Is a salesperson who says they are your electricity company legitimate

Terms used

• NIE — The NIE is the identity number for foreigners that you need for tax, work and contracts.
• DNI — The DNI is the national identity card of Spanish citizens.
• CUPS — The CUPS is the code that identifies your electricity supply point, printed on your bill.
• Lista Robinson — The Lista Robinson is a free register where you ask companies not to contact you with sales calls.
• DNI/NIE — The DNI/NIE is your Spanish identity number: DNI for Spanish citizens, NIE for foreigners.
• CNMC — The CNMC is Spain's national regulator for energy and competition.

Key rules

• Verify: Check any salesperson by calling the number on your own bill, never one they give you.
• Personal data: Keep your bill, CUPS, DNI/NIE and bank details private until you have verified who is asking.
• Withdrawal: You can withdraw from a contract signed at your door, by phone or online within 14 days.
• Unrequested switch: Write to the new supplier straight away saying you did not consent, and ask for proof of consent.

Do not take their word for it

A person who says they are "from your electricity company" may not be. Salespeople are only sales staff. Your supplier does not need to visit your home to switch you to a new contract, and a normal switch does not need a visit to read the meter.

Do this when someone visits or calls:

• Ask for their name, ID and the name of the company they work for.
• Call the number on your own bill, or the supplier's official customer service, and ask if this person works for them.
• Keep your bill, CUPS (your supply point code), DNI/NIE and bank details to yourself until you have verified who they are.

How to refuse safely

You can say no. You do not have to let anyone in, and you can close the door or end the call at any time.

• Do not sign anything, including on a tablet or a "visit sheet". These can be used as a contract.
• Do not say "yes" on a call, even to a simple question. A spoken yes can be used to start a switch.
• Ask for the offer in writing, with the full terms, and read it later. A genuine supplier will send it and will tell you about your right to withdraw.

To get fewer sales calls, you can register on the Lista Robinson. If someone pressures you, report it to your regional consumer office or to the CNMC, the national energy regulator.

If you signed or said yes

Contracts signed at your door, by phone or online can be withdrawn within 14 days. Write to the supplier to withdraw, and keep a copy.

If you were switched without agreeing

Act fast. Deadlines for reversing a switch depend on the case.

1. Write to the new supplier at once, by email, registered letter or its claims channel. Say you did not authorise the contract. Ask for it to be cancelled and for you to be returned to your former supplier.
2. Tell your former supplier about the switch too.
3. Ask the new supplier for its proof of consent, such as your signature or the call recording. A switch without consent can be reversed, and the supplier has to show that proof.
4. Expect an answer to your claim within one month.
5. Keep everything: messages, emails, letters and call details.

If the supplier does not answer or refuses, take your evidence to your regional consumer office.

Timeline and deadlines

• Ask for the salesperson's name, ID and company, then call the number on your own bill to verify them: before you share anything

• Say no, close the door or end the call if you are not sure: at any point during the visit or call

• Write to the new supplier saying you did not authorise the contract, and ask for cancellation and a return to your former supplier: immediately after you find out

• Tell your former supplier about the unrequested switch: at the same time as you write to the new supplier

• Withdraw from a contract signed at your door, by phone or online: within 14 days

• Expect the supplier's answer to your written claim: within one month

Documents you need

• A written offer with the full contract terms, which a genuine supplier will send you so you can read it before deciding.

• A recent copy of your own electricity bill, kept at home, so you can find the supplier's official customer service number on it. Do not hand it over at the door.

• A written statement to the new supplier that you did not authorise the contract, sent by email, registered letter or its claims channel, if a switch was made without your consent.

• The supplier's proof of consent, such as your signature or the call recording, which you ask the supplier to show.

• Your own evidence of what happened, such as messages, emails, letters and call details, kept together.

Checklist

• Decline to say a verbal yes on a call, because it can be used to start a switch.

• Ask for the offer in writing, with the contract terms and your 14-day withdrawal right, and review it later.

• Close the door or end the call if you feel pressured, because you do not have to let anyone in.

What if you were switched to another supplier without consent

Your supply should not be cut off, and you do not need to cancel anything with your old supplier. Act quickly, in writing, and keep every document.

1. Verify what happened

• Look at your latest bill or your supplier's online area. Check the supplier's name and the start date of the new contract.
• Ask the new supplier, in writing, for proof that you agreed: the signed contract or the call recording. A supplier that cannot show proof of your consent has no valid contract with you.
• Save the bills, emails, letters and any messages about the switch.

2. Object in writing

Write to the new supplier straight away by email, registered letter or the claims channel on its website. Say that you did not authorise the contract. Ask it to cancel the contract and return you to your former supplier. Keep proof that you sent it.

If you signed something at your door, or by phone or online, you can also withdraw within 14 days. That is a second way out, even if you did consent.

3. Get back to your old supplier

Tell your former supplier what happened and ask it to take you back. Switching is free, so no one should charge you for the change or for the return. The old contract ends on the switch date, and the old supplier sends a final bill for what you used up to then. Pay that bill, because unpaid bills stay owed. A penalty applies only if your old contract had a clearly agreed minimum-term clause. Many household electricity contracts have none.

4. Complain if it is not fixed

Go up one step at a time:

1. The supplier's customer service. File a written claim. The supplier must answer within one month.
2. A consumer office. If there is no answer or the answer is not enough, go to your town's consumer office (OMIC) or your regional one. If the supplier is part of the consumer arbitration system, you can use that too.
3. The energy authority. Ask your regional government's energy department which body takes energy switching claims where you live.
4. The police. If you think your signature was forged or your details were misused, report it.
5. The courts. This is the last step if nothing else works.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I report a salesperson who pressures me?

You can report pressure tactics to your regional consumer office or to the CNMC, Spain's energy regulator. Keep any paperwork, messages or call details so you can describe what happened.

How can I get fewer sales calls?

Registering on the Lista Robinson can reduce commercial calls. It is a free list that companies check before cold-calling. It will not stop every call, so keep refusing to give any data on the phone.

Does my supplier need to visit my home to switch me?

No, a normal switch does not need anyone to visit your home or read your meter. A person at your door offering a visit to "complete the switch" is a reason to stay cautious and verify who they are.

What proof must a supplier show if I never agreed to a contract?

The supplier must show proof that you consented, such as your signature or a call recording. If it cannot, a switch without your consent can be reversed, so ask for that proof in your written complaint.