Month 1
Time
1 hour total · 1–5 days activation
Cost
€80–140/mo combined
Difficulty
Medium
What to bring
NIE (or passport)
Lease
CUPS code. Printed on any previous bill, or ask the landlord
Spanish IBAN for the direct debits
Not needed: An in-person visit. Everything is done online or by phone
Your options
Cambio de titularidad
Take over the existing contract. The fast route
Free
If supply is live, switching the contract to your name keeps the lights on with zero gap. Call the current retailer with the CUPS, your NIE and IBAN.
Holaluz / Octopus
The newcomer-friendly retailers
Varies by tariff
Clean apps, English-manageable onboarding, honest tariffs. The market is liberalised. Switching later is free, so don't agonise.
Endesa / Naturgy / Iberdrola
The incumbents
Varies by tariff
Fine service, pushier upsells. Naturgy handles most piped gas. Water is Aigües de Barcelona either way. No choice to make there.
Prices checked June 2026
Do it
- 1
Find the CUPS codes
The CUPS identifies the meter, not the person (separate ones for electricity and gas). It's on any old bill — photograph one before the landlord disappears.
- 2
Electricity first
Cambio de titularidad if supply is live, new contract if not. You'll choose regulated (PVPC) or free-market tariff — for a first year, a simple fixed free-market tariff is the low-stress pick.
- 3
Water and gas
Aigües de Barcelona online for water. Gas is piped (Naturgy contract) or butano cylinders in older flats — check which yours actually has before contracting anything.
- 4
Photograph the meters on day one
Send readings to the landlord and retailers. That's what stops you paying the previous tenant's last month.
Words you'll hear
CUPS
The code identifying your electricity or gas meter. On any old bill. Grab one before the landlord leaves.
Read more
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Full checklist tracking and task completion live in the Settli app for Barcelona.