How to Claim Compensation for a Power Cut
Learn when you can claim compensation for a power cut in Spain, what evidence helps, and who to contact first.
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
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Contact your distributor (not your supplier). Your distributor is listed on your bill - it is the company that owns the wires in your area.
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Keep records: log the time the cut started and ended, note any food or medication spoilage, keep photos if relevant.
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Submit within 30 days of the incident.
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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.