Community-powered scam watch

The “power company” call: fake discounts and unauthorised switches

Someone calls claiming to be from your electricity provider (or “the regulated market”) with an urgent discount, or threatening to cut off your supply. In many cases they’re trying to switch your supplier without your real consent, or steal your bank details.

The tell-tale signs

• They ask for details your real provider would already have: your IBAN, ID number, or “the number on your bill” (the CUPS code). If they’re asking, it’s because they don’t have it.
• Urgency and fear: “if you don’t act today you’ll lose the discount”, “your power will be cut off”. No legitimate company pressures you like that over the phone.
• They can’t tell you your current rate or any real details of your contract if you ask them.

How to check if you’ve been switched without permission

1. Find your CUPS code on any electricity bill: it’s a code starting with “ES” followed by about 20 numbers and letters. Think of it as your meter’s ID number.
2. Call your local grid operator (not whoever called you): the company that owns the cables in your area (e-distribución/Endesa, i-DE/Iberdrola, UFD/Naturgy, E-Redes…). Ask them which supplier is currently active on your CUPS. If it’s a company you don’t recognise, that’s your proof.
3. Check your mailbox (post and email) from the last 30 days: every supplier switch triggers a mandatory welcome letter, with 14 days to cancel it for free, no questions asked.
4. If more than 14 days have passed or it isn’t resolved, file a free complaint with your region’s Energy Consumer Office: it exists exactly for unauthorised switches.

Did they also send you a link?

If you also got a follow-up SMS or email with a payment link, check it with our toolbox before you touch it.

Already fell for it?

Take a breath. You can still act, and the sooner the better. We have a step-by-step emergency guide:

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