How do you get it?
You may find yourself in one of two quite different situations:
- New electrical installations: that is, there is work to be done and naturally it will be the contracted electrician who will certify their work and issue a valid electrical certificate.
- Electrical installations more than 20 years old: as we saw before, depending on the contract changes you request, your installation may need to be reviewed even if no changes are made to it. In this case a new certificate can be issued certifying an old installation.
Usually, there are no serious problems and the examination is over in less than half an hour. The document must then be registered with the official body, which doesn't usually take more than a week.
In the event that the technician is unable to complete the examination or finds some fault, it might take a little longer to issue your Installation Certificate.
What data does it include?
For your Electrical Installation Certificate to be totally valid, it must show:
- Owner's details.
- Address of the building.
- Characteristics of the installation: use (domestic, office, hotel…), surface area, maximum permissible power, voltage, details of the General Supply Line, details of the individual branch, meters and details of the protection devices.
- Distribution company.
- Authorised installer company.
- Verification measurements.
Among all these details, what should be of most interest to you is the maximum permissible power, as the supply you engage cannot exceed this figure. Remember, the more power you have, the more domestic appliances you can use at the same time without tripping the breaker switches.
How much does it cost?
The cost of the CIE is not regulated, and depends on a number of factors such as the rates of the electrician of your choice, the dimensions of the building or the taxes levied by each Autonomous Community.
When we talk about new electrical installations, the cost of the electricity certificate or CIE is included in the quote that you will be given for the work.
When we talk about an installation that is more than 20 years old, which needs to be reviewed and a new certificate issued, the electrician is free to charge any price. Since there are considerable differences between one professional and another, we recommend that you consider several options before hiring. The price bracket depends on many factors and shifts easily between 60 and 300 euro, as you can see if you perform an Internet search.
The Blue Bulletin or BRIE
In addition to the conventional installation certificate that is mandatory throughout Spain, in Catalonia the blue report or BRIE is also required.
This certificate is additional to the Electrical Installation Certificate, and the distribution company will ask you for it if you want to carry out certain procedures.
It expires after 6 months, and its purpose is to guarantee small modifications to the electrical installation.