Spain’s electricity regulator is scrutinising ~20 power retailers for possible illegal phone‑based contracts, testing the enforceability of a February telemarketing ban
Executive summary: CNMC issued information requests to roughly twenty Spanish electricity retailers to check if they are still contracting power supplies by telephone without consumer consent. The inquiry tests the effectiveness of a February 2026 ban on unsolicited telemarketing and could lead to fines or forced changes in retail sales practices.
Who is involved: CNMC (regulator), electricity retail companies (unnamed), Spanish consumers, and potentially the Data Protection Agency.
Likely next: Retailers must submit call logs by mid‑July; CNMC will assess responses and may open sanction proceedings, with possible penalties announced by late July.
The CNMC has sent information requests to about twenty electricity retailers to verify whether they continue to solicit residential customers via unsolicited phone calls, a practice prohibited since February 2026. The move follows the regulator’s mandate to enforce the general telecommunications law that bans such calls without prior consent. If violations are confirmed, companies could face fines and be required to overhaul their sales scripts. The action highlights the regulator’s focus on consumer protection in liberalised energy markets.
Timeline
- — La CNMC pide información a una veintena de empresas para comprobar si siguen contratando la luz por teléfono (El País — Economía)
- — La CNMC critica la falta de ejecución de las inversiones planificadas de Red Eléctrica (El País — Economía)
- — La CNMC investiga posibles prácticas anticompetitivas en el sector de la intermediación hipotecaria (Expansión)
Analysis — what this means
Likely next events
- CNMC to publish preliminary findings on the telephone‑contracting inquiry by 2026-07-20.
- Electricity retailers must provide call‑records and scripts to the CNMC no later than 2026-07-15.
- If violations are confirmed, fines could reach up to 2 % of each company’s annual turnover under Ley General de Telecomunicaciones.
- Spanish Ministry of Economic Affairs may review the telemarketing ban enforcement framework in Q4 2026.
Sectors affected
- Electricity retail
- Telemarketing services
- Consumer protection
Regulatory implications
- Enforcement of Article 66.2 of the Ley General de Telecomunicaciones (ban on unsolicited calls) by the CNMC.
- Potential amendment to Royal Decree‑Law 8/2026 on prior‑consent requirements for telemarketing.
- Coordination with the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) to verify consent records for telephone contracts.
Historical parallels
- CNMC’s 2025 sweep against unwanted phone‑banking calls in the banking sector, which resulted in €12 million of fines.
- EU Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) 2024 sweep on illegal commercial calls across member states.
- AEPD’s 2023 sanction of a telemarketing firm for processing personal data without consent, imposing a €4 million fine.
Key entities
Sources
- La CNMC pide información a una veintena de empresas para comprobar si siguen contratando la luz por teléfono — El País — Economía
- La CNMC investiga posibles prácticas anticompetitivas en el sector de la intermediación hipotecaria — Expansión
- La CNMC critica la falta de ejecución de las inversiones planificadas de Red Eléctrica — El País — Economía
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