Utilities
Utilities
Water
Historically in Andalucía many local town halls charged a fixed annual fee for water usage. This is now changing with an extensive programme of fitting water meters to all homes in Andalucía, be they urban or rural dwellings. The long term aim is to unify the cost of water in Andalucía, with users paying for actual consumption.
Telephone
Telefonica is the main service provider in Spain for landlines. However, following the de-regulation of the Spanish telephone market consumers are able to take advantage of the many offers available through a number of other companies providing telephony services in Spain.
Postal Services
The Spanish post office 'Correos' has long been known for its slow service, although there has been a major improvement over recent years. With the advent of new technology many town Post Offices are now extremely efficient with little or no waiting prior to being served. Post Offices are generally open from 8.30 am to 2pm.
Gas Supply
There are not many mains gas supplies in Spain, these are usually only found in major cities. If you are fortunate to have a mains gas supply, you will need to contact the company to arrange to have the gas switched on, the meter read and to sign a supply contract.
Electricity
The Spanish electricity market was deregulated in 2003. Many homes in urbanised areas now have a choice of electricity suppliers, although in rural areas it is unlikely for there to be more than one supplier. Frequently in the more remote areas no mains electricity is available so it is necessary to rely on a generator. Spanish electricity is generated at 220 volts.
