Why does the electricity company want my ID?
To prove who's signing the supply contract. It's legitimate, but they don't need a clean copy: your name and DNI (Spanish national ID) number are enough. Cover the rest and mark the copy with the company's name and the date.
- Published:
- Reviewed:
- Editorial responsibility:
- Ofuska
- Jurisdiction:
- Spain
Why they ask for it
Electricity, water, gas, internet, alarms: every sign-up or change of account holder means sending a copy of your ID, often through a sales rep or a call-centre agent rather than the company itself.
That copy travels through channels you don't control — a rep's personal phone, a subcontractor's CRM — and stays there indefinitely.
The real risk
With a clean copy of your ID, someone can set up fraudulent contracts and switches in your name — the classic "slamming" — or sign up for services whose unpaid bills land on you.
How to send it with Ofuska
- 1
Store
Your DNI encrypted, always at hand for the next sign-up.
- 2
Redact
Cover the signature, support number and MRZ with the brush, rectangles or a reusable mask, then export in black and white if appropriate.
- 3
Trace
A "Company X — electricity sign-up — date" mosaic. If months later your ID shows up on a contract you never made, your history tells you which rep received that copy.
Verify Copy can link a PNG or JPEG to a copy stored on this phone if the image still contains the watermark. The app tells you whether it found a current watermark, an older one or none it can verify. PDFs cannot be checked directly.
Safer sharing guide →
What to show and what to hide in a sign-up
Each provider sets the details needed for its contract. The GDPR says those details must be limited to what is necessary: ask which fields it checks before sending an image, and do not assume it needs the full document.
Show
- Full name
- Document number
Hide
- Photo
- Signature
- CAN
- Expiry date
- Date of birth
- Address
- Full MRZ
This is a common starting point, not a universal requirement. Confirm the fields with the provider. Recommended mosaic: "Company Z sign-up · date".
Legal basis and sources
Frequently asked questions
- Can the sales rep refuse a redacted copy?
- Yes. Providers may use different checks. Ask which fields it needs and whether it accepts a marked or redacted copy; do not cover anything it confirms is required for the contract.
- A service I never signed up for has appeared in my name. What do I do?
- Complain to the company and file a police report. If you sent your copies with Ofuska, your history shows who you gave your ID to, so you can include that in the report.