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Your energy rights are guaranteed under Act 24/2015
Being cold at home is not normal. Nor is having to stop cooking on gas hobs or stop using your washing machine to deal with electricity, water and gas bills. If you lack the resources to maintain your utility services, visit your nearest energy-advice point, where you will find the tools for asserting your energy rights.
Electricity, water and gas are a basic right which everyone enjoys guaranteed access to. This is stated in the Act, which bans companies from cutting off supplies to vulnerable households and obliges them to maintain their services for as long as the situation of financial difficulties lasts.
Energy-advice points are a Barcelona City Council service that offer the information, assistance and intervention necessary for people to exercise their energy rights and prevent companies from denying them access to basic utilities.
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Services available at energy-advice points
We can guide you so you can improve your household’s energy efficiency, optimise your electricity, water and gas services and thereby reduce your additional costs.
We can advise you so you understand the service you have hired in detail. We can give you information on capacities, rates and the supply company that best suits you.
We can help you to make arrangements with companies such as rate changes and suppliers, removing extra services and managing social vouchers and newsletters.
What can you do if you have difficulty paying your electricity, water or gas bills?
Head for the energy advice point in your district. Barcelona City Council wants to guarantee nobody at risk of residential exclusion living in the city of Barcelona gets their energy supply cut off, as set out by law 24/2015.
Have you received a non-payment reminder?
A reminder is a notification from the company informing that there is an unpaid bill, and under no circumstances involves being cut off.
If you can’t afford to pay the bill, head for the energy advice point in your district. Your situation will be evaluated and a procedure will be started to prevent the situation getting worse.
Have you received notice that you will be cut off?
Before cutting anyone off, energy supply companies are obliged to check that non-payment is not due to a lack of financial resources.
- Whether or not you are a user of social services, go to an energy advice point.
- Your situation will be evaluated and you will not be cut off while the process is in progress.
- Once the risk of residential exclusion has been recognised, a report will be drafted which must suspend any order for energy supplies to be cut off.
- A year after the report is issued, the company can ask the user to provide evidence that they are still at risk of exclusion.
Have you been cut off already?
Energy supply companies are obliged to maintain services for people in situations of residential exclusion.
You need to go in person to the energy advice point in your district. Staff there will help you re-establish your supply and process the application for the report confirming residential exclusion.