Have you ever tried to pay your electricity bill?
I love Spain, I love living here, I love speaking Spanish with the locals, I love so much about it and, for now at least, I can't see myself living anywhere else. Nothing wrong with that, but where it goes wrong is when, for seemingly unknown and sometimes mysterious reasons, your bill just doesn't get paid.
Having no funds in your account is the first surefire way to start your own 'mission impossible' with the
Spanish banking system. I've lived here for 5 years, I speak Spanish after all and surely there can't be too much difficulty in paying the old electric light man. It will cost you a few euros for the monthly hire but at least you know you'll receive your mail and your bills on time. Many assume that in Spain, the postal service is at least as efficient as in the UK. It even had one of those nice bar codes on the bottom which I assumed the cashier could scan through her computer, enabling her pick up my details and happily pay my bill. 'Perdona, no puedo pagarla' (I'm sorry but I can't pay it!)
Pointing to the nearby cash machine, the quite delightfully-looking cashier suggested I pay using that. Just put in your PIN, opt to pay a bill and scan your bill. Great idea, except I didn't have a cash card for Bancaja anymore. Reading the small-print on the bill she said they can't pay Iberdrola bills - remember this is Spain's largest electricity company which practically supplies everyone - unless it's by direct debit. So, with my bill, my money and no cash card I was told to go to an affiliated bank to pay.
Summoning up the energy to continue my adventure, next stop was the bank BBVA. Excellent! Not having much confidence in the outcome, I turned to a passing clerk and asked if I could pay the bill I was waving in my hand at this branch. 'Si puedes, pero no hoy!' I was directed to a polite sign on the cash-desk the gist of which read that bills such as mine can only be paid between the 10th and 20th of each month between the hours of 10am and 12pm! It was the 5th and 1pm! For a week, my bill sat purposefully on my office desk at home. And I sat there every day purposefully wanting to pay it. I could call Iberdrola and ask them to attempt to retake the funds from account but thought better of it. They even have a website these days, but I didn't think you can pay bills through it just yet. santander río online banking
Today, I woke up and I decided I was going to pay my electricity bill. The cashier optimistically took my bill and started tapping her keyboard. Tap, tap, tap, an empty look, and another apology:
'Perdona, pero no podemos pagarla aqui' (Sorry, but we can't pay it here)
The girl examined the bill and confirmed that because the payment had been returned unpaid by Bancaja in the first place, I should go there. Pay using the machine in the corner. But I didn't have a card, I don't want a card, I just want to pay my bill!!
Clearly understanding my frustration, they recommended I head to Banco Popular or Banco Santander. In branches of Banco Santander, it's noticeably red. Yes, I actually paid my electricity bill. For all those moving to Spain, living in Spain, buying property in Spain or for whatever reason may indeed end up in Spain, the lessons of the story are as follows:
(1) do not give your actual address as your postal address unless you know you get a regular delivery.
(2) do find yourself a business address or get your own postbox at your local post office or a postal services provider.
(3) do ensure that your utility companies, telephone/internet service providers have the right address.
(5) do ensure you have enough money in your bank account (maybe more than you think you need)
(6) do ensure you have a cash card for your bank account