Iberdrola advertised EV charging at 0.030 €/kWh — the fine print capped it at 60% of use

Iberdrola promoted its 'Plan Vehículo Eléctrico' with a striking number: 'Did you know you can drive 100 km for just 0.50 euros?' The campaign advertised a valley-period price of 0.030 €/kWh for charging at home overnight. What the ad did not say was that this promotional price applied to at most 60 percent of the energy billed in each period — consumption beyond the cap was charged at the peak rate of 0.218 €/kWh.

A private individual complained on 18 September 2025, and Autocontrol, Spain's advertising self-regulatory body, ruled eight days later. Selling the valley price without its 60 percent cap was misleading: consumers could reasonably believe all valley-hour charging cost 0.030 €/kWh. Iberdrola argued the limit appeared in its FAQ and conditions pages; Autocontrol rejected that — information buried away cannot cure the main message of an advertisement. The breaches: norms 14 and 3.3 of the advertising code of conduct and norm 23 of the online trust code.

Autocontrol ordered Iberdrola to rectify the advertisement. The ruling of 26 September 2025 became public when El Confidencial reported it on 12 November. For energy retailers competing on headline charging prices, the decision drew a line: the conditions that change the price belong in the ad itself.