Piped natural gas: checking, starting or transferring a contract

Terms used

• CUPS — The CUPS is the code, starting with ES, that identifies your gas supply point and appears on your bills.
• TUR — The TUR is the regulated last-resort gas tariff, with prices set by the government and offered only by designated suppliers.
• Distribuidora — The distribuidora is the company that owns the gas pipes and meter in your area and handles technical problems.
• Comercializadora — The comercializadora is the supplier that sells you gas, signs your contract and sends your bills.
• Cambio de titular — A cambio de titular is a change of the name on an existing supply contract.
• NIE — The NIE is the identification number Spain gives to foreigners.
• DNI — The DNI is the Spanish national identity card.
• IBAN — The IBAN is your bank account number, used here for billing.

Key rules

• Pipes: Pipes or a boiler in the home do not prove the gas supply is active; the CUPS status does.
• Who to call: Leaks and meter problems go to the distributor; billing and contract questions go to the supplier.
• Choice: You choose your supplier freely, but the distributor is fixed by your area.
• Change of holder: Taking over a contract normally needs no technical visit and no cut in supply.
• Lease: No law makes you put gas in your name, but your lease probably does.

Does your home have piped gas?

Not every home does. Piped natural gas is mostly found in cities and industrial areas. Many small towns in rural interior Spain have no network, and Ceuta and Melilla have none. The Canary Islands have essentially none, and the Balearics have only a limited network. Pipes or a boiler in the flat do not prove there is an active supply.

To check:

• Ask the landlord or agent whether the flat has a gas meter and an active contract.
• Look at an old gas bill for the gas CUPS. It is separate from the electricity one.
• Give the CUPS or the address to the distributor's online lookup, or phone the distributor. Any supplier can also look up a CUPS and tell you whether supply exists.

If your home has no connection, ask the local distributor whether the street is served and what a connection would involve.

Who does what

Two companies are involved, and mixing them up wastes time.

• The distribuidora (distributor) owns the pipes, the connection, the meter and the meter reading. It does inspections and handles leaks and emergencies. It is set by your area, and you cannot choose it. Nedgia is the largest. Others include Redexis, Nortegas, Madrileña Red de Gas and Gas Extremadura.
• The comercializadora (supplier) sells you the gas, signs the contract and sends the bills. You can choose and change supplier freely.

Technical problems and emergencies go to the distributor. Billing and contract questions go to the supplier.

Regulated tariff or free market

You can take the TUR, a regulated price set by the government and revised regularly, or a free-market offer with a supplier's own prices and conditions. The TUR is for homes and small businesses using up to 50,000 kWh a year, on low-pressure connections. Only designated suppliers offer it. You can move between the two. The choice block below helps you decide.

Starting a new contract

1. Confirm the home has a connection and note the gas CUPS.
2. Compare offers and choose a supplier.
3. Give the supplier your ID (DNI, NIE or passport), the CUPS, the address, a Spanish IBAN and your contact details. Sign online, by phone or in person.
4. The supplier asks the distributor to activate the supply.
5. If the supply was cut off or the installation is new, you may need an installation certificate from the installer, plus a distributor visit to open the supply and read or fit the meter.
6. Supply starts after the visit or confirmation. The first bill comes from the supplier.

Taking over a contract (cambio de titular)

You start a change of holder with the supplier, either the current one or a new one. The supplier asks the distributor to process it. You provide the same ID, CUPS, address and IBAN details. If the previous holder will not cooperate, proof that you legally live there, such as your lease, is usually enough.

Meters are read on the change date. There is normally no technical visit and your gas is not cut. It is usually free or a small administrative fee, but ask your supplier about fees and the start date. A new deposit may be required.

Does your landlord decide?

No law forces a tenant to put gas in their own name. But most Spanish leases require tenants to take the utilities, so read yours. Whatever the lease says, the landlord stays responsible for a safe installation that meets the rules.

Where to look

The documents and step-by-step blocks below list what to bring. The checklist covers what to ask before you sign a lease.

Choosing between options

Should you take the regulated tariff (TUR) or a free-market offer?

