Burst pipe, power cut or lockout: what to do at once

Terms used

• Llave de paso — The llave de paso is the main stopcock that shuts off the water supply to your home.
• Parte amistoso — The parte amistoso is a friendly accident report that you and affected neighbours fill in together for water damage claims.
• Diferencial — The diferencial is the residual-current switch in your panel that trips when it detects a fault.
• ICP — The ICP is the power-limiting switch in your panel that trips when your home draws too much electricity.
• CGP — The CGP is the main fuse protection box where the distributor's network ends and your wiring begins.
• IVA — The IVA is Spain's value-added tax, which must appear on a proper invoice.
• OMIC — The OMIC is the local consumer office where you can complain about overcharging.

Key rules

• Emergency number: Call 112 for danger to life, and use the 24-hour fault line on your bill for gas, electricity or water faults.
• Water and electricity: Never touch electrics while standing in water; switch off the main power only from a dry floor.
• Gas smell: Avoid switches, flames and phones inside, ventilate, then call from outside.
• Locksmiths: Get the total price and a written quote before work starts, and pay by card or transfer.
• Surcharges: Emergency surcharges are not regulated, so ask about them first and get them in writing.

Safety first, then the phone

Call 112 if anyone is in danger or water is flooding dangerously. For gas, electricity or water faults, use the 24-hour fault line printed on your bill. There is no single national number for these, so save each one in your phone today.

Burst pipe

Close the main stopcock (llave de paso) first. It is usually near the meter, or in the kitchen or bathroom. Then limit the damage by moving belongings, mopping up and opening drains.

If water is near sockets or the panel, switch off the power at the main switch only if you can reach it on a dry floor. Never touch electrics while standing in water.

Photograph and film the damage, and keep the broken part. Tell your community administrator if the leak comes from or affects common areas or neighbours. Report it to your insurer quickly: many policies require notice within 7 days. Fill in the parte amistoso with any affected neighbours.

Power cut

Start by asking neighbours whether they have power. If they don't, the fault is probably in the network, so call your electricity distributor's fault line.

If only your home is out, look at your panel. The diferencial may have tripped. Reset it. If it trips again, unplug everything and plug appliances back in one by one to find the faulty one. If the ICP trips from overload, reduce what is running.

The distributor is responsible up to the meter and the connection. You, as owner, are responsible for the wiring inside from the CGP/ICP onward. If power is fine at the meter but not inside, call a licensed electrician.

Gas smell

Do not touch light switches, use flames or lighters, use your phone inside, or ring doorbells. Open windows and doors and close the gas meter or bottle valve. If the smell is strong, leave the building.

Call the gas distributor's emergency line or 112 from outside. Warn neighbours without using the doorbell. Do not go back until technicians say it is safe, then have the installation checked by an authorised installer.

Locked out

Use a locksmith you have checked in advance if you can. Scam locksmiths often quote a low call-out price by phone, then claim the lock must be drilled or replaced and demand much more, often in cash and with no invoice.

Warning signs are no company name or tax ID, an unmarked van, no written quote, pressure to pay at once, and drilling a lock that could be opened without damage.

• Ask for the total price before work starts, covering call-out, labour and parts.
• Require a written quote and a proper invoice with IVA.
• Pay by card or transfer.

If you were overcharged, complain to your town's consumer office (OMIC) and file a police report.

Night and weekend prices

No legal scale exists for emergency surcharges, so each firm sets its own. Night, weekend and holiday callouts often add anything from a quarter to double the daytime price. Ask about the surcharge before the visit and get it confirmed in writing. It should appear separately on the quote and invoice. If you can, compare two or three firms.

For a burst pipe, call a plumber and ask for a written quote or invoice.

Choosing between options

Who should you call when the power goes out at home?

• Call the distributor's fault line: Your neighbours or the street have no power either, so the fault is probably in the distributor's network.

• Check your own panel: Only your home is out. Reset the diferencial (residual-current switch) if it tripped. If it trips again, unplug appliances and reset them one by one to find the faulty circuit. If the ICP (power-limiting switch) tripped from overload, reduce the load.

• Call a licensed electrician: The supply is fine at the meter but not inside your home, or the panel keeps tripping after you have unplugged everything.

The distributor is responsible up to the meter and the connection (acometida). You, as the owner, are responsible for the interior installation from the main fuse protection (CGP/ICP) onward.

Timeline and deadlines

• Close the main stopcock (llave de paso), usually near the meter, kitchen or bathroom: straight away

• Switch off the power at the main switch if water is near sockets or the panel and the floor is dry where you stand: straight away, after the water is stopped

• Move belongings, mop up and open drains to limit the damage: in the first minutes

• Photograph and film the damage and keep the broken part: before you clean up or repair

• Call a plumber and ask for a written quote or invoice: once the water is under control

• Tell the community administrator if the leak comes from or affects common areas or neighbours: the same day

Checklist

• Find the 24-hour fault line for gas, electricity and water on your latest bill and save each number in your phone.

• Close the main stopcock (llave de paso) when a pipe bursts.

• Tell your community administrator and your insurer, and fill in the friendly accident report (parte amistoso) with affected neighbours.

• Open windows and doors, close the gas meter or bottle valve and leave the building if you smell gas, then call the gas distributor or 112 from outside.

• Ask your neighbours whether they have power when your electricity goes out.

• Ask any locksmith or tradesperson for the total price, including call-out, labour and parts, before work starts.

• Pay by card or transfer and ask for a proper invoice with IVA.

What to watch out for

• Water and electricity together: Touching electrics while standing in water can kill you. Switch off the main switch only if it is dry and safe to reach.

• Calling the wrong number: There is no single national number for gas, electricity or water faults, so a search online can send you to the wrong company.

• Paying for a fault that is not yours: The distributor handles faults up to the meter and the connection (acometida). You are responsible for the wiring inside from the main fuse protection onward, so calling an electrician for a street-wide outage wastes money. Check whether neighbours also have no power before you call anyone.

• Locksmith scams: A locksmith may quote a low price by phone, then claim on arrival that the lock must be drilled or replaced and demand much more, often in cash and without an invoice. Warning signs are no company name or tax ID, an unmarked van, no written quote and pressure to pay at once. Use a locksmith you checked beforehand, get the total price in writing and pay by card or transfer.

Frequently asked questions

Is there one number for gas, electricity and water faults in Spain?

No, there is no single national number for gas, electricity and water faults, because each distributor runs its own 24-hour line. Your latest bill shows the number for each supply. For water, the line belongs to your municipal or local water utility.

Are night and weekend emergency surcharges regulated?

No, emergency surcharges are not regulated in Spain, so each firm sets its own. Night, weekend and holiday callouts often add from a quarter up to double the daytime price, and some firms charge a fixed callout fee instead.

What can I do if a locksmith overcharged me?

You can complain to your town's consumer office (OMIC) and file a police report. Bring the quote, any messages and the invoice if you got one. Paying by card or transfer leaves a record that helps your complaint.