Our experience of changing electricity suppliers in Spain – and why a lovely octopus has won us over.

When we moved into our house in Andalucía, we knew there would be things to get used to. Spanish bureaucracy, unfamiliar systems, the occasional language barrier. All part of the adventure. What we hadn’t anticipated was quite how complicated it could be to ask for a little more electricity. Not cheaper electricity. Not free electricity. Just a slightly bigger supply, for which we were perfectly happy to pay.

Apparently, this was quite an ambitious request.

the problem with 4.4 kW

Our house is fairly large, and while we don’t generally have problems with our electricity supply, winter can be a different story. Put the oven on, add a heater, perhaps a kettle, and suddenly everything goes dark. Our contracted power was 4.4 kW. We wanted to increase it to 5.5 kW. Nothing particularly dramatic, and certainly not an unusual request in Spain.

So, we contacted our electricity supplier, Iberdrola. And that was where the adventure really began. Three attempts. Three rejections.

To be fair, our initial dealings with Iberdrola were encouraging. The person we spoke to was helpful, the process sounded straightforward, and we were optimistic. We should perhaps have known better. Our applications were accepted for processing on three separate occasions – in January, March and April 2026 – and subsequently rejected. The reason given was that access to the property had been impossible on more than two occasions. This was particularly puzzling because we work from home and during the week that’s where we generally are – home. Working. It then transpired that the contact telephone numbers held on our account belonged to our solicitor, who had originally set up our contract – but despite requests, Iberdrola had never updated the contact details. So, perhaps calls were made to the solicitor to arrange the visits – she confirmed that no calls or messages had been received.

We eventually had the contact details corrected, but by then we’d spent months trying to arrange something that had initially sounded relatively simple. There were emails, telephone calls, explanations, further enquiries and quite a lot of waiting. And still no increase. We weren’t asking for the moon. Just another 1.1 kW.

enter the octopus…

Eventually, we decided it was time to look elsewhere. We investigated alternative suppliers and came across Octopus Energy España. Now, I appreciate that electricity suppliers aren’t generally the sort of companies that inspire much enthusiasm. Most of us simply want the lights to come on when we flick a switch, preferably without having to think too much about it. But our first dealings with Octopus were refreshingly different. We were put in touch with Paula, who answered our questions clearly, explained the tariff, confirmed the costs and offered to help us through the switching process.

And, perhaps most importantly, she actually responded to our messages. A small thing, you might think. But after our previous experiences, it felt positively revolutionary.

understanding the costs…

We chose the Octopus Relax tariff, which, at the time of our agreement, offered a fixed electricity consumption price of €0.1290 per kWh throughout the day. The contracted-power charge quoted was €0.1200 per kW per day, with no minimum commitment period or unwanted extras.

For us though, the attraction wasn’t simply the price. It was the clarity. We knew what we were agreeing to, what we’d be paying and who to contact if we had a question. Of course, electricity tariffs change, and what’s right for one household won’t necessarily be right for another. It’s always worth comparing the full costs rather than looking at the consumption price alone. But after months of uncertainty, straightforward information was enormously welcome.

and then, something happened…

The switch was effected by Octopus on 8th October. And then, on 15th October, something rather extraordinary happened. Our electricity supply was finally increased from 4.4 kW to 5.5 kW. Nine months after our first application. Three rejected requests, numerous emails, telephone calls and a considerable amount of head-scratching later, we finally had the additional power we’d been requesting since January. And, remarkably, it happened within a week of switching to Octopus. On the very same day (15th October), someone from the electricity distribution company visited our house, checked the fuse box and confirmed everything was in order. and at approximately 5pm, the increase was completed.

We’re not suggesting that changing suppliers magically solves every problem with Spain’s electricity infrastructure. But in our case, the contrast between the two experiences has been quite extraordinary. We asked. We received clear answers. Things progressed. And then they actually happened.

Sometimes, it’s the little things. Even when those little things involve 1,100 watts of electricity.

the customer satisfaction survey…

And just when we thought the story was coming to a close, Iberdrola invited us to explain why we’d left. I began completing their customer satisfaction survey, only to find myself unceremoniously ejected before I’d started the second screen, just as I was was about to explain why I had left Iberdrola. A field I was looking forward to completing…

When I attempted to return, I was informed that I’d already submitted my answers. I hadn’t. After nine months of trying to get something done, it seemed rather fitting that I couldn’t even successfully tell them why we’d given up.

But I wasn’t going to let a malfunctioning questionnaire have the last word. So I sent an email instead. A rather comprehensive one. I don’t imagine it will be appearing in their next collection of glowing customer testimonials.

it’s not just about electricity, though…

There’s something rather telling about the whole experience. We’re not unreasonable customers. We understand that things go wrong, processes can be complicated and not everything is within a supplier’s control. What matters is how those situations are handled. We don’t expect miracles. We do expect communication, clear explanations and some indication that someone is taking responsibility for helping us find a solution. When Iberdrola asked how likely we were to recommend them, I gave them 0/10. Not because of one unsuccessful application, but because of the cumulative experience over several months. By contrast, our dealings with Octopus have been friendly, efficient and refreshingly human.

We haven’t yet received our first bill, so we’ll reserve judgement on that particular part of the experience. And, as with any new supplier, we’ll see how things develop over time. But so far? We’re happy. This winter, we’re looking forward to the rather novel experience of using the oven, kettle and heater without plunging the house into darkness. We never imagined we’d get quite so excited about electricity.

But here we are. Rather taken with an octopus…

This is an independent account of our own experience of changing electricity suppliers in Spain. We have no commercial relationship with Octopus Energy or Iberdrola, and the tariff details quoted were those provided to us when we arranged our switch.