• Regulated tariff (TUR): Your home is on a connection of 4 bar or less and uses up to 50,000 kWh a year. Prices are set by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and revised regularly. Only designated last-resort suppliers offer it.

• Free-market offer: You want to compare prices and conditions from many suppliers. You can switch between offers and the regulated tariff later.

If your home qualifies for the TUR, compare its price with free-market offers and pick the cheaper one. If it does not qualify, choose a free-market offer.

Step-by-step: contracting or transferring a piped gas supply

Contracting or transferring piped gas

• Check that your home already has a gas connection and find your gas CUPS (the supply number on a previous bill): Before you start

• Gather your ID (DNI, NIE or passport), the CUPS, the supply address, a Spanish bank account number (IBAN), your contact details and proof you live there, such as a purchase deed or lease: Before you contact a supplier

• Compare free-market offers with the regulated tariff (TUR) and choose a supplier: Before you sign

• For a new contract, sign with the supplier online, by phone or in person; the supplier then asks the distributor to activate the supply: On the day you choose a supplier

• For a change of holder (cambio de titular), ask the supplier to request it; meter readings are taken at the change date and the supply is normally not cut: As soon as you take over the home; usually done in a few working days, with no technical visit

• Ask your supplier for the start date and any fee, as a change of holder is usually free or a small administrative charge and a new deposit may be asked for: When you contract

• If the supply was cut or has been unused for a long time (often 2 years or more), get a valid installation certificate or inspection from an authorised gas installer, then book the distributor's visit to reconnect and read or fit the meter: Before reconnection; usually several days to a few weeks

• If your home has no gas connection, ask the local gas distributor for one; it builds the connection and charges regulated fees that depend on consumption and distance: Before anything else, as this can take longer

• Hire an authorised gas installer for the internal installation; the installer issues the certificate and registers it, then the distributor connects and you contract a supplier: After the connection is built and before supply starts

• If the supplier or distributor refuses or delays, ask for the reason in writing and the expected date, and check what documents are missing: If the start date passes or the request is refused

• Receive your first bill from the supplier once supply has started: After the supply starts

Documents you need

• Your ID: DNI, NIE or passport, needed by the supplier to sign the contract or change of holder.

• The gas CUPS (the supply code starting ES, usually 20 to 22 characters), found on an existing gas bill. It is separate from the electricity code.

• A Spanish bank account number (IBAN) for billing, plus the supply address and your contact details.

• An installation certificate, issued by the installer, if the supply was cut off or the installation is new. The distributor may ask for it before opening the supply.

• Proof that you legally occupy the home, such as your lease, for a change of holder when the outgoing holder does not give consent.

Checklist

• Find the gas CUPS on an existing bill. It starts with ES and is separate from the electricity one.

• Check the CUPS or address with the distributor's online lookup or by phone, as pipes in the home do not prove the supply is active.

• Compare the regulated tariff (TUR) with free-market offers and choose a supplier.

• Read your lease to see whether the gas contract must be in your name.

Frequently asked questions

Does my rural village have piped gas?

Probably not if it is a small village in the interior, such as in Soria, Teruel, Cuenca, Zamora, Ávila, Segovia or rural Extremadura. Networks are strongest in cities and industrial areas, and the Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla have no piped natural gas. Ask the local distributor to confirm for your address.

Who do I call if the gas meter has a technical problem?

Call the distributor, not your supplier, for meter, pipe, leak and inspection problems.

Is the regulated gas tariff (TUR) available to everyone?

No, the TUR is for homes and small businesses using up to 50,000 kWh a year on a connection of 4 bar or less. Only designated last-resort suppliers offer it. You can move between the TUR and free-market offers.

Does a change of holder cut off my gas?

No, a change of holder is normally done without a technical visit and the supply is not cut. Meter readings are taken on the change date. A new deposit may be asked for, and a charge may apply only if supply is reconnected after a cut.

Can my landlord make me put the gas in my name?

Your landlord can ask, but no law forces you to do it. Most Spanish leases require the tenant to contract utilities, so check your lease. The landlord stays responsible for a safe, compliant installation.