Utilities
Electricity: Spanish electrics have
come a long way from the old days but do still tend
to “trip” on a regular basis if do many
appliances are on at once. Should this happen, you just
need to turn off some of the electrical items in use
and reset the switch in your fuse box. You often experience
short power cuts in Spain so you should bear this in
mind and perhaps invest in battery back-up for computer
systems, etc.
Gas: There are very few gas pipelines
to private homes in Spain so most areas use gas bottles
(Butano). A contract is required in order to get the
bottles and depots for replacements are located in most
towns. There are also lorries which circulate regularly
(you will soon locate the pick up points as the Spanish
will be in a queue with empty bottles waiting for the
lorry to come in sight). Be aware that full gas bottles
are quite heavy so, if you do not have a car, your local
Ferreteria (hardware store) sells special small metal
trolleys to assist transportation. Gas appliances must
be inspected every five years.
Rubbish Collection: There are no personal
household bins in Spain. Rubbish is collected daily
from large green bins located in the Streets. It is
wise to dispose of your household remains on a daily
basis as (especially in Summer) bins attract the attention
of ants, cockroaches and flies. There is a good recycling
system in Spain for bottles and plastics and these bins
are also located on the Streets. There is normally a
local rubbish dump area in each town for larger unwanted
items such as sofas and old domestic appliances.
Water: Spain is concentrating on improving
its national water system with many ecologically friendly
projects in the pipeline. However, water shortages do
sometimes occur, especially during the summer months.
Whilst tap water is fine for cooking, washing and for
brushing your teeth, it would be prudent to buy your
drinking water from your local supermarket. Mineral
water comes in 5 and 10 litre containers and is inexpensive;
“Aqua sin gas” is normal drinking water
and “Aqua con gas” fizzy water.
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