Spain’s Ministry for Ecological Transition is reportedly working on legislation that could put an end to bothersome sales calls by electricity and gas suppliers. 

More specifically, the new regulations would not only ban over-the-phone advertising, it would make it illegal for such companies to get customers to sign up for new contracts over the phone, unless the customers themselves call to request it. 

The changes suggested by the Ministry reflect the proposal made by Spain’s National Commission for Markets and Competition in its latest report on the electricity retail market.

The document highlighted the “numerous complaints from consumers who receive misleading telephone calls from different marketers, without the customer having given their consent to receive these calls, and which can lead to supply contracts with deficiencies or without informed consent from the consumer”.

More than a year has passed since the Spanish government brought in legislation to try and stop spam calls, but for practically everyone in Spain these infuriating marketing and advertising cold calls continue.

According to a survey by consumer rights group Facua published at the beginning of July 2024, 98 percent of people in Spain continue to receive unsolicited sales calls. 

Almost seven out of ten had received more than five calls in the last month. 

In some cases, consumers receive numerous cold calls everyday, which discourages them from answering any number that they don’t recognise, even if it isn’t a spam call. 

Experts say companies, some legitimate and others fraudulent, have found ways to circumvent the legislation and exploit data protection rules. There is no evidence that the fines of up to €100,000 that were meant to dissuade offenders have actually been handed out.

READ MORE: Why Spain’s law to ban spam calls has failed

Other legislation introduced in 2022 also prohibited cold calling before 9am and after 9m, as well as at weekends or on public holidays.

Given the Spanish government’s poor track record in actually getting spam call legislation to stop, it remains to be seen whether electricity and gas companies will actually cease calling. 

According to a 2023 report by Hiya, a Seattle-based company that provides spam and fraud call protection globally, Spain and France are the two countries in Europe where people receive the most spam calls.