noelyf
VIP Member
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
The Spanish city of Albacete got a shock last night when its electricity supply was cut off by its supplier in response to unpaid bills.
A Spanish city that failed to pay its electricity bill got a shock when the lights went out at many city buildings, including a pool being used by swimmers.
Albacete, a city of 175,000 people in central Spain, has racked up unpaid bills of more than €1m with electricity giant Iberdrola.
Among the buildings that plunged into the dark last night were a library, a sporting centre and a swimming pool.
"A lot people were swimming when they cut the power," said the city's chief of staff Irene Soriano.
"These are the first cuts we have had but we fear more."
Iberdrola had warned in advance of the cuts in non-essential government services, she said.
"They were the ones who decided which services were not essential," Ms Soriano said.
Albacete's mayor Carmen Bayod, of the conservative Popular Party, managed to persuade Iberdrola at the last minute to leave on the power at a nursery school, she added.
An Iberdrola spokeswoman, Elena Gonzalez, confirmed the power cut but declined further comment.
Albacete has debts of more than €15m with other suppliers and is in debt repayment discussions with various banks, Ms Soriano said.
Many Spanish cities and regions, hit by the global financial crisis and the 2008 property bubble collapse, are in financial trouble and running far behind on bill payments.
The Spanish city of Albacete got a shock last night when its electricity supply was cut off by its supplier in response to unpaid bills.
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Iberdrola had warned in advance of the power cuts
A Spanish city that failed to pay its electricity bill got a shock when the lights went out at many city buildings, including a pool being used by swimmers.
Albacete, a city of 175,000 people in central Spain, has racked up unpaid bills of more than €1m with electricity giant Iberdrola.
Among the buildings that plunged into the dark last night were a library, a sporting centre and a swimming pool.
"A lot people were swimming when they cut the power," said the city's chief of staff Irene Soriano.
"These are the first cuts we have had but we fear more."
Iberdrola had warned in advance of the cuts in non-essential government services, she said.
"They were the ones who decided which services were not essential," Ms Soriano said.
Albacete's mayor Carmen Bayod, of the conservative Popular Party, managed to persuade Iberdrola at the last minute to leave on the power at a nursery school, she added.
An Iberdrola spokeswoman, Elena Gonzalez, confirmed the power cut but declined further comment.
Albacete has debts of more than €15m with other suppliers and is in debt repayment discussions with various banks, Ms Soriano said.
Many Spanish cities and regions, hit by the global financial crisis and the 2008 property bubble collapse, are in financial trouble and running far behind on bill payments.
