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To the northern European eye, the Spanish sunshine and way of life seems idyllic, and
many people, the Spanish in particular, would argue that countries like the UK and Ireland could learn a thing or two from their Mediterranean neighbours. Whilst this is undoubtedly true, it is
also undoubtedly true that they would not be talking about their country's love of paperwork and red tape, often seen as an impenetrable mass of illogical forms and processes.
Actually it's not
that bad - but when in a different language, anything can seem difficult, so in this month's newsletter, we talk about the key utilities and how to get them.
Firstly, as an Advanta Homes customer,
getting the bills put into your own name, and getting the direct debit set up, is all part of the service, so there is no need to worry - but read on anyway, seeing as we've bothered writing it.
Mains natural gas is an easy one - it doesn't exist, at least not outside the main towns and cities, so for country property owners (and many older properties even inside the city limits), having
piped gas is simply not an option. Gas is still widely used, but it is bought in bottles from Cepsa or Repsol service stations (about 9 Euros a time), or delivered to your door if preferred.
To open an account, just visit the local service station (don't forget proof of address, NIE and photo ID) and explain that you need to buy a butane bottle (butano). They will open an account for you (this will cost about another 9 Euros per bottle) and someone will first come to inspect the appliance to ensure that it is safe. After that, it's plain sailing.
The other option with gas is to get a single large reservoir which is then topped up as required by a gas tanker. This looks like a huge butane canister and can be an economical way of using gas,
but only really worthwhile if you intend using a lot of the fuel.
Mains electricity is available almost everywhere in Spain which has a generally very good and reliable system - British
appliances, including TVs and videos, work without any alteration required (except for changing the plug).
Electricity is supplied by Iberdrola and bills are sent every couple of months. If your property doesn't have mains, you have a number of options.
Getting hooked up to the mains can vary
greatly in terms of cost, time and complexity.
Really, it all depends where the nearest transformer is. If it's close by, then getting connected is a fairly simple and painless exercise - if it isn't, then it all depends on how far away it is and how many other people are currently connected or would like to be. This only usually occurs in quite remote locations, and many people manage quite happily on generators, or more usually with solar panels - in fact, considering the amount of free sunshine available, it is quite normal to have solar panels AND mains, and sell the surplus electricity back to Iberdrola.
Mains water is widely available and of drinking quality, though many people prefer to buy mineral water as, although the tap water is perfectly safe, it can sometimes be heavily
chlorinated. Each area has a different water company, and bills are sent at varying frequencies, depending on the supplier - as with electricity, Advanta will change over all names and bank details
on your behalf.
There are still areas without mains water, though it is now necessary for councils to address this and most properties will have a date when they can expect mains to become
available. If mains is not an option at this point in time, the property will usually have one or more large storage tanks which are filled by a tanker - even properties which do have mains often
have a storage reserve anyway, it's always good to have a back up if there's a drought in the long summer months.
Some properties also have natural wells, and whilst we would encourage you to get
the contents analysed before using, if your house has a well, then good luck - take advantage of it, and make sure you make good use of this free and valuable resource.
Another common
feature in Spanish country properties is irrigation water. This is cheap untreated water used for watering the land (and filling swimming pools). This is collected in mountain reservoirs from
rainfall and natural springs and distributed around the countryside in large old pipes.
Some houses have meters for irrigation water, for others it is necessary to request an hour's water (which is plenty). Irrigation water costs about 10c per cubic metre.
The telephone is
still not as widely used in Spain as in the UK and other northern countries. This is probably partly because of the Spanish culture of the whole community gathering in the evenings in the town
squares and other public spaces to chat, and also partly because most Spanish people will live in extended families and so not feel isolated and in the need of a telephone. These days, though, it's
also because almost everyone has a mobile phone so doesn't really need a landline.
Telefonica, the national company, is now faced with stiff competition.
Companies like Ono offer the full range of telephone, broadband Internet and cable TV without needing any kind of Telefonica line or contract. Other companies, like Wanadoo and Jazztel, offer the same but it is necessary to first have a Telefonica telephone line.
If your property doesn't have a line, you can request one by dialing 1004.
Wait for the recorded message to go silent and then shout "ingles" (eeen-glaze) until someone speaks to you in English. They will take your name, NIE, address and bank details and give you a reference number. They will tell you that someone will get back to you within ten days - once that time is up, and you have heard nothing, just call back, and ask for an update. Eventually you'll get a phone.
If you cannot get a landline, you can insist (you are legally entitled) but it might be a battle.
A very viable alternative is a radio phone, if possible get a digital one as not only is the box much smaller, but you can get the Internet over it. A further option is a satellite phone - this is quite expensive to buy initially (a few thousand) but afterwards very cheap for phonecalls and Internet.
If you have any further questions about getting switched on in Spain, please feel free to contact us and we'll do our best to answer all your queries.
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