Estepona’s Alma residents take on power company Endesa in fight for their homes

Dozens in Estepona now face a frustrating wait after the local council escalated its battle with electricity giant Endesa to Spain’s national competition watchdog.

Council calls in watchdog to break electricity deadlock

Estepona town hall has referred Endesa to the CNMC energy watchdog seeking a permanent solution to the power shortage at the Alma residential complex. Families were expected to move into their new homes in summer 2025, yet still cannot enter the iconic completed building because of missing permanent electricity supply and licence to inhabit.

Seventy-two households, many feel stuck in limbo. Grouped together as the ADVAE association, they have asked to join the court case as interested parties, calling the situation unprecedented and hugely damaging both personally and financially.

Early slip-ups left buyers exposed

Buyers argue that mistakes happened right from the start. In 2022 authorities granted power for construction without checking there was enough electricity capacity for the finished homes. This allowed sales to go ahead without any real guarantee of final connections. Later requests from the council reportedly met with little response, and Endesa turned down alternative fixes suggested by the town hall.

Everyone agrees electricity should count as a basic public service, yet here it feels anything but. The root cause links to limited grid capacity in the area, made worse by long-running delays upgrading the Benahavis substation, held up in court by a local landowner.

Tight deadline forces tough choices

Without the occupation licence the developer has started offering buyers the chance to sign deeds under restricted conditions. These come with serious drawbacks: mortgage lenders often say no, proper property registration becomes tricky, and legally moving in remains off limits.

A letter from the promoter gives buyers until April 30, 2026 to either accept these terms or cancel the contract and get their money back plus 3.25 per cent legal interest. Most families reject walking away at this stage because property prices in Estepona have shot up sharply, making it impossible to find anything similar at today’s rates. As well, mortgage rates have also risen, with many also paying rent while they wait for their new homes.

Homeowners keep up pressure with weekly meetings

Despite the stress, affected residents continue weekly talks with Estepona officials hunting for a quick fix. A protest outside the town hall in January highlighted their plight, and another demonstration is planned for April 10 in Málaga to keep the issue visible.