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Upgrading your power supply...


mmaddock
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We had EDF in the other day to change the meter as we had a very old one, and we are now on the two-rate system where the rate is reduced between 10.30pm and 6.30am.  I asked the EDF guy if he could upgrade the power and he bumped us up from 15A (3KW) to 30A (6KW) but said he couldn't go any higher because the disjoncteur was rated for 30A max and it would have to be changed and he gave me a number to call to get it sorted.

Ideally we'd like 45A (9KW) as we are installing an electric heating system, but we are having problems getting EDF to come out to do it.  They are confused as to why we need so much power and resisting coming out.

I had a French friend call them to try and explain, but all they got out of them was that EDF were going to call me to discuss again (which they haven't done)  My French friend said that they have electric heating in their house and they have a 6KW supply which works fine - although I really don't see how - I have worked out that if we have all the electric heaters on (a distinct possibility during winter!) we will be using exactly 6KW, leaving nothing for any other appliance - and even if we only use half of the electric heaters by the time we put the washing machine and a kettle on, our supply is again overloaded!  I just can't see why EDF are being funny about coming out to upgrade the supply, they will get more in standing charges once it is done!

Has anyone else had any experience of this and got any advice?  Should we just give up, stick with 6KW and hope for the best?!

Thanks,

Matt

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We upgraded from 12 kw to 15kw as we expanded the house quite a bit - two kitchens now, etc.  We did not have to change our disjonteur, just the wiring at the box from 12 kw to 15kw.  I explained the changes we made to the house to the EDF guy.  I asked him if he thought the 15kw would be sufficient.  He said he felt it would, but if we found we were still having powers drops outs to call them back and they'd change it to 19kws.  Thank goodness 15 has been fine so far.  The increase for having the higher wattage is not cheap.  To keep increasing it would really increase our monthly service fee (not usage fees).

We didn't have any problem with EDF.  They have a nearby office where customers can go to ask for information or make appointments for certain types of work.  If you have a local office, I would go there.  I never dealt with the 800 number on my bill.  Just directly with the local office.

Good luck.

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Thanks for the info - seems like the best thing to do is go into their local office!

I wondered if they were resisting because they will have to actually change the disjoncter (I would say it is at least 50 years old!) rather than just coming out and uppping the supply in 5 mins?!  The guy who came out was very nice and did upgrade it there and then to the highest he could.

Cheers,

Matt

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Don't give up. You are the customer. No-one should be confused that you need more power and even less resist coming out. Complain at your local office and you will get a result.

You may or may not be interested in the following.

I dealt with E.D.F by phone. 

I've just had our disjoncteur changed as like you I had a complete new installation of meter. A short while later on rewiring, I noticed somewhat disconcertingly that the disjoncteur they supplied was not the selective type they should have installed so I rang for a change.

They could only book up to one month in advance and had no technical department to speak to to explain the problem.

The lovely lady I spoke to didn't know what a disjoncteur was.

They also didn't ring me back a couple of times.

I persisted , but at one point was one step away from declaring a total power failure which will as in England trigger a faster response.( tell them you can smell burning or something)

Eventually the engineer came as agreed but tried to convince me the disjoncteur was fine.I was surprised to have to tell him it was not to normes and he told me he would "stick a sticker on it" to say it was selective when it wasn't. I laughed and sent him away to get the correct one.

As he installed it I went to make a cup of tea and caught sight of him crossing himself  before carrying out the changeover without disconnecting the supply.

If it's any help, you can always get the meter reader to put in a request for an engineers visit and also be aware that another limiting factor on the disjoncteur rating is the wiring cross section from the pole to your house.This may also have to be upgraded if it's 10mm.

Best of luck.

 

 

 

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Don't assume you CAN have more than 6KW. We cannot. No one in our hamau can unless they have 3 phase for the farm or workshops. Our wiring is old, it comes a very long way through the woods and it never fails to amaze me that we have so few power cuts (two yesterday but assume everyone turned their TV's on at once as it only lasted a minute or so :).

Our phone line is dodgy (for same reason BUT we do have DSL which the nearest town does not - we sit at the end of the line on the 'right' side of the hill).

Having had friends who tried electric central heating and then gave up on it when they got the bills, if possible a log burner is the best way forward if you are in a wooded area.

We have 2 kitchens, 2 ballons and use timers to balance everything, I even have a large electric oven and a small one in the microwave. It is possible to live with 6 KW and don't think that they are just being jobsworth. If the wiring is 20 years old, they are not going to upgrade it for you unless you are willing to pay for it.

Tis sad but true, you can't always get what you want :(

Her and not him.

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[quote user="nicktrollope"]

The only way I have dealt with EDF is in person - by visiting their office (one in every town!), never had a problem although I know plenty who have tried to deal with them on the telephone & have failed....

 

[/quote]

Not one in our town! But hey, its only a little town Villedieu Les Poeles ( not that little)

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We have just had EDF out to us in Normandy this week to upgrade to 45w . What a nightmare! They firstly chopped down my 10yr old prize clematis without telling me, proceeded with the installation and buggered off without doing any sort of" test run". On trying to put power back on ourselves found that we couldn't get the power switched on at all. We then had to phone them to explain that we had been left with no power at all and could they please send someone back to us. This took 6 hours of pleading etc and when they did finally return and removed the new meter found that the main cable had not even been connected! I hurriedly went round flicking various lights etc on and off before we let them leave again and thought all was well. Some hope!!! Later that evening I went to prepare our evening meal and found that there was no power at all in the kitchen.In desparation we phoned an electrician to come and sort it out and he fpound that in installing the new meter EDF had drilled through the the wiring whitch fed the kitchen. He sorted it out, and charged us £170 euros for his services. The moral of all this is :

Dont assume that EDF know what they are doing! { we have since been told that they tender work out , so you may or may not get someone who is good}

Dont let them leave without testing every socket, appliance and lightswitch in the house.

Make sure that you have the phone number of a reliable, trustworthy electrician beforhand!  

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[quote user="montagrier"]I was always under the impression that the most you could have was 12kw in mono phase and if you wanted more you need to change to 3 phase.
Is it just the rule in the dordogne. Who has more than 12kw on mono phase???

Prey tell.....

monti
[/quote]

The limiting factor is usually the supply cables from the substation to the property. Our "main" house has a 15Kw monophase supply (converted from a 3 phase supply) but the house next door (closer to the sub by about 30M) has a 9Kw supply and EDF won't make it any larger - unless I pay for the cable to the sub to be replaced. As if!

 

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