ICP compartment and switch

Since January 2010 Endesa have been sending letters to property owners throughout Spain regarding having an ICP switch installed within a lockable box relevant to their contract potencia agreement. Your contract agreement can be found in KW at the top of your electrical bill next to the word POTENCIA.

This applies to all properties including apartments, townhouses, villas and commercial premises such as bars & restaurants.

This applies to all Apartments, Townhouses, Villa’s plus Commercial Properties such as Bars Offices & Restaurants.

WHAT IS AN ICP SWITCH AND BOX?

An ICP Switch (Interuptor Controla Potencia) is designed to cut out if the current passing through it exceeds its rating. For example, if you have a 4.4kw potencia contract this will relate to a 20amp ICP switch. In this instance if at any one time you exceed using 20amps the ICP switch is designed to cut out. The idea is you either modify your usage (ie don’t use your cooker, kettle, water heater etc at the same time) or you apply to Endesa to upgrade your contract and so upgrade your switch.

The catch is that the larger your Contract is the more you pay per month.

The ICP switch must be installed in an independent lockable box. With the correct ICP switch in the correct seal able box Endesa will then come and seal the box (for a set fee of 9 euros) so it is not possible for any unauthorised persons to change the switch.

OUR INSTALLATION COSTS

As a registered installer we at BS ELECTRICAL have been issued with the relevant information from Endesa regarding which ICP switch relates to which contract agreement.

All contract agreements differ in size and so the required ICP switch size will differ in size and price.

Please call or email us at info@bselectrical.eu quoting your Potencia (Contract Agreement) to us and we can give you a detailed estimate for the cost of installing the switch and, if required, the lockable box.

FINES

Fines are now being issued to those who have been sent a letter but as yet not done anything with regard installing the switch or box.

The fines appear to be in the region of 20 euros per month (plus IVA) thou this will fluctuate depending on the size of your contract. Over the course of a year this will total approx 300 euros.

The monthly fine can be found on your monthly electricity bill. Therefore those who don’t receive a bill will be blissfully unaware that they are paying this fine.

If you require assistance on this matter please either contact us or apply to our sister company www.myelectricsinspain.com where our team of trained personnel deal with Endesa on a daily basis and can enquire on your behalf so as to find out the relevant details about your account.

ELECTRONIC DIGITAL (ICP) METERS

Whilst the ICP switch is still and for the foreseeable future will be compulsory there is a new device now being installed by Endesa which works in the same way as the ICP switch.

It is an electronic digital meter which works in the same way as the ICP switch in that if your usage exceeds the agreed potencia on your contract agreement the meter will disconnect the supply to your premises.

Our understanding is that this meter will reset its self within 5 seconds once you turn off your main switch inside your premises.

However the cost of these meters is such that it will take some considerable time for Endesa to be able to install these meters throughout Spain and so hence why the ICP switches are still required by law.

Should you have any questions please feel free to Contact us on

00 34 952 961 108 or 00 34 669 070 011

Or email us on: info@bselectrical.eu