How City Power can cut off your electricity if you use too much

[Turbo_Aspiration]

I don't understand the hostility towards these measures. Limiting your usage to below 4.5kw isn't that difficult. Switch off your geyser from 7pm to 10pm and you'll have to boil water, make toast and use your vacuum cleaner at the same time to get close.

I'd rather have my lights, tv, pc, etc on instead of sitting in the dark every night because of load shedding.

If you want this automated, install a timer and set it to 7pm to 10pm and the load shedding schedule? I don't see how any of this is worse than load shedding.

 

[Ianf1]

I don't understand the hostility towards these measures. Limiting your usage to below 4.5kw isn't that difficult. Switch off your geyser from 7pm to 10pm and you'll have to boil water, make toast and use your vacuum cleaner at the same time to get close.

I'd rather have my lights, tv, pc, etc on instead of sitting in the dark every night because of load shedding.

If you want this automated, install a timer and set it to 7pm to 10pm and the load shedding schedule? I don't see how any of this is worse than load shedding.

4.5KW is reasonable 2KW is not you can't even boil a kettle! What gets me is the meter is just fitted and no one tells you how they set it up or how it works until it just trips for 30 seconds. If city power did explain, and told us how to manage it then that is fine but they told us sweet f.... all.
Also they did say they would SMS alerts which does not happen, instead they just trip the lights. So the concept is great just the implementation is an absolute balls up.

 

[Turbo_Aspiration]

4.5KW is reasonable 2KW is not you can't even boil a kettle! What gets me is the meter is just fitted and no one tells you how they set it up or how it works until it just trips for 30 seconds. If city power did explain, and told us how to manage it then that is fine but they told us sweet f.... all.
Also they did say they would SMS alerts which does not happen, instead they just trip the lights. So the concept is great just the implementation is an absolute balls up.

I appreciate your pain. Unfortunately we see many great ideas being pissed away thanks to poor implementation.

 

[supersunbird]

Yeah, pity that they screw up the customer communication side and implantation.

 

[Brawler]

I bet Soweto won't ever be "load limited".

Of course not :/

Bar heaters running on full 24/7 in the townships.

 

[Jola]

This is BS.

I have a Stiebel Eltron inline water heater that just heats the warm water when you turn the tap on, so over 24 hours it uses way less power than a geyser. These are popular in Europe because of the saving in electricity costs.

But while operational it uses up to 24Kw.

So I am going to get all the appliances in the house destroyed because I have a 10 minute shower ?

What nonsense will some imbecile come up with next ?

 

[supersunbird]

This is BS.

I have a Stiebel Eltron inline water heater that just heats the warm water when you turn the tap on, so over 24 hours it uses way less power than a geyser. These are popular in Europe because of the saving in electricity costs.

But while operational it uses up to 24Kw.

So I am going to get all the appliances in the house destroyed because I have a 10 minute shower ?

What nonsense will some imbecile come up with next ?

If you are doing it during your areas loadshedding time, yes.

 

[Turbo_Aspiration]

This is BS.

I have a Stiebel Eltron inline water heater that just heats the warm water when you turn the tap on, so over 24 hours it uses way less power than a geyser. These are popular in Europe because of the saving in electricity costs.

But while operational it uses up to 24Kw.

So I am going to get all the appliances in the house destroyed because I have a 10 minute shower ?

What nonsense will some imbecile come up with next ?

Load shedding is about normalizing instantaneous usage so using 24kw would be an issue.

 

[Gezza]

Can one claim appliance damages from Eskom?

 

[Enzo Matrix]

This is BS.

I have a Stiebel Eltron inline water heater that just heats the warm water when you turn the tap on, so over 24 hours it uses way less power than a geyser. These are popular in Europe because of the saving in electricity costs.

But while operational it uses up to 24Kw.

So I am going to get all the appliances in the house destroyed because I have a 10 minute shower ?

What nonsense will some imbecile come up with next ?

This isnt Europe, and 24kw is a really dumb idea imho given the circumstances we find ourself in

 

[Ockie]

I was under the impression that these smart meters load limit you by automatically switching off most plugs and geyser, leaving a plug for the TV and fridge maybe running with load limiting. I did not realize the customer only gets a warning and then he has to switch off everything still. This does not sound so "smart". Then again I guess there is nothing stopping a client then running a large number of multi adaptor plugs from the 1 or two plugs left on by the smart meter so would be pointless....but if they do that then the smart meter can pick up the increased load again and switch off the entire house?

 

[Sinbad]

I was under the impression that these smart meters load limit you by automatically switching off most plugs and geyser, leaving a plug for the TV and fridge maybe running with load limiting. I did not realize the customer only gets a warning and then he has to switch off everything still. This does not sound so "smart". Then again I guess there is nothing stopping a client then running a large number of multi adaptor plugs from the 1 or two plugs left on by the smart meter so would be pointless....but if they do that then the smart meter can pick up the increased load again and switch off the entire house?

The smart meters being rolled out in blairgowrie have no link to any load limiting relays that I am aware of.
The pilot Hefcom I had did have a relay on the geyser, but the hefcoms are all being ripped out and replaced with Itrons that do not have this functionality.

 

[supersunbird]

I was under the impression that these smart meters load limit you by automatically switching off most plugs and geyser, leaving a plug for the TV and fridge maybe running with load limiting. I did not realize the customer only gets a warning and then he has to switch off everything still. This does not sound so "smart". Then again I guess there is nothing stopping a client then running a large number of multi adaptor plugs from the 1 or two plugs left on by the smart meter so would be pointless....but if they do that then the smart meter can pick up the increased load again and switch off the entire house?

Well, for it to do that, someone would need to come into your house and work on your Distribution Board and mess up who knows what else, no thanks...

 

[thehuman]

Would nice if port Elizabeth had this . Would never be load shed

 

[supersunbird]

Would nice if port Elizabeth had this . Would never be load shed

Wish I had it too. Lights, TV, router and a laptop is all that I would need on.

 

[Jola]

This isnt Europe, and 24kw is a really dumb idea imho given the circumstances we find ourself in

I installed this before the ANC destroyed the power grid.

And overall it uses much less power than a geyser, so ideally everyone should install these.

And the really dumb idea is the flipping of people's power supplies - they will destroy hundreds of millions of rands of home appliances.

 

[thehuman]

I installed this before the ANC destroyed the power grid.

And overall it uses much less power than a geyser, so ideally everyone should install these.

24kw = 100+ amp on 220v ac or is it 3 phase ?

 

[Jola]

24kw = 100+ amp on 220v ac or is it 3 phase ?

3 phase. And I doubt that it actually uses 24kw, but that is the rating.

Apparently all the women's hair salons use these because of the instant hot water and power savings.

 

[Sinbad]

3 phase.

Time for a switch to gas?

 

[grok]

Time for a switch to gas?

Time for a switch to a new government.