How to claim compensation for a power cut
Thousands of Spanish households were affected by April's major blackout. Here is exactly how the compensation system works and how to claim what you are owed.
How to claim compensation for a power cut in Spain
The major blackout that swept across Spain and Portugal in April 2025 left millions without power for hours. Whether you were affected by that event or a local outage, Spanish law guarantees minimum compensation levels - and most consumers never claim them.
Your legal rights
Spain's regulated electricity market (PVPC) guarantees compensation for interruptions under RD 1955/2000. The rules are clear:
- Under 3 hours: no automatic compensation, but you can claim damages if provable
- 3-6 hours: minimum EUR1.50 per affected customer
- 6-9 hours: minimum EUR3.00
- 9-12 hours: minimum EUR4.50
- Over 12 hours: minimum EUR6.00
These amounts double if the outage was caused by extraordinary circumstances (storms, floods) - and triple if the distributor fails to restore supply within the legally mandated time.
How to claim
-
Contact your distributor (not your supplier). Your distributor is listed on your bill - it is the company that owns the wires in your area.
-
Keep records: log the time the cut started and ended, note any food or medication spoilage, keep photos if relevant.
-
Submit within 30 days of the incident.
-
If the distributor does not respond within 30 days, escalate to CNMC via their complaints portal.
What is and is not covered
Automatic bank transfers apply to PVPC customers. Free-market customers need to claim directly. Business losses require a separate formal claim, and you may need to demonstrate actual damages.