Why My Service Is Free

Some of the first questions people ask me is: “What’s the catch?” or "How come your service is free?"

It’s a fair question. If someone is offering to review your electricity or gas bill, compare tariffs, deal with the supplier, and help you switch providers, it’s natural to wonder how the service can be free.

At Compare The Mercado, our service is free to the customer because we are paid by the energy supplier when a client switches through us. You do not pay us a fee, and there are no hidden charges added to your bill.

Why Compare The Mercado Is Free for Expats in Spain

Many expats in Spain are overpaying for electricity and gas simply because they have never reviewed their tariff.

Sometimes they inherited a contract when they bought or rented a property. Sometimes they stayed with the same supplier for years without checking the rates. Sometimes they do not fully understand the bill because it is in Spanish or because the tariff structure is confusing.

That is where we help.

We review your current bill, look at your consumption, check your potencia, compare available options, and explain whether you could be paying less.

The service is free because, if you decide to switch to one of the providers we work with, the supplier pays us a commission as an official collaborator.

You still pay the energy company directly for your electricity or gas, exactly as you normally would.

Does Free Mean There Is a Catch?

No.

There is no upfront payment.

There is no admin fee.

There is no hidden charge added to your tariff.

You are not paying extra because you used Compare The Mercado, in fact we can all but guarantee you'll be paying much less!

Our role is to make the process of switching frictionless for you. We compare, explain, recommend, and manage the switch so you do not have to deal with confusing forms, Spanish terminology, or supplier call centres.

For many clients, the biggest benefit is not just saving money. It is having someone who understands the system look at the bill properly and explain it clearly. Then to have someone they can call on in future, should they have any questions or queries regarding their utility bills.

How Compare The Mercado Gets Paid

When you switch through Compare The Mercado to a supplier we collaborate with, the supplier pays us a commission.

This is very common in many industries, including insurance, energy, mortgages, travel, and telecoms.

The important thing is that the customer does not pay us directly.

You send your bill to us, we review it, and if we can find a better option, we explain the estimated saving. If you are happy to go ahead, we help with the switching process.

If we review your bill and you are already on a good tariff, we will tell you.

We would rather be honest and build long-term trust than push someone into changing when it is not worth it.

What We Check on Your Electricity or Gas Bill

A proper bill review is not just about looking at the total amount you paid.

Your bill includes several parts, and each one can affect what you pay every month.

We look at things such as:

• Your current kWh unit rates

• Your electricity usage

• Your contracted potencia

• Peak, flat, and off-peak consumption

• Standing charges

• Optional add-ons or extra services

• Whether your tariff still suits your household

• Whether a different provider could reduce your costs

For solar customers, we can also check whether the feed-in rate is working properly and whether the structure of their tariff is still suitable after solar panels have been installed.

Why Expats Often Overpay for Utilities in Spain

Many people move to Spain and simply accept the energy contract that is already in place.

Others sign up with a supplier when they first arrive and then never review it again.

The problem is that energy tariffs change. Household usage changes. Prices change. Your lifestyle changes.

For example, someone who only used the property for holidays may have very different usage compared with someone now living in Spain full-time.

A tariff that was acceptable two years ago may no longer be the best option today.

This is why a bill review can be so useful. It gives you a clear picture of what you are paying and whether there is a better option available.

Do You Have to Switch?

No.

We can review your bill and explain the options, but the decision is always yours.

There is no pressure.

If we find a better tariff, we will tell you what the estimated new cost could be and how much you could potentially save.

If you want to go ahead, we help with the switch.

If you do not want to switch, that is completely fine.

Our aim is to make the process simple and transparent, not pushy or confusing.

Is the Switching Process Complicated?

For most clients, the process is very straightforward.

You send us a recent bill. We review it. We explain the recommendation. If you are happy to proceed, we tell you what information is needed.

It is extremely rare for you to need to contact your current supplier yourself, as the new supplier normally manages the changeover process.

However, if you should need to contact your existing supplier to authorise cancelling an additional insurance or service we cannot do for you, we will prepare you a template in Spanish and provide the relevant email address for you to send it to and then review the returning correspondence on your behalf. 

There will be absolutely no interruption to your supply. Your electricity and gas continue as normal.

The main difference is that, once the switch is complete, you will be billed by the new supplier on the new tariff, which will cost you less each month.

Why I Chose Not to Charge Clients

I know how confusing bills in Spain can be, especially if Spanish is not your first language.

Electricity bills here can feel overwhelming, with terms like potencia, punta, llano, valle, taxes, meter rental, and different tariff structures.

I wanted Compare The Mercado to be a service that people could use without worrying about paying for advice before they even know whether they can save money.

By working with suppliers as a collaborator, I can offer the service free to clients while still running a business.

It also means clients can ask for help without feeling like they are committing to anything upfront.

What I Ask in Return

Because the service is free to customers, referrals are incredibly important to us.

If you have been happy with the service, the best thing you can do is recommend Compare The Mercado to your friends, neighbours, family, or local community groups.

A large part of our business comes from referrals, and we are very grateful for every recommendation.

It helps us keep supporting more expats across Spain and helping people understand whether they are paying too much for their utilities.