The electrical installation, and everything that comes with it, is by far the most overlooked subject when people purchase property in Spain.
Many potential buyers assume that the electrical installation is comparable to what they know from Northern Europe. Unfortunately, that assumption is wrong in most cases.
This is especially true for country houses (casas de campo), rural properties, and homes located in remote urbanisations. Many of these properties were built decades ago, long before today’s electrical standards and long before modern households required large amounts of electricity.
Some properties are not even connected to the public electricity grid and operate entirely off-grid, using solar panels, batteries and generators.
But also appartments in communal buidings can still lack the amount of power that is required to have the living standards people are used to in their own country.
Understanding the infrastructure and available options before you buy is therefore essential.
One 16 amp circuit is surprisingly common
One of the biggest surprises for foreign buyers is the available electrical supply.
Many rural homes still have nothing more than a 3300 watt connection, often supplying the entire property through a single circuit. To give you a proper idea of what that’s like: One oven needs all of that, and so does charging a plug-in hybrid vehicle.
This was perfectly adequate when the house only powered a few lightbulbs and perhaps a radio. It is worth mentioning that many of these casas de campo were originally not built for permanent living, but as weekend or seasonal family retreats. As a result, for a long time there was little need for appliances such as washing machines or other high-consumption equipment.
How many kW do I need in a Spanish home? Use the calculator on this page to work it out.
Running several appliances simultaneously can easily overload the available capacity, which may be dangerous due to overheating of the existing wiring. What is potencia contratada (contracted power)? The total maximum power you can draw from the grid. In Spain the contracted power is handled differently than in the northern countries in Europe. It is simply a setting in the software inside the gridmeter. If you use too much, the meter will disconnect you, and you need to reset it inside the meterbox.
In many cases the contracted power can be increased, but this is rarely a simple administrative procedure. What does it cost to increase your power supply in Spain? On average between €300 and €750. An increase almost always involves obtaining a new certificate for your installation. Upgrading the electrical supply often requires technical modifications, inspections, paperwork and approval by the electricity company. This can be done by any certified electrician. Depending on the location, the process may take weeks or even months. Sometimes the grid itself needs an upgrade, and part of the costs for that might be charged to the consumer.
If you want to know if a grid upgrade is possible at your new Spanish home, Fill in our contact form, send us an email or ask it directly through Whatsapp.
Even modern installations often require substantial upgrades
Besides limited electrical capacity, many older properties also have outdated electrical systems. They lack enough leakage protection, of have bad earthing (grounding).
In practice, this means that the installation may not be suitable for modern living. Think of using multiple appliances at the same time, installing air conditioning, or running equipment such as washing machines and similar high-consumption appliances — all things that place higher demands on the system.
For buyers, the key takeaway is simple: you may need to invest in improving the electrical installation after purchase.
This can range from relatively small adjustments to a more extensive upgrade of the system, and in some cases even a complete rewiring of the property, depending on the condition of the installation and your intended use.
Can i get three phase power in Spain?
It depends on the location of your property. In remote areas and some villages, there’s a good chance that three-phase power from the grid isn’t available. Unlike many newly built urban properties, obtaining three-phase electricity (400V) in rural Spain is often impossible or incredibly expensive. The grid simply isn’t suited to transport this to your new home.
During a grid upgrade procedure, the Grid-owner will often charge you for the costs they need to make to get three phase power to your new Spanish casa. Here are the four major companies that own and manage 90 percent of the Spanish power grid:
Click the link to visit their website
Other things you may find:
- Old solar installation
- Lead acid batteries
- Backup generators
- Hibrid energy systems
More detailed information on Solar power installations will be added on a dedicated page soon.
Can i charge my electric vehicle in Spain?
It depends entirely on the location of your new Spanish home, the model of your car, and how quickly you want to charge the vehicle.
For buyers considering or already owning an electric vehicle, the available electrical infrastructure deserves careful consideration.
Charging a fully electric car from a limited rural electrical supply is often impractical or extremely slow.
Without a substantial grid upgrade or an adequately sized solar installation with battery storage, fully electric vehicles may simply not be suitable for certain rural properties.
Plug-in hybrids generally place less demand on the available electrical capacity and are often a more practical solution. However, it is important to understand that even a hybrid car will use a full 16 amp or 3300 watt power supply continuously during charging.
" Long story short: I deeply regret buying an EV before moving to Spain. Charging my Omoda 5EV takes 36 hours! "
Legalisation and future compliance
Fully compliant electrical installations are not only important for everyday comfort. It can become an issue when you apply for any certification or when you want to renovate your home in the future.
But the most important thing is of course that you and your family liive in a safe property.
Here are the possible cases in which a certified electrical installation may prove important:
- Obtaining or renewing habitation certificate (Cédula de habitabilidad)
- Home insurance
- Future renovation projects
- Mortgage requirements
- Rental permits (AirBnB, Hotel or Hostel)
- Horeca business plans
- Campsite or Retreat
Hoeveel apparaten passen op uw aansluiting?
Kies uw Spaanse elektriciteitsaansluiting, voeg apparaten toe en zie meteen wat gelijktijdig gebruikt kan worden.
How BuySafe.es can help
Our standard property inspection includes a general assessment of the visible electrical installation.
For buyers who require greater certainty, we also offer a dedicated Electrical Installation Inspection.
During this inspection we assess the installation in much greater detail, perform appropriate electrical measurements where possible, identify safety concerns, evaluate the available electrical capacity, and provide practical recommendations for any upgrades that may be required.
Through a team of trusted and qualified electrical specialists, BuySafe.es carries out any necessary electrical improvements for you, including consumer unit replacements, complete rewiring where required, and electrical capacity (grid) upgrades where these are technically and legally possible (subject to availability).
Contact us to find out more, or to make an appointment.