Cancelling utilities and stopping direct debits after a death

Terms used

• Recibos — Recibos are the direct debits a company charges to your bank account for bills and subscriptions.
• Cambio de titular — A cambio de titular moves a contract into a new person's name instead of cancelling it.
• CUPS — The CUPS is the code that identifies a property's electricity or gas supply point, shown on the bill.
• Declaración de herederos — A declaración de herederos is an official document naming who the heirs of a person who died are.
• Permanencia — Permanencia is a minimum contract period; leaving early usually triggers a penalty.

Key rules

• Order: Contact suppliers and cancel or transfer contracts before telling the bank.
• Taking over: Someone living in the home can take over electricity and gas without waiting for the estate to be settled.
• Refund windows: You can ask for a refund of an authorised direct debit within 8 weeks of the charge, and report an unauthorised one within 13 months.
• Penalties: A telecom penalty waiver after a death is company policy, not a right, so get it in writing.
• Liability: You owe post-death charges only if you signed or took over the contract, or accept the inheritance.

Do this first: contact suppliers before the bank

Tell suppliers and cancel or transfer contracts before you tell the bank about the death. Once the bank has the death certificate, it normally blocks the account. Direct debits (recibos) are then returned unpaid, which can bring bank fees or claims from suppliers. Before the bank is told, recibos keep being charged as normal.

The timeline below shows the order. The documents list and checklist below cover what to send.

Electricity, gas and water

Decide for each contract: cancel it, or move it to someone who lives in the home.

• Someone lives in the home and will keep the supply. A spouse, partner, relative or other occupant can ask for a change of holder (cambio de titular). They do not have to wait for the estate to be settled. They need the death certificate, their own ID, their bank details, the supply details of the property (the CUPS code for electricity and gas, shown on a bill) and proof they may live there, such as a lease, title deed or a recent bill.
• Nobody will use the supply. Ask to cancel. You need the death certificate and the ID of the person asking. Some suppliers also want the will or declaración de herederos if you are asking as an heir. An heir who does not live in the home can cancel.

Electricity and gas companies, and local water operators, each have their own forms. They are often free and can be handled by phone, email or in person. Water rules and proof vary by town, so ask your local water operator what it needs.

Phone, internet, pay-TV and subscriptions

Providers generally accept cancellation when you send the death certificate and your own ID. Many also ask for proof you are an heir or a relative. Most handle this through customer service, by email or in store.

• Many providers waive the permanencia penalty and the cost of unreturned equipment after a death. This is company policy, not a legal right. Ask for the waiver in writing.
• Return the router and decoder.
• A mobile number can be moved to a relative by a change of holder. Broadband can sometimes be moved too.

The bank and direct debits

After the suppliers are dealt with, tell the bank. Banks differ, so ask which recibos it will still honour. Some let funeral invoices or specific debts be paid from the blocked balance if you ask. On a joint account, the surviving holder may still be able to use part of it.

Then check the account for charges made after the death:

• If an authorised direct debit was still charged, you can ask for a refund within 8 weeks of the charge, with no reason needed.
• If a charge was never authorised, report it to the bank within 13 months.

The 8-week refund right does not cover business-to-business debits.

Who pays for charges after the death

A relative does not automatically owe charges that arise after the death. You are liable if you signed or took over the contract, or if you accept the inheritance. Accepting the estate normally makes you liable for the deceased's debts without limit. Accepting "a beneficio de inventario" (with a notarial inventory) limits this to the estate's assets, and renouncing the inheritance removes it. If you keep using a service in the home, the supplier can claim for that use.

Cancelling promptly is the safest step. Rules differ in regions with their own civil law, such as Catalonia and Navarre, so take advice before accepting an inheritance that may have debts.

Timeline and deadlines

• Tell suppliers and cancel contracts before the bank is notified, so recibos are not returned unpaid: before you notify the bank of the death

• Report a direct debit charged without a valid authorisation to the bank: as soon as you see it, and within 13 months of the charge

Documents you need

• Death certificate, as issued by the civil registry, needed by electricity, gas, water, telecom and subscription providers to cancel or change a contract.

• Your own ID, as the person asking to cancel or take over the contract.

• For a change of holder (cambio de titular): the new holder's bank details and the supply details of the property, including the CUPS code (the supply point number on an electricity or gas bill).

• For a change of holder: proof that you own or may live in the home, such as a lease, title deed or a recent bill.

• Proof you are an heir, such as the will or declaración de herederos, which some suppliers and most telecom providers ask for when an heir makes the request.

Checklist

• Contact each electricity, gas and water supplier before you tell the bank, and cancel or transfer the contract.

• Send each supplier the death certificate and your ID, plus the will or declaración de herederos if you are an heir.

• Ask anyone living in the home to request a change of holder (cambio de titular), with their ID, bank details, the CUPS number and proof of occupancy.

• Cancel telecom, pay-TV and subscription contracts by customer service, email or in store, and ask for any permanence penalty to be waived in writing.

• Return the router and decoder to the provider.

• Check the account for any recibo charged after the death and ask for a refund within the 8 weeks.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to pay for services that run after the death if I did not sign the contract?

No, a relative who did not sign or take over the contract is not automatically liable for charges after the death. You become liable if you take over the contract or accept the inheritance as heir. If you live in the home and keep using the service, the supplier can still claim for that use, so cancel promptly.

Can I keep the electricity on in my name if I live in the home?

Yes, if you live in the home you can ask for a change of holder (cambio de titular) without waiting for the estate to be settled. You need the death certificate, your own ID, your bank details and proof you live there. Water suppliers usually work the same way but follow local rules.

Will the phone company waive the early-cancellation penalty after a death?

Many providers waive the penalty for leaving early (permanencia) and the cost of unreturned equipment, but this is company policy, not a legal right. Ask for the waiver in writing. Return the router or decoder.

Can I cancel the contract if I am an heir who does not live in the home?

Yes, an heir who does not live in the home can cancel the contract instead of taking it over.