⚡Is the power out? A practical guide to sorting it out

When there is a power breakdown at home, it is important to determine whether it is a problem within the property itself or a wider power cut affecting the local area.

This initial check will help you quickly work out what to do, who to call and how to get the supply back up and running as soon as possible.

In most cases, the cause is usually a power surge, a faulty appliance or a problem with the electricity supplier.

How to tell if the power cut is widespread or localised

The first thing you should check is whether the power cut is affecting only your home or other nearby areas as well.

The quickest way is to check whether:

  • Your neighbours have electricity
  • Do the lights in the entrance hall or stairwell work?
  • Is there a water supply in the street or housing estate?

If there is no electricity in these areas either, it is most likely a widespread power cut.

If it’s only happening to you, we’re usually talking about a specific fault or an internal issue with the system.

The best way to find out is to check whether the problem affects other areas as well.

If your neighbours, the stairwell, the entrance hall or even the street are without power, it’s most likely due to a fault with the electricity distributor.

In that case, you don’t need to check the indoor installation: you should contact your local distribution company directly, as they are responsible for restoring the supply.

👉 You’ll find the name of your supplier and the customer services number on any electricity bill.

Property internal breakdown

If the power has gone out in your home, check the fuse box first.

  • If any of the switches are in the off position, flip them back on and wait a few seconds.
  • If the power comes back on and stays on, it was probably just a temporary power surge, which is common when several high-power appliances such as an oven, air conditioner or electric water heater are used at the same time.
  • If the circuit breaker trips again when you reset it, there is likely to be a short circuit, damp, or a faulty appliance. In that case, unplug the appliances in that area and try again.

If the problem persists, we recommend contacting a qualified electrician, as the fault lies within the internal wiring.

General Breakdown

If your neighbours are also without power or the street lights are off, the problem is likely to be with the external power supply.

You can also check this by looking at the meter: if the display is off, blank or showing an error, this usually indicates a problem with the supplier or the meter itself. In the event of this type of fault, there is no need to check the internal installation further.

The best course of action is to contact your local distribution company directly, as they are responsible for the supply and for repairing the network.

So... who should you call when the power goes out?

Electrician or maintenance service

If the problem is inside the house, such as a constantly tripping circuit or a faulty appliance

Distributor

If the outage affects several dwellings, the street or the meter does not respond.

📞 If you need to contact your distributor

If, after carrying out these checks, you have confirmed that the issue is a widespread power cut or an external fault, the next step is to contact the distribution company responsible for your area. The distribution company is responsible for maintaining the external electricity network, checking the meter and resolving any power cuts affecting several homes or the street.

If you’re not sure which one applies to you, you can easily find it at the bottom of your Evergreen bill, in the ‘Useful Information’ section.

👉 And if you’re not an Evergreen customer, to make things easier for you, below is a list of the main electricity suppliers in Spain and their emergency numbers.

Main distributors by region

DistribuidoraZona de operaciónCódigo
Distribuidora (CUPS)		Contacto/Telf
Unión Fenosa Distribución
(grupo Naturgy)		Castilla la Mancha, Andalucía, Extremadura, Galicia y Castilla y León ES0022 o ES0390900111999
I-DE Distribución (grupo Iberdrola)Castilla y León, Extremadura, Madrid, Castilla la Mancha, Huesca, Navarra, País Vasco, La Rioja, Aragón, Murcia y Comunidad Valenciana.ES0021900171171
E- distribución
(grupo Endesa)		Andalucía, Aragón, Baleares, Canarias, Cataluña, Extremadura, Castilla y León y Galicia y en la Ciudad Autónoma de Ceuta.ES0031900878119
Viesgo DistribuciónCantabria, Asturias, Galicia y norte de Castilla y León.ES0027900101051
E- Redes
(grupo EDP		Asturias, Alicante, Huesca, Barcelona, Madrid, Huesca y ZaragozaES0026900907003
Eléctrica de CádizCádizES0034900373075