.eu (official)
- Agamed, Torrevieja water company, online services: agamed.es
- Selectra, changing the electricity holder, cost and time: selectra.es
- Selectra, changing contracted power: selectra.es
- Selectra, the boletín eléctrico, cost and validity: selectra.es
- Banner photo: Ximonic (Simo Räsänen), "Residential by Calle Ramon Freixa and Calle Matilde Peñaranda in Nueva Torrevieja, Spain, 2022 January", Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0: commons.wikimedia.org. Cropped and darkened, text added. Banner under the same licence.